While the National Assembly was giving approval to Bill 96 on Tuesday afternoon, several communities in Quebec were hit. This is the case of the Inuit, who think that is their response to the CAQ government.
I am really saddened now that the François Legault government has proceeded with Bill 96, which will do great damage to the Inuit of Quebec.response by Sarah Aloupa, president of Kativik Ilisarniliriniq, the Nunavik school board.
” If we can’t get the assurance that this law won’t threaten the Inuktitut language, Nunavik organizations will definitely need to come together and quickly decide if we are going to go to court. Our rights are not respected. We need to do something urgently. “
Among the many provisions included in this reform of the French Language Charter, it is about college -level education that does not apply to Inuit.
The piece of legislation, adopted by 78 votes to 29 thanks to the support of Québec solidaire and two independent representatives, would impose three additional French courses-or in French-for English-speaking CEGEP students. Getting a college diploma also depends on passing a consistent exam in French.
In addition to the English -speaking communities in Quebec, several First Countries in the province that are primarily English -speaking are directly affected by the bill. The First Nations Education Council, the First Nations of Quebec and Labrador Association and several Aboriginal communities in Quebec, including the Mohawks of Kahnawake and Kanesatake, have strongly criticized it.
Claimed exemption
Kativik Ilisarniliriniq added her voice to the protesters and demanded that all Inuit students be excluded from Bill 96. The president of the Nunavik school board wanted to take the opportunity to clarify the position of Aboriginals regarding the Minister’s reform. Simon Jolin-Barrette.
As it is currently mediated, the debate surrounding Bill 96 offers a deceptive image of the demands of Aboriginal communities. English is not a colonial language we want to use. Indigenous languages are the languages we want to speak, pass on, stimulate, nurture and strengthensaid Ms. Aloupa.
Since the ratification of the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement in 1975, the language of instruction at the elementary and secondary levels in Nunavik has been Inuktitut. French and English are taught there as second languages.
According to data collected by Statistics Canada in 2016, Inuktitut is spoken by 98% of the population of Nunavik’s 14 villages. It is the primary language spoken in 85.7% of households. For obvious demographic reasons, the safety of this language remains fragile.
” There are millions of francophones in the province, while we, the Inuit, have less than 20,000. We do not endanger the French language, instead our children lose their language in favor of English and French. Instead of treating us as threats to the French language, I believe the government should pass legislation to protect our language, the Inuktitut. “
He believes that Bill 96 will add another obstacle to the success of Inuit students, who will now need to be deported to continue their studies at CEGEP or university.
According to the Quebec Ministry of Education, the graduation rate upon graduation from high school is 23% on average in Nunavik. Only 3.5% of the Inuit population has a college diploma. At the university level, 1.2% of Inuit hold a certificate and 0.8% a bachelor’s degree.
For Inuit students in Nunavik, college education is already a second language journey, regardless of whether it takes place at a CEGEP in French or in English, Ms. Aloupa. It is not acceptable to add additional conditions to obtaining a college diploma for Inuit students from Nunavik who choose to pursue their college studies in English.
An unnecessary burden
In the context of the reconciliation, where Canada and the provinces want to renew their relations with the First Nations and the Inuit on a more egalitarian basis, it seems undesirable for the Kativik Ilisarniliriniq to impose a new burden on the Aboriginal citizens.
Bill 96 should be an opportunity to strengthen indigenous languages, not relegate them to second place or treat them as a threat to the safety of the French language in Quebec.sighed Sarah Aloupa.
” We can do nothing but send our anglophone students to other provinces to continue their education. This is not part of the reconciliation project we have been hearing about for years. Unfortunately, it persists, the assimilation, the disrespect. “
Together with members of his community, he is determined to fight and protect the hard -earned achievements the Inuit have made over the years. His hand was still raised.
It’s time for the government to know who we are, she insists. We want to hear, acknowledge. We need to have a real discussion.
Source: Radio-Canada
