Inuktut advertising pays off, says Nunavut languages commissioner

Helen Klengenberg, Nunavut’s language commissioner, told attendees of the Nunavut Trade Show in Iqaluit that complying with the territory’s language laws is good for business. (PHOTO BY COURTNEY EDGAR)

Nunavut businesses that advertise in the Inuit language aren’t just complying with the territory’s language laws—they’re also doubling their potential audience.

That was the pitch that Helen Klengenberg, Nunavut’s languages commissioner, gave attendees of the Nunavut Trade Show in Iqaluit on Tuesday, Sept. 10.

“Just by creating signs and promotional items in the Inuit language, it increases your market share by two-fold instantly,” Klengenberg told a crowd of about 30 people at the Arctic Winter Games Arena.

“And just by making an effort to support the language, you increase your sales even further.”

Under the Inuit Languages Protection Act, any organization or company that does business in Nunavut is required to offer their signs, advertisements and literature in Inuktut, she said.

That also includes customer service, bills and services in certain essential industries.

She gave attendees USB sticks with the Inuit Language Protection Act saved on it, along with Inuit language plan guidelines and a template, and a private sector accommodation request form.

Klengenberg spoke during a panel on business development in the territory. Topics ranged from the use of the Inuktut language, accounting practices, technology and workplace safety.

Besides Klengenberg, there were representatives from Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada organization, speaking about financial literacy programs and from the Great White North organization, who talked about the need for technical support training.

There were also two representatives from the Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission, who described an online service tool for businesses.

Afterwards, the speakers fielded questions from the audience.

Thor Simonsen, creative director of Hitmakerz, asked Klengenberg about funding assistance for Inuit language translations.

“We do a lot of music programs out in the communities, so we do a lot of our stuff in Inuktut,” Simonsen said. “I have applied to get government support to get translations done, because we are a very small company and still growing. Is there some kind of support that you know of?”

Klengenberg said there is a $5,000 grant that businesses can apply for through the Department of Culture and Heritage at the Government of Nunavut in order to help them comply with the language legislation.

“Inuit have wanted this for so long and I understand how they feel because for a long time I’d lost my own language,” Klengenberg said.

“It is important take it back.”