Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. [English translation not provided.]
Mr. Speaker, in 1993 the Assembly of First Nations declared the month of March to be Aboriginal Languages Month. Celebrations of aboriginal languages have occurred every year since. In the NWT the community teaching and learning centres are celebrating with a variety of events. In its press release to recognize this month, the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment assured the language communities that the GNWT is committed to continue its support of language and cultural activities.
The Department of Education, Culture and Employment is hosting an Aboriginal Languages Symposium next week, and as chair of the Standing Committee on Government Operations, I am pleased to be co-chairing the event with Minister Jackson Lafferty. The presentations and workshops will lead to identification of steps that will be taken in the future to keep our languages alive.
Mr. Speaker, maintaining our languages is very important. It seems that we have spent a great deal of time and money supporting energy initiatives and renewable resources to preserve our environment. We must apply that same level of commitment to preserving and renewing our languages. These languages hold our aboriginal culture, our uniqueness in the North and link us to our past so that we can enrich our future.
It seems that our neighbour, Nunavut, has been diligent with its work on preserving Inuit languages. In its 2010-2011 budget speech, Minister of Finance Keith Peterson made commitments to fulfil the intent of Nunavut’s Official Languages Act and Inuit Language Protection Act. The Nunavut Language Summit was held in early February and Nunavut has already scheduled an Inuit Language Standardization Symposium for this fall.
Mr. Speaker, I am looking forward to next week’s Aboriginal Languages Symposium when people concerned about languages will gather together at the Aboriginal Languages Symposium and their discussions will lead to strategies to support and strengthen our languages. I also look forward to the government showing its commitment to language revitalization in its 2011-12 budget, Mr. Speaker. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.
