I. Introduction

There are between 53 and 70 Indigenous languages in Canada. It is undeniable that these languages contribute to the richness of the linguistic heritage of Canada.[i] Unfortunately, a majority of them are now in a state of decline or endangerment (Report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, vol. 3, Gathering Strength, at pp. 564-569). In 1991, a study showed that in 69 % of First Nations communities, Indigenous languages were “declining”, “endangered”, or in a “critical” state. Indigenous languages were considered “enduring” in 18 % of First Nations communities, and “flourishing” in only 12 % of these communities. The only “viable” Indigenous languages were Cree, Ojibwee, and Inuktitut (Task Force on Aboriginal Languages and Cultures, Towards a New Beginning: A Foundational Report for a Strategy to Revitalize First Nation, Inuit and Métis Languages and Cultures, at pp. 34-35; Gabriel Poliquin, “La protection d’une vitalité fragile : Les droits linguistiques autochtones en vertu de l’article 35” (2013) 58:3 McGill LJ 573, at p. 576; Naiomi Metallic, “Becoming a Language Warrior” in Marie Battiste, ed, Living Treaties: Narrating Mi’kmaw Treaty Relations (Sydney, NS: Cape Breton University Press, 2016) 241, at pp. 244-245; Naiomi Metallic, “Les droits linguistiques des peuples autochtones” in Michel Bastarache & Michel Doucet, eds, Les droits linguistiques au Canada, 3rd ed (Cowansville, QC: Yvon Blais, 2013) 891, at p. 900).Llegeix més »