A stop sign in Inuvik. Ollie Williams/Cabin Radio
Federal funding given to the NWT government for Indigenous language programs has been renewed at $5.9 million per year for the next three years.
The annual sum Ottawa gives the GNWT hasn’t changed since 2016. That represents a real-terms cut of 20 percent when inflation is factored in.
The federal government said it was instead sending more money directly to Indigenous governments and organizations.
In a statement to Cabin Radio, Canadian Heritage – which supplies the GNWT with language funding – said its agreement with the territory was “ongoing, predictable funding” and a “sustained commitment,” despite not having increased in eight years.
Canadian Heritage said it had more broadly agreed new investments nationwide worth more than $1 billion for the decade spanning 2019 to 2029, but did not say how much of that has been directed to Indigenous language programs in the NWT.
“These funds have primarily been allocated to Indigenous governments, organizations and communities to support their efforts to revitalize their languages,” spokesperson Caroline Czajkowski said by email.
“This is consistent with the Indigenous Languages Act, which states that Indigenous peoples are best positioned to lead the reclamation, revitalization, maintenance and strengthening of their languages.”
The $5.9-million sum provided to the GNWT by Ottawa each year is already mostly sent to Indigenous governments and organizations.
While some of the money goes to education bodies, communications societies and community radio stations, around $4.9 million – more than 80 percent of each year’s funding – is earmarked for Indigenous governments.
This annual funding is also used to pay for the Mentor-Apprentice Program, an initiative that has been hailed for its positive effect on Indigenous language use in the NWT.
It’s not clear if holding the funding at the same level for eight years has meant any changes in programming, given costs are likely to have escalated over the same period.
In a joint press release issued on Monday, NWT education and culture minister Caitlin Cleveland called the funding a “critical agreement” that supports language initiatives across the territory.
“Through our collective commitment and sustained funding for language revitalization and language access, we will continue to work with Indigenous people and governments to ensure Indigenous languages are protected, promoted and celebrated,” Cleveland was quoted as saying.
Approached for comment on Monday, the territorial government issued a response on Thursday after this article had been first published.
In that response, the GNWT echoed some of the federal government’s comments about the way Ottawa has “shifted its funding priorities” to an application-based form that sends cash directly to Indigenous governments.
With that approach now taking priority, the GNWT said the federal cash announced this week is “legacy funding … not anticipated to increase under these new priorities.”
The Department of Education, Culture and Employment said it had “prioritized maintaining consistent funding levels to partners” with the funding received.
“ECE continues to take every opportunity to engage with the federal government on ways to support Indigenous languages in the NWT,” the statement continued, adding that the territory also invests approximately $14.4 million annually in other support for Indigenous languages.
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