Nunavut’s stance on bilingualism “nickel-and-dimeing Inuit:” MLA

Nunavut plans to start enforcing the Official Languages Act, perhaps on June 21, Aboriginal Day, or “on the day of the Prime Minister’s apology, [June 11], for trying to assimilate fellow Canadians, or another date,” James Arreak, Nunavut’s minister responsible for the Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth, said March 8.

“Those are the dates that we’re targeting for,” Arreak said in the legislative assembly’s committee of the whole.

While English, Inuktitut and French are the official languages of Nunavut, the Government of Nunavut will be the first to protect Inuktitut through legislation, Arreak told Rankin North MLA Tagak Curley.

“English is not going to be the only official language,” he reassured Curley.

Arreak said the GN can’t yet enforce the Official Languages Act and the Inuit Language Protection Act.

“But there is a time down the road where we will be able to enforce them, but in the mean time, we can meet with these large institutions to try to develop language-specific forms or applications.”

Curley told Arreak he wants to see a review of bilingual positions within the Government of Nunavut for bonuses paid to GN employees who can speak English and Inuktitut.

“The senior government positions, if there are going to be job opportunities at the senior level, they should be required to be bilingual… if you’re going to provide services in Inuktitut, following the Inuktitut language, they have to be able to speak Inuktitut and they should be bilingual so that they can be provided bonuses.”

While federal government employees get bonuses for being able to speak French and English, the GN’s current policy on bilingualism is “nickel-and-dimeing Inuit,” Curley stated.

Officials in the GN’s human resources and CLEY departments are looking at which positions require bilingual bonuses with respect to English and
Inuktitut, Aareak said.

“They are holding discussions on how to better define the bilingual bonus positions and how you can qualify. This is always in the realm of hiring prospective employees here in Nunavut,” he said.