The Dene Nation marked the 2019 International Year of Indigenous Languages with a luncheon held at its Yellowknife head office, March 29 and much of the event focused on youth efforts to revitalize traditional ways of speaking. 

More than 30 people packed the office for an informal, shared meal and heard from speakers, including Snookie Catholique, Mary Rose Sundberg, Shene Catholique-Valpy, and Gord Grandjambe of Fort Good Hope.

In 2016, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 2019 as thewith the purpose of recognizing the role that language has in preserving cultural traditions and upholding Indigenous identity.

In the NWT, there are 11 official languages recognized according to the Official Languages Act, nine of which are Indigenous including Chipewyan (De虉ne Su台艂谋ne虂 Yat谋e虂), Cree (N膿hiyaw膿win),  GwichSA国际影视传媒檌n, Inuinnaqtun, Inuktitut, Inuvialuktun, North Slavey (Sahtu虂o台tSA国际影视传媒櫮碧╪e Yat谋台虂), South Slavey (Dene Zhat谋e虂), and T艂谋台cho台. The other two are French, and English.

The lunch in part featured Catholique-Valpy who continues to advocate for her childrenSA国际影视传媒檚 right to have government documentation written in traditional Chipewyan dialect.

Catholique-Valpy recounted her story of trying to get GNWT birth certificates to reflect the traditional names of her daughter Sah峋疵�虦蕯峋� and sister N谩蕯毛l.

The GNWT amended Bill 5 the Vital Statistics Act in 2016 after Catholique-Valpy protested the GNMWT's refusal to spell her daughters' names on their birth certificates using Dene fonts. Although amendments do allow for Indigenous characters on territorial vital statistics like birth certificates, the territorial government says it is currently unable to print birth certificates with traditional names because of difficulties integrating information systems with other jurisdictions, such as the federal government which issues passports. 

SA国际影视传媒淪o because of (the amendment) I had a lot of people think that I had won the battle, but I hadnSA国际影视传媒檛 won the battle,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淚 was still in limbo and waiting. I was told it was costing too much, there were too many roadblocks and too many jurisdictions.

SA国际影视传媒淎s of right now where we stand is I am still waiting. They say we are still working with partners and other people are involved and have to update printers at Vital Statistics. It just seems way too much for them.SA国际影视传媒�

Patrick Scott thanked Catholique-Valpy and appealed to visitors to support the young mother by contacting their MLAs and forcing them to recognize the territorySA国际影视传媒檚 official languages.  

SA国际影视传媒淭here are more than 30 people in this room,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淲e all have MLAs. Pick up the phone and call them. Tell them you support her. Write an email to cabinet members and tell them you support her. Lobby your MLAs and the Cabinet because that is where she is going to get a response.SA国际影视传媒�

Snookie Catholique, SheneSA国际影视传媒檚 mother, who hosted the event, is a residential school survivor and has been working in language-related work for decades. The former languages commissioner said it is important to protect Indigenous language and to ensure people are speaking. She also said she thinks these are positive days as young people like her daughter seem to be advocating the importance of speaking Indigenous languages.

SA国际影视传媒淣ow it seems there is a movement toward reviving our languages and I see a lot of young people and a lot of name changes,SA国际影视传媒� she said, noting SheneSA国际影视传媒檚 experience.  

She said that language is wrapped up closely in Indigenous identity and that preserving traditional languages allows for fuller expression.

SA国际影视传媒淲ithout our languages we are nothing,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淎s a dual speaker, there is so much meaning and power behind our words, which canSA国际影视传媒檛 be translated into English. That is who we are and we have to maintain that because that is our culture.SA国际影视传媒�

In other ways, however, some say young people are not speaking it enough as elders and traditional knowledge holders die off.

SA国际影视传媒淭he problem is our younger generation,SA国际影视传媒� said George Grandjambe of Fort Good Hope. SA国际影视传媒淭hey are not picking it up. As soon as the kids leave school they revert right back to English.

"A lot of the problems is that our young people donSA国际影视传媒檛 want to speak our language because every time they try we laugh at them. That is not right."

Mary Rose Sundberg, who has been working in promoting Indigenous languages since the early 1980s called for greater financial support from area governments for new translators, interpreters and Indigenous language experts as well as for modern preservation of archival material.

SA国际影视传媒淚 just wanted to say it is about time to start recognition languages and ISA国际影视传媒檓 so glad the UN has recognized this year as the Year of Indigenous Languages. It is a long time coming and I have been waiting a long time of dedicated interpreters and language workers in the NWT. We donSA国际影视传媒檛 recognize them enough.SA国际影视传媒�

GNWT response 

Glen Abernethy, minister of Health and Social Services, issued a statement this week stating that while the amendment of the act does allow for Indigenous characters, the implementation of the act is complicated because of several factors.

He stated that "information management systems and official document recognition rules with other jurisdictions"  have to work seamlessly "with each of our nine Indigenous languages."

"This means ensuring that any changes to NWT vital statistics documents are compatible with federal, provincial or international systems including those that document and produce Social Insurance Numbers (SIN), passports and international driverSA国际影视传媒檚 licenses," Abernethy stated.

Abernethy stated that obtaining Canadian passports for air travel, birth certificates issued by a territorial or federal government are often used as proof of identity.

"If the NWT were to proceed with producing vital statistics documents in isolation prior to working with the federal government, it would create unintentional barriers for NWT residents seeking passports. These systems must be programmed to accept new characters that are unique to each Indigenous language.

Read the full statement here.