NTI: Affirming the Aspiration of Nunavut

Press Release

(July 9, 2019 – Kugluktuk, Nunavut) The aspiration of Nunavut is a step closer as Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated (NTI) seeks guidance for self-government from Inuit Elders and commits to becoming an Inuktut language workplace announced President Aluki Kotierk from Kugluktuk today.

“Fifty years ago, Tagak Curley wrote to Elders seeking their vision and goals,” said President Aluki Kotierk. “These letters inspired hope. Inuit organized and began negotiations which resulted in the signing of the Nunavut Agreement twenty-six years ago. Today, we seek guidance on self- government and have written to our Elders.”

In 1970, the Elders’ responses received by Tagak Curley led to the Conference of Arctic Native People in Coppermine, known as the Coppermine Conference. Today, Coppermine is known by its Inuinnaqtun name, Kugluktuk.

“One of the aspirations for Nunavut was for Inuktut to remain the majority language and its use in workplaces, schools and the public,” said Vice-President James Eetoolook. “We are leading by example and commit to being an Inuktut-first workplace.”

Inuktut language assessments have been completed with NTI staff. All staff will receive on the job training and support based on their needs. New terminology in technical fields, finance and law will be developed. More than 200 hours in Inuktitut training have been delivered with Inuit staff of NTI in the past two years.

“As identified in the study on the education system, ‘Nunavut has a history of cultural genocide, linguicide, econocide and historicide, and this continues,’” said Kotierk. “We can no longer wait for governments to deliver on their promises. We must take action.”

-30-

For further information:

Kilikvak Kabloona
Chief Executive Officer
Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated
KKabloona@tunngavik.com

Qajaaq Ellsworth
Senior Communications Advisor
Office of President Aluki Kotierk
qellsworth@tunngavik.com

BACKGROUNDER

‘Nunavut has a history of cultural genocide, linguicide, econocide and historicide, and this continues.’ quoted from Is Nunavut’s Education Criminally Inadequate? page 68. https://www.tunngavik.com/files/2019/04/NuLinguicideReportFINAL.pdf

United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People, select Articles:

Article 3
Indigenous peoples have the right to self-determination. By virtue of that right they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development.

Article 4
Indigenous peoples, in exercising their right to self-determination, have the right to autonomy or self-government in matters relating to their internal and local affairs, as well as ways and means for financing their autonomous functions.

Article 7
1. Indigenous individuals have the rights to life, physical and mental integrity, liberty and security of person.

2. Indigenous peoples have the collective right to live in freedom, peace and security as distinct peoples and shall not be subjected to any act of genocide or any other act of violence, including forcibly removing children of the group to another group.

Article 8
1. Indigenous peoples and individuals have the right not to be subjected to forced assimilation or destruction of their culture.

Article 13
1. Indigenous peoples have the right to revitalize, use, develop and transmit to future generations their histories, languages, oral traditions, philosophies, writing systems and literatures, and to designate and retain their own names for communities, places and persons.

2. States shall take effective measures to ensure that this right is protected and also to ensure that indigenous peoples can understand and be understood in political, legal and administrative proceedings, where necessary through the provision of interpretation or by other appropriate means.

Article 14
1. Indigenous peoples have the right to establish and control their educational systems and institutions providing education in their own languages, in a manner appropriate to their cultural methods of teaching and learning.

2. Indigenous individuals, particularly children, have the right to all levels and forms of education of the State without discrimination.

3. States shall, in conjunction with indigenous peoples, take effective measures, in order for indigenous individuals, particularly children, including those living outside their communities, to have access, when possible, to an education in their own culture and provided in their own language.

Article 21

1. Indigenous peoples have the right, without discrimination, to the improvement of their economic and social conditions, including, inter alia, in the areas of education, employment, vocational training and retraining, housing, sanitation, health and social security.

Article 23
Indigenous peoples have the right to determine and develop priorities and strategies for exercising their right to development. In particular, indigenous peoples have the right to be actively involved in developing and determining health, housing and other economic and social programmes affecting them and, as far as possible, to administer such programmes through their own institutions.

Truth and Reconciliation Commission, select Calls to Action 43) We call upon the federal, provincial, territorial and municipal governments to fully adopt and implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as the framework for reconciliation.

Inuktut First The use of Inuktut has been declining as a result of colonial practices, such as residential schools and a continuing educational system based in English or French. As a result, Inuktut proficiency varies across the NTI offices. Phased-in training will be delivered, based on three categories of investments:

1) Supporting the strong core group of fluent Inuktut speakers to become literate. They will be the ones who model a ‘working environment’.

2) Supporting non-fluent Inuit. This group is smaller than the core group of fluent Inuktut speakers. This is where NTI has the most experience in training and has demonstrated outcomes.

3) Supporting beginners. These staff will start with foundations training. This is the smallest group.

NTI’s commitment includes amending the human resource manual to support language training delivered by Pirurvik Centre. https://www.makigiaqta.com/news/creating-employment-opportunities-for-inuit-through-inuktut- skills/

Additionally, an implementation coordinator will develop training plans, deliver or coordinate language tranings, and work to support the Inuktut working environment.

IBF5