Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
FOUR CHANGES TO OVERHAUL GNWT LANGUAGES APPROACH
1. Implement the right to receive services in your official language of choice
Since 1984, the Official Languages Act has set out the public's right to government services in an official language. That right exists where there is "significant demand" or where it is reasonable given "the nature of the office."
However, the concepts of "significant demand" and "nature of the office" have been criticized for years because they are unclear and do not work for the NWT. These concepts make it hard for residents to understand their right to demand services from the government in any official language.
Committee believes that each resident is a language rights holder, regardless of where they are and which office they interact with. These rights extend to the descendants of the language speakers, especially if they lost their language. Language rights should ensure "substantive equality" - this means using targeted measures to address underlying barriers and achieve true equality. Language rights should also be remedial in nature, meaning that they address inequalities and past injustices.
Practically speaking, the government has far to go to implement this expansive vision for language rights. But even the Minister has expressed hope that the NWT will "one day realize the vision of service delivery similar to what we see for French language services for all of our official languages." Committee therefore recommends:
Recommendation 1: That Government of the Northwest Territories recognize the right of each resident to receive services in the official language of their choice.
This right should go beyond the concepts of "significant demand" and "nature of the office," and follow the principles of substantive equality. As such, the GNWT should consider quantitative and qualitative characteristics when determining service levels to each official languages' community. This right should also be remedial in nature, designed to counter the gradual decline of Indigenous official language speakers.
Residents expressed a desire to see more Indigenous-languages signage on a day-to-day basis. The government has a guidelines manual requiring new and replacement signs to display local Indigenous official language. The rules only apply to territorial institutions. The department is currently updating the guidelines. Committee welcomes that work but recommends that the government accelerates the transition towards more Indigenous language signage in the built environment. We therefore recommend:
Recommendation 2: That Government of the Northwest Territories set up a policy and a plan to display more Indigenous language signs before the 19th Assembly ends.
The policy should require all new signs at all territorial public bodies and community governments to prominently feature the local Indigenous official languages. The plan should set targets and offer funding for new Indigenous language signs.
In the NWT, the Metis are the only Indigenous group whose traditional language is not recognized as an official language. Committee heard interest in adding Michif as an official language in Hay River.
This idea is not new. In 2002, a special committee developed a discussion paper about Michif in the NWT and recommends further research to figure out how the language should be recognized. The Languages Commissioner also recommended reconsidering whether Michif should be an official language in 2016. As there is no recent publicly available research on Michif in the NWT, committee believes more study is necessary and recommends:
Recommendation 3: That the Department of Education, Culture and Employment commission a study on the state of Michif in the NWT and options to recognize Michif in the Official Languages Act. The study should be tabled in the House within the first 18 months of the 20th Assembly.
2. Implement the right to K to 12 immersion education in your local language.
Committee heard a strong and clear desire for more Indigenous languages in education, including more intergenerational learning opportunities, more instruction time, and K to 12 immersion options in each community. However, there are more formidable barriers such as lack of fluent young people to replace retiring teachers and too few language instructor training opportunities at Aurora College.
Committee believes that the long-term goal needs to be a right for full K to 12 immersion in your local official language. Anything less would fall short of UNDRIP Article 14 which says: "States shall, in conjunction with Indigenous peoples, take effective measures, in order for Indigenous individuals, particularly children, including those living outside their communities, to have access, when possible, to an education in their own culture and provided in their own language."
Committee believes upcoming work to renew the Education Act must prioritize languages revitalization and aim to make a plan to achieve full immersion in the future. We note that Nunavut's Education Act sets out a long-term schedule to phase in bilingual Inuktut education for all grades by 2039. The Standing Committee on Government Operations recommends:
Recommendation 4: That the Department of Education, Culture and Employment implement an exercisable right for Northerners to full K to 12 immersion in each local Indigenous official language. To achieve this vision, ECE should prioritize Indigenous language revitalization in the ongoing Education Act modernization.
Recommendation 5: That the Department of Education, Culture and Employment help ensure Indigenous languages early childhood education is available in each community. To achieve this vision, ECE should provide additional and sufficient funding to program operators that use Indigenous languages.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to turn this over to my colleague, the Member from Thebacha. Mahsi.