Revised Language Act fails to impress (fwd)

[Phil CashCash]

Revised Language Act fails to impress

WebPosted  Oct 8 2003 09:13 AM CDT
YELLOWKNIFE
http://north.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/EmailStory?filename=oct08nwtlanguag08102003&region=North

The N.W.T.'s Official Languages Act is about to undergo a major
revision.

The new Act is almost exactly what a special review committee
recommended earlier this year.

But the changes come at the eleventh hour, only after the chair of that
committee blasted the government for the bill it initially proposed.

Tu Nedhe MLA Steve Nitah accused the government of foot-dragging for the
late notice given of a public hearing held Tuesday night on revisions
to the Act.

"By the time we agreed on a bill for first and second reading, for
public hearings that happened we had less than 48 hours to notify the
public," he says.

The revised act proposes two new boards: one to revitalize aboriginal
languages, and another to allow each language group a say about the
delivery of government services in different official languages.

That's one more board than the review committee proposed.

People who deliver language programming at the community level say
that's duplication and a waste of money.

Sabet Biscaye works to help preserve and promote the Chipewyan language.

"If money becomes available, we'd certainly like to use it at the
community level to continue with our programming," he says. "Just
because they're going to use existing money doesn't mean it couldn't be
diverted back to the communities."

Inuktitut to remain on list

At the public hearing there was also discussion of dropping one of the
11 official languages.
The Inuvialuit requested that Inuktitut be deleted from the act.

They don't want to share Inuit-specific language funding with the few
Inuktitut-speaking people who live in the Northwest Territories.

The legislative committee reviewing the bill rejected the call.