Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we are in year two of the UN's decade of Indigenous languages. Here in the Northwest Territories, we have 11 official languages, nine of which are Indigenous languages. Half of our 6,800 Indigenous language speakers are over 50 years old and onefifth are over the age of 65.
Mr. Speaker, the UN considers all nine of our official languages endangered. During the standing committee's engagement on official languages, committee heard that young people are losing their traditional language and language teachers shared concern over students being able to maintain language learned when language is not visible or actively used around communities.
The GNWT, Mr. Speaker, can play a significant role in building language speakers and a system for residents to access services in an Indigenous language by creating a meaningful system of public servants able to provide services in any official language across the Northwest Territories. But, Mr. Speaker, why is building a territorywide system important to equitable access to service and language revitalization?
Mr. Speaker, one out of ten Tlicho speakers are not Tlicho beneficiaries in the Northwest Territories right now. More than half of all Chipewyan speakers are not Akaitcho territory government beneficiaries. Mr. Speaker, a significant amount of Gwich'in speakers are not Gwich'in Tribal Council beneficiaries in the Northwest Territories right now. But all of these language speakers have rights in the Northwest Territories regardless of their membership to a beneficiary.
Mr. Speaker, so why is understanding the demographics of language speakers across the territory important? Well, Mr. Speaker, the highest number of all Chipewyan speakers in the Northwest Territories live here in Yellowknife and N'dilo. More Cree speakers live outside of the Fort Smith area than in it. Most of them live in a combination of Hay River, Fort Simpson, and Yellowknife. And the third highest number of all NWT Gwich'in speakers live in Yellowknife and N'dilo area. And NWT Gwich'in speakers who live in each of the nonGTC settlement area communities of Fort Smith and Hay River than in Aklavik alone. And more than onequarter of all NWT Gwich'in speakers live in nonGTC settlement areas or communities. So, Mr. Speaker, it is really that we understand that regardless of where language speakers live, that revitalizing language and caring for language speakers is a GNWTwide issue. Mr. Speaker, language revitalization is possible but it will take targeted meaningful funded solutions that consider our territory as a whole and the members of the public service itself, supported by its employer, have the opportunity to play a significant role. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh.
