Nunatsiavut defends language policy

[Harold F. Schiffman]

CBC.CA   News   -   Full   Story :
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Nunatsiavut defends language policy
Last Updated: Dec 19 2005 08:32 AM NST

The new Nunatsiavut government is defending a requirement that its
president be able to speak both English and Inuktitut. The town council in
Hopedale says the rule excludes many excellent potential candidates who
are not fluent in Inuktitut.

FROM DEC. 15, 2005: Hopedale council questions language requirement
However, Tony Andersen  the first minister of the Nunatsiavut government
says the requirement was put in place for a good reason.

Andersen himself is not fully fluent in Inuktitut. "I myself believe that
the leaders should be able to speak to all, and I think that that is
important to speak to all in their own language, whether it's English or
Inuktitut," he said. Andersen said he is not comfortable with having to
rely on an interpreter, especially when he stands in for the president.

"The Inuktitut language is disappearing, but the Nunatsiavut government is
focused that the language is retained and promoted in such a way that the
language begins to grow," he said. The Nunatsiavut election is scheduled
for September. A formal turnover ceremony was held Dec. 1. The new
government replaced the Labrador Inuit Association as the voice of
Labrador's Inuit communities.


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Copyright  2005 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation - All Rights Reserved
http://www.cbc.ca/nl/story/print/nf_inuktitut_20051219


Harold F. Schiffman