Inuktitut slowly dying across Nunavut, study shows (fwd)

[phil cash cash]

July 7, 2006

Inuktitut slowly dying across Nunavut, study shows
Youth prefer English for ease of communication
JANE GEORGE
http://www.nunatsiaq.com/news/nunavut/60707_02.html

Research by linguists Louis Jacques Dorais and Susan Sammons predicts
that by 2020, Inuktitut will survive, but in a badly-weakened state

That's because growing numbers of young Inuit prefer to use English, for
ease of communication.

"Our most recent research on "Discourse and identity in Iqaluit" after
the advent of Nunavut shows that even if Inuktitut has become more
visible, on public signs, at the Legislative Assembly and other places
since 1999, its use among children and young people has continued to
decline," Dorais said.

Their research shows the principal language of communication for Inuit
under 30 who live in Iqaluit is already English, even if most can speak
Inuktitut with some fluency.

But the health of Inuktitut varies depending on where Inuit live, Dorais
said.

In Nunavut's smaller communities, Dorais and Sammons found that while
far more Inuktitut is spoken by all generations, the use of English
seems to be increasing too, although at a slower pace.

"This is true for the Baffin region and for Kivalliq, except, perhaps,
for Rankin and perhaps Baker Lake, where Inuktitut is rarely heard on
the street. In the Kitikmeot region, very few individuals under 25 to
30 speak any Inuinnaqtun even if some may understand it a bit, and
most, if not all parents address their children in English," Dorais
said.

Their research still shows that most Inuit, in Iqaluit and elsewhere,
and whatever their age, place a great value on Inuktitut.

"For them, their native language is part of their identity, and it must
be transmitted to children. Many people, young or old, believe that one
of the principal reasons for having established Nunavut is to protect
Inuit language and culture," Dorais said. "The Government of Nunavut
should, thus, put efforts and monies into linguistic and cultural
programs."

But Dorais and Sammons found that when people communicate among
themselves, they prefer to use the language that makes communication
the easiest.

For younger Inuit, especially in Iqaluit, this language seems to be
English, sometimes mixed with Inuktitut.

Dorais and Sammons believe that this is because:

• Most young people do not know how to speak in Inuktitut about everyday
life in today's world;
• Young people have been schooled almost exclusively in English;
• Youth culture is mostly North America's popular culture, which is
expressed in English - "so, here again, it is not possible, nor
necessary, for them to discuss it in Inuktitut," Dorais said.

"This is, I think, the main reason explaining the increase of English in
Nunavut, despite a real will on the part of everyone, including the
young, to give more importance to Inuktitut," he said.

To reverse this situation, Dorais suggests education in Inuktitut should
be offered up to Grade 12, and there should be more efforts to produce
"modern" television programs, CDs, DVDs, etc. in Inuktitut.

"This is what has been done in Greenland since Home Rule in 1979, and it
has worked," Dorais said.

"Kalaallisut is the principal language used by all native Greenlanders,
whatever their age, even if most of them are bilingual in Danish, and
even trilingual, with English added. But I doubt that in Canada, the
governments will ever allow the huge funds necessary for developing
education."

So, if nothing changes, the situation Dorais said by 2020 Inuktitut will
still be spoken, at least in the Baffin region and Nunavik - but it
won't be thriving.

"Most children will have two mother tongues, Inuktitut and English,
because their parents and other adults will address them in both
languages. The principal language in use will be English, at least in
Iqaluit, and perhaps Kuujjuaq in Nunavik...

"Inuktitut will still be heard both in official circumstances, at the
Legislative Assembly, in political speeches, etc., and among groups of
relatives and friends - mixed with English - for joking, enjoying
oneself and discussing small topics, what to eat, where to go today,
etc."

Dorais said the need to be understood easily will continue to push
speakers toward English, but the pride of being Inuk and identifying
with Inuktitut will preserve some of the original language.