New data from Statistics Canadashow that the number of people who can speak Indigenous languages is declining slightly across the country.
However, the agency noted that thecensus comparison was hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic, hampering its ability to fully enumerate First Nations and other Indigenous communities. I said that it was necessary to be careful because it was
Approximately 243,000 people are reported to be able to speak an Indigenous language, according to 2021 Census data released by Statistics Canada. This is down from the 2016 Census when that number was around 251,000.
READ MORE: Québec and most of Canada decline in percentage of French speakers
2021 The 2012 census reported that it was unable to collect information from 63 indigenous reserves and other communities. Many did not allow agents to enter.
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Officials say efforts to collect census data from indigenous communities will not only affect the COVID-19 pandemic, Heatwaves and wildfires have made it difficult, he said. It swept through British Columbia and northern Ontario.
They also noted how participation in the census was "weakened" by the discovery of unmarked graves on the site of a former boarding school.
Wednesday's release of data on languages came as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's liberal government described the promotion and protection of indigenous languages as a priority. In 2019, it passed a law to support revitalization.
According to Statistics Canada, the main Indigenous languages spoken at home are Cree and Inuktitut.
As in other census years, more people reported being able to speak an Indigenous language than those reporting having it as their mother tongue,
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Federal Member of Parliament and NDP representative Lori Idlout said: After voters raised issues about housing, elder care and mental health, he said: Languages are next on the list.
"We all know that we are rapidly losing language," she said of Inuktitut in a recent interview.
of Saskatchewan Cree teacher Kevin Lewis said there is a growing demand for fluent speakers.
It's not just about meeting the demands of the classroom. Lewis said he has also been contacted about finding a 911 emergency services operator.
"There are a lot of opportunities that haven't been opened yet," Lewis, University of Saskatchewan Professor of the Ministikwan Lake Cree Nation, said in an interview this week. rice field.
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"Wow." reported that the number of Generation Alpha members (children under the age of 8) who can speak an Indigenous language increased from 11,715 to 28,755.
When it comes to Cree, Lewis says he sees two demographics interested in learning the language: one is boarding school survivors, who share their interests with their children and grandchildren. We are giving them the opportunity to learn the language they were denied the ability to speak.
According to him, another one of his is a survivor of his '60s scoop, who was pulled from his home community by social workers as a child and is now trying to find their roots. I'm doing it.
Lewis said a revitalization of the language was underway, and he said that social media such as TikTok and YouTube. have exposed to the language.
"That orange shirt is so bright," says Lewis, and has been worn by people to honor boarding school survivors on September 30, National Truth and Reconciliation Day. I mentioned the color.
© 2022 The Canadian Press