Ikajarutit: delivering legislative library services in an Inuktitut language environment.

AuthorEarle, Yvonne
PositionSpecial Report: Language and Learning in Nunavut

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Nunavut Territory came into existence April 1, 1999. From the outset it was seen as a chance to shape institutions to preserve Inuit language, culture and tradition. No other Canadian province or territory has a majority of people speaking a single Aboriginal language and it is a goal of the Government of Nunavut that by 2020 Inuktitut will be the working language of government. In this environment, the Legislative Library works to build collections, deliver services and develop staff competencies in Inuktitut language and library skills.

Nunavut--Our Land

The territory of Nunavut is Canada's eastern and central Arctic region. It has a population of approximately 29,000, 84% of whom are Inuit, (1) one of Canada's first peoples. The 2006 Canadian census statistics on Aboriginal languages show that 91% of Inuit in Nunavut can converse in Inuktitut and for 83% of Inuit it is their mother tongue. Fully 15% are unilingual Inuktitut speaking but younger generations use English as their first or second language.

Nunavut, which means Our Land, existed as the hope and dream of many Inuit who negotiated through the 1970s and 1980s with the Canadian government for the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement (NLCA). When the Final Agreement was signed, the NLCA covered one-fifth of the Canadian land mass and was the largest land claim negotiated with the Inuit. In 1993 the Canadian Parliament passed the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act and the Nunavut Act which created the territory of Nunavut and provided for its government's powers and responsibilities.

Inuktitut--the Language of the Inuit

From the outset, the implementation of Nunavut was seen as a chance to shape institutions that preserved Inuit language, culture and tradition. In 1999, the new Government of Nunavut (GN) established its guiding principles which reflect Inuit societal values. It has promoted the use and strengthening of Inuktitut as a core element to maximize citizen participation, provide access to programs, and enfranchise the Inuit population. One of the GN's goals for 2020 as set out in the policy document Pinasuaqtavut, states "Inuktitut, in all its forms, will be the working language of the Government of Nunavut."

The phrase "Inuktitut in all its forms" recognizes two key factors. First, there are seven regional dialects and 17 sub-dialects in the Inuktitut language exclusive to Nunavut, (2) but no dialect has been accepted and established as the standard for formal oral and written communication as has been done in Greenland. The western dialect is called Inuinnaqtun and there is a debate among linguists as to whether it is a dialect of Inuktitut or a separate language. Secondly, there are two writing systems. In the eastern regions of the territory Inuktitut is written in syllabics which have a...

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