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House Hansard - 50

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
March 31, 2022 10:00AM
Context: House Hansard - 50 - Mar/31/22
Mr. Jaime Battiste (Sydney—Victoria, Lib.)
  • Mar/31/22 2:13:45 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, today is National Indigenous Languages Day in Canada. It is time to celebrate the hundreds of indigenous languages spoken across Canada. I am proud to stand with a government committed to the preservation and restoration of indigenous languages and that appointed the first-ever indigenous language commissioner. Congratulations to Ron Ignace. This work is already being felt on the ground level in my own community. We have seen unprecedented investment into the revitalization of the Mi’kmaq through organizations like Mi'kmaw Kina'matnewey. [Member spoke in Mi'kmaq and provided the following text:] Ketu Kaqamasi Kiskuk Aq ketu teluewey, tan telji welalusik Msit wen apoqnmatmitij, tan teli lnusltik Nike aq Elmiknek. Welaliek. [Member provided the following translation:] I rise today and I want to say how much we thank all those who are helping to revitalize languages now and into the future.
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Context: House Hansard - 50 - Mar/31/22
Mr. Blake Desjarlais (Edmonton Griesbach, NDP)
Madam Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for introducing such an important bill. He spoke very well on the importance of making sure that we have a diversity of languages. However, a very important point is the lack of translation. In Canada, we are used to a system of English and French, and oftentimes our indigenous languages, like my language in particular, Cree, which is a native language in Canada, have been almost put into the ground and diminished. We have seen that time and time again through government intervention. Would the member agree that when we are ensuring that we understand mother tongue languages, we make a special place and a special recognition for the native languages of this land as extraordinary to the contributions of languages across the world?
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