Posts By: Karen

Wendake, February 6, 2019 – The Assembly of First Nations of Quebec-Labrador (AFNQL) welcomes Bill C-91 with optimism while emphasizing the importance of its joint implementation with First Nations authorities.

“Indigenous languages are fundamental to our self-determination, our culture, our identity and our definition of the world. However, the process to reclaim and revitalize our languages will not be possible without stable, sustainable and predictable funding. It is about the recognition of our peoples and self-esteem among our young people who are proud of their languages and cultures,” said Ghislain Picard, Chief of the AFNQL.

This new law confirms and recognizes rights to Indigenous languages. It establishes an Office of the Independent Indigenous Languages Commissioner, which will be the advocate of language revitalization, act as Ombudsman for Indigenous peoples with respect to their language rights, assess the effectiveness of Canada with respect to its obligations under the Act and will produce reports on it.

“The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples recognizes the right to transmit our languages from one generation to the next. All languages are important, regardless of the number of speakers. All efforts will be made to ensure that the measures to revitalize, recover and maintain our languages through community and school programs are respectful of the cultural identity of First Nations in Quebec-Labrador, ” concluded chief Ghislain Picard.

About the AFNQL

The Assembly of First Nations of Quebec and Labrador is the political organization regrouping 43 Chiefs of the First Nations in Quebec and Labrador. Follow us on Twitter @APNQL.

(Ottawa, ON) – Assembly of First Nations (AFN) National Chief Perry Bellegarde today welcomed the tabling in Parliament of the federal Indigenous Languages Act, saying it deserves the support of all Parliamentarians and all Canadians.

“This is landmark legislation to protect and strengthen Indigenous languages, the original languages of these lands, that embrace our identity, our worldview and our nationhood,” said National Chief Perry Bellegarde. “No Indigenous language in Canada is safe. But now there is hope. This legislation will support First Nations efforts to keep their languages alive, vital and strong. Canadians and all parliamentarians must support this Bill because we all understand that language is identity, languages is culture, language is life. There is no better way to mark 2019 – the International Year of Indigenous Languages – than to see the country that once tried to eliminate our languages enact a law to protect, promote and revitalize our languages.”

The Indigenous Languages Act was tabled today in the House of Commons with the aim of it becoming law before the end of the current Parliamentary session. The initiative to co-develop legislation to “protect, promote and revitalize Indigenous languages” was first announced by Prime Minister Trudeau in December 2016 at an AFN Assembly. The announcement was a response to years of advocacy by the AFN, National Chief Bellegarde and First Nations. The AFN helped co-develop the legislation to ensure that First Nation perspectives, priorities and rights were included in the legislation.

Last week on February 1^st, National Chief Bellegarde spoke about the legislation in his remarks to the United Nations General Assembly as the North American Indigenous Representative: “We need legislation to ensure sufficient, sustainable and long-term funding toward the revitalization of our languages. We need schools on-reserve as well as in urban and rural settings to create and implement effective bilingual and immersion education programs beginning with pre-school age children. And we need programs that inspire all of our people to speak our languages, regardless of age, to renew the vibrancy of our communities as our cultural places. We want our languages to be our living languages – sourced from our lands, expressing our creation stories, and alive in our ceremonies and daily lives.”

The text of the National Chief’s remarks at the UN are available on the AFN website at www.afn.ca. The United Nations declared 2019 the International Year of Indigenous Languages to encourage urgent action to preserve, revitalize and promote Indigenous languages.

The Assembly of First Nations is the national organization representing First Nation citizens in Canada. Follow AFN on Twitter @AFN_Updates.

With the common goals of establishing a renewed Nation-to-Nation relationship between Indigenous Nations and Canada, the Government of Canada and the Native Women’s Association signed an Accord on February 1, 2019. The Accord will recognize NWAC as a full participant in decision-making processes at the national and international levels.

This Accord means Canada will work with NWAC to establish a reconciliation building process to decolonize, which includes meetings with the Prime Minister, Ministers, Deputy Ministers responsible for policy development and key federal Cabinet Ministers.

For too long, the voices of Indigenous women, girls and gender diverse people have been silenced. Through this Accord, their perspectives and political voices will be heard and will assist the development and design process of programs, services, policies and laws.

Since 1974, NWAC has advocated for women, girls, gender diverse people and families of many Indigenous Nations, fighting for an inclusive world that understands and respects their diversity and uniqueness.

This historic Accord will allow NWAC and Canada to collaboratively address policy priorities including health and well-being (with particular attention to mental health), economic empowerment, youth well-being and leadership, environmental protection, housing, education, overrepresentation of Indigenous women in prisons, and international relationships, all of which directly affect the lives and rights of Indigenous women, girls and gender diverse people.

NWAC and Canada agreed it is a shared priority to empower Indigenous women, girls and gender diverse people, as leaders, in the design and the co-development of laws, programs services, operational practices and policies.

This Accord is a significant step towards healing and reconciliation. It’s time to end the legacy of colonialism, colonial attitudes, and gender-based violence wherever they remain in all Federal legislation, institutions, policies and operational practices.

(New York City, NY) – Assembly of First Nations (AFN) National Chief Perry Bellegarde today addressed the United Nations (UN) General Assembly as the North American Indigenous Representative at the UN Launch Event for the 2019 International Year of the Indigenous Languages. National Chief Bellegarde marked the day by urging Canadians and all parliamentarians to support the work underway in Canada to revitalize, reclaim, and protect First Nations languages, including the Indigenous Languages Act that is expected to be tabled soon in Parliament.

“Indigenous languages are the founding languages of this land, embracing our identity, our worldview and our nationhood,” said National Chief Perry Bellegarde. “But in Canada, no Indigenous language is safe. Now there is hope. The Indigenous Languages Act that we co-developed will help ensure our languages survive and thrive. Canada will be a stronger, richer country when we hear First Nations children and families speaking their languages. It will be a historic way to mark the International Year of Indigenous Languages when this country – that once tried to eradicate our languages – passes a bill that was developed with us to protect, promote and revitalize our languages.”

In December 2016, the Prime Minister responded to years of advocacy by the AFN, First Nations and the National Chief to create an Indigenous Languages Act. The AFN helped co-develop the legislation to ensure that First Nation perspectives, priorities and rights were included in the legislation. The bill is expected to be introduced in Parliament in the near future with the aim of having it become law before the end of the current session.

In his remarks to the UN General Assembly as the North American Indigenous Representative, National Chief Bellegarde spoke of the upcoming Indigenous languages legislation: “We need legislation to ensure sufficient, sustainable and long-term funding toward the revitalization of our languages. We need schools on-reserve as well as in urban and rural settings to create and implement effective bilingual and immersion education programs beginning with pre-school age children. And we need programs that inspire all of our people to speak our languages, regardless of age, to renew the vibrancy of our communities as our cultural places. We want our languages to be our living languages – sourced from our lands, expressing our creation stories, and alive in our ceremonies and daily lives.”

The text of the National Chief’s remarks are available on the AFN website at www.afn.ca.

The Assembly of First Nations is the national organization representing First Nation citizens in Canada. Follow AFN on @AFN_Updates.

(Ottawa, ON) – Assembly of First Nations (AFN) National Chief Perry Bellegarde congratulates Regional Chief Ghislain Picard on being re-elected to represent the Quebec-Labrador region on the AFN National Executive.

“Regional Chief Picard is the longest serving member of the AFN National Executive,” said National Chief Bellegarde.  “Through his leadership he has made significant contributions to the Assembly of First Nations and First Nations across the country.  I value his extensive experience and deep knowledge of our issues.  This is his tenth term as a strong advocate for the rights of First Nations in the Quebec-Labrador region. I lift him up and congratulate him for earning the continued support of First Nations in his region.”

Regional Chief Picard was re-elected in Montreal, Quebec during the AFNQL Chiefs Assembly.   He is a proud Innu from the community of Pessamit.

The Assembly of First Nations is the national organization representing First Nation citizens in Canada. Follow AFN on Twitter @AFN_Comms, @AFN_Updates.

UN International Year of Indigenous Languages 2019 shines a spotlight on the fight to save and preserve Indigenous languages in BC and across Canada

Coast Salish Traditional Territory/Vancouver: Today, representatives from the First Nations Leadership Council and the First Peoples’ Cultural Council attended the official global launch of the Year of Indigenous Languages (IYIL2019) at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, France.  The event gathered high-level governmental officials, Indigenous peoples, civil society, academia, media, information and memory organizations, United Nations agencies, public language harmonization and documentation institutions and private sector bodies to celebrate under the theme: “Indigenous languages matter for sustainable development, peace building and reconciliation.”

The First Nations Leadership Council strongly supports the designation of this year as the International Year of Indigenous Languages (IYIL2019) and will be actively involved in celebrating IYIL throughout 2019.  The preservation of Indigenous languages is a top priority for B.C.’s First Nations. Efforts to support Indigenous language revitalization in B.C. are being led by the First Peoples’ Cultural Council, in partnership with First Nations communities, and with significant support from the Province of B.C. through $50 million in funding in 2018.

Quotes:

Grand Chief Edward John, member of the First Nations Summit Political Executive and Co-chair of the UNESCO IYIL2019 Steering Committee

“Indigenous Languages are the essence and fabric of Indigenous cultures and are fundamental to our survival, dignity and well-being as Indigenous peoples. Language is our inherent right and is central to our cultural and spiritual identities as First Nations. Furthermore, language plays a fundamental part in indigenous peoples’ identity by connecting individuals to communities, therefore providing cultural and spiritual context in the daily lives of Indigenous peoples. The designation of 2019 as the International Year of Indigenous Languages will shine a light on our collective struggles to preserve and protect indigenous languages in B.C. and across Canada and will hopefully assist in efforts preventing them from being more at risk of extinction.”

Regional Chief Terry Teegee, BC Assembly of First Nations

“This is an exciting time as many individuals and groups are creating and building a wave of growth and activity, a “renaissance,” in Indigenous languages and culture. In particular, our youth are inspiring all of us with their creativity and use of technology in their drive to find new ways to communicate with others using their ancestral languages.”

Kukpi7 Judy Wilson, Secretary-Treasurer of the UBCIC

“Canada has gone to great lengths to destroy our inherent connection to our Indigenous Languages. With the destruction of our languages we lose a critical connection to our cultures, our world-views and the lived-experiences of our ancestors. Our languages hold the keys to the rebuilding of our Indigenous Nations, to healing the damages of colonialism, and to re-establishing our Indigenous legal orders and jurisdiction to our lands, territories and resources. The UBCIC fully supports UN’s launch of the International Year of Indigenous Languages. States are culpable for the destruction of Indigenous languages around the globe and it is States who must be held accountable for their resurgence.”

Tracey Herbert, CEO, First Peoples’ Cultural Council

“Canada, and in particular British Columbia, is blessed with a rich diversity of Indigenous languages. All of the B.C. languages are severely endangered, and time is of the essence to revitalize them. Despite the challenges these languages face, I am optimistic for their future, thanks to the success we are having creating new speakers through immersion; collaborating with communities to develop language revitalization plans; and using technology to support language documentation, which is curated and controlled by First Nations. The UN International Year for Indigenous Languages is a key opportunity to bring international attention to the issues facing Indigenous languages globally and to showcase the successful strategies that are making the reclamation of our languages possible. We raise our hands to B.C.’s language leaders, language learners and to the Government of B.C., whose commitment to languages has been a game changer and an example of true reconciliation to be celebrated in this important year.”

Scott Fraser, B.C. Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation

“For too long Indigenous language revitalization was neglected. Our government is supporting the important work of the First Peoples’ Cultural Council so that Indigenous communities can deepen connections to language and culture. As a result of new provincial funding, the First Peoples’ Cultural Council has been able to partner with First Nations over the past year to expand community grants, language documentation, community outreach and programs that connect language learners and mentors. This work is key to reconciliation.”

Ottawa, ON— On Monday, 28 January 2019, NWAC President Francyne Joe and Executive
Director Lynne Groulx are attending the official global launch event of 2019 Year of Indigenous Languages.

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the United
Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) co-organized the event.

This will bring together government officials, Indigenous peoples, academia, media, civil society, United Nations agencies, private sector bodies, and more, to UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France. The theme for the event is:

“Indigenous languages matter for sustainable development, peace building and reconciliation.”
Indigenous languages contain our worldviews, cultures, and identities. Language revitalization is cultural revitalization. It is a crucial component of reconciliation.

Indigenous women and gender-diverse people are keepers of tradition, culture, and language. We have an important role to play in language revitalization and NWAC is delighted to have the opportunity to bring the voices of grassroots Indigenous women, girls, and gender-diverse people to this International forum.

#WeAreIndigenous and it is time our voices are heard.

News release