Deputy ministers from several federal departments discussed these topics last autumn.
A memo obtained by The Canadian Press through the Access to Information Act warned of growing tensions between employees who speak an indigenous language but do not speak the country’s two official languages.
Under the Official Languages Act, federal agencies must ensure that the workplace is conducive to the effective use of both official languages and allows their employees to use one or the other.
Therefore, senior officials must be able to communicate in English and French. Bilingualism is mandatory for a number of public service positions. However, an employee can take English or French courses.
A memo circulated last fall mentioning that a working group had been set up to discuss possible changes to the requirements for bilingualism in the federal civil service. We learn that a network of approximately 400 Indigenous public officials have expressed the need for a general exemption.
In my opinion, an exemption should be granted if the staff member speaks an Aboriginal language, wrote Gina Wilson, a deputy minister at Canadian Heritage, who defends the need to hire more Aboriginal civil servants. Our governor general is a good example.
The appointment of Mary Simon, an Inuk, as governor-general has caused controversy as she speaks English and Inuktitut but no French. She learns the language from Molière.
This idea threatens the French, Judge Marc Miller
It is unclear whether the federal government intends to move forward with these proposals.
The Crown Indigenous Relations, Northern Affairs and Indigenous Services departments have no plans to offer Indigenous language training to all employees, says a spokesman for Crown Indigenous Relations and Indigenous Services from northern Canada.
Indigenous workers are encouraged to discuss language training with their manager, she adds.
Crown Indigenous Relations Secretary Marc Miller, who learns the Mohawk language, says the idea of granting exemptions is a touchy subject.
Marc Miller, Secretary of State for Crown Indigenous Relations
Photo: The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld
When we make such decisions, it is almost always at the expense of the French, he stresses. This is something that a majority of people will find unacceptable. There are already resources for learning [une langue officielle] and they are available.
Learn an indigenous language
Other ideas that have been floated include allowing more time to learn one of the two official languages and giving all public servants, including non-Aboriginal officials, the opportunity to learn an Aboriginal language.
Marc Miller says he supports the idea of providing language courses, particularly for Aboriginal officials who did not have the opportunity to learn an Aboriginal language in their youth.
He does not want teachers removed from indigenous communities where they are helping to revitalize lost languages.
As we observe the fragility of Aboriginal languages across the country, we do not want to remove these precious resources. We don’t want to take these teachers, often elderly, true travel dictionaries, and remove them from communities trying to revitalize their language, he decides.
Officials also argued for the need to provide services to Inuit in Inuktitut.
“We can do better in this area. »
– A quote from Marc Miller, Secretary of State for Crown Indigenous Relations
Another idea raised by officials and defended by Nunavut MP Lori Idlout: Expand the $800 annual bonus granted to bilingual staff to include those who speak an Aboriginal language.
Lori Idlout says she was approached by a union who complained that a federal employee who speaks Inuktitut is not eligible for that bonus if he doesn’t speak the country’s two official languages.
Still, they offer great services to the Inuit in Inuktitut, she says. This is an important question.
