Change in progress: Nunavut's new language laws in context.

• Author: Hardy, Susan
• Position: Special Report: Language and Learning in Nunavut

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Change in Progress at the Senate

The appointment of the Honourable Senator Willy Adams in 1977 represented an early and critical milestone in the empowerment of the individuals, communities and peoples of the eastern Arctic. Senator Adams was one of fewer than 20 senators of primarily First Nation, Inuit or Metis origin appointed during the last 50 years.

For 32 years, until just eight days before his retirement this June, Senator Adams' official work and advocacy occurred within the constitutionally charmed circle of Canadian official bilingualism. He had to use English or French for official purposes. The linguistic realities and needs associated with his own Inuit ancestry and the linguistic and communication needs of his constituents and homeland existed, largely unrecognized, outside that circle.

Even today, many Canadians are not aware that neither English nor French is indigenous to or represented by a demographic majority in Senator Adams' region. As recently as 2006, Statistics Canada reported that the Inuit language was the mother tongue of approximately 83% of the Inuit population and nearly three quarters of the total population of Nunavut. English and French first language speakers represent approximately 26. 5% and less than 1% of the population, respectively.

A 2008 Report prepared by the Senate Standing Committee on Rules, Procedures and the Rights of Parliament examined the circumstances of Senator Adams and other Aboriginal language speakers in Senate proceedings. It proposed an unprecedented Inuit language translation pilot project, stating:

... [E]nabling the use of Aboriginal languages would be in keeping with the rights of Aboriginal Canadians under the Canadian Constitution, including section 22 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and would reflect the unique position of Canada's First Nations.... The use of Aboriginal languages in the Senate would constitute recognition of their unique status in Canada. Canada's Aboriginal peoples were here long before the arrival of the Europeans, and have never been conquered. Moreover, language is an integral part of culture and heritage. Facilitating the use of Aboriginal languages would be a tangible demonstration of the Senate's commitment to minority rights and a manifestation of its role in reflecting and representing Canadians. The Senate has an important role to play in representing the regions of Canada and in reflecting the different cultural and minority groups that make up the country. Both the Northwest...