Nunatsiaq News – ITK regrets that that Bill C-91, An Act respecting Indigenous languages, passed into law without inclusion of any Inuit-specific priorities. In its current format, this law does not affirm Inuit language rights or close the legal and policy gaps that contribute to the erosion of Inuktut as the first, only or preferred language spoken by Inuit in Inuit Nunangat, and does not create any new legal obligations for the Government of Canada. ITK and Nunavut Tunngavik Inc raised the following objections:

• Bill does not recognize Inuktut as an official language within the 4 regions of Inuit Nunangat and requires Inuit to use English or French to access federal services
• Federal departments and agencies do not have to offer services in Inuit language
• Inequitable federal funding policies that favor English and French vs Inuit
• Inuit in provinces must use English or French to access language services
• Nunavut’s territorial language legislation does not apply to federal government departments.