How much should language preservation cost?

I understand that preservation of a people’s language is important. It is very important.

However, what exactly is required to preserve the language? Do you need to translate every shred of information? If you draw up a list of priorities, exactly how important is this? Is having the government Web site available in four languages more important that housing the homeless? Is it more important than helping our mentally ill? Is it more important than reforming our criminals? Our language commissioner sure thinks so.

We hear every day how there is not enough money for basic social necessities, however, over the next five years we will be spending tens of millions of dollars attempting what many organizations have tried and failed to do.

I could appreciate the attempt if we had a plan to accomplish a quadra-lingual government, but we have no plan, just a directive from our language commissioner. The saddest part is that she has no idea what she has suggested, or the faintest clue how to implement it.

I agree that the languages Nunavummiut feel are important should have the support of the government, but how much money should we put into ensuring every document is available in four languages. Five million a year? Ten million a year? Who is going to be accountable for how this money is spent, and more importantly, how are all the costs going to be tracked?

Currently the territory is desperately short on professional translation services. Right now this is probably the best business to start, or education to pursue. I concede that having four official languages is a huge benefit in its job creation possibilities, but are there not more important jobs that need to be created and-or filled?

Since it is politically incorrect to question language in Nunavut, and the small size of our community, I request that my name not be printed if you chose to use this letter in your paper.

(Name withheld by request)
Iqaluit