What was the federal Indigenous Languages Act of 2019?

The federal Indigenous Languages Act (S.C. 2019, c. 23) was a federal statute passed by Justin Trudeau's Liberal government on June 21, 2019. The Act recognised the federal government's responsibility to support the reclamation, revitalisation, maintenance, and strengthening of Indigenous languages. The Act established the Office of the Commissioner of Indigenous Languages and provided federal funding for Indigenous language programmes. About 70 distinct Indigenous languages are spoken in Canada, of which UNESCO classifies the majority as endangered or critically endangered.

The Act was developed through extensive consultation with the Assembly of First Nations, the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, and the Métis National Council. The Act responded specifically to Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action 13 to 17 (December 2015), which had called for Indigenous-language preservation legislation. The Act was tabled as Bill C-91 by Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez on February 5, 2019 and received royal assent on June 21, 2019 (National Indigenous Peoples Day). It came into force on August 29, 2019.

The Act's main provisions included: federal recognition of Indigenous languages as integral to Indigenous identity and culture; commitment to support the revitalisation of Indigenous languages; establishment of the Office of the Commissioner of Indigenous Languages (including a Commissioner and three Directors, representing First Nations, Inuit, and Métis); federal funding for Indigenous language services and programmes; the right to access federal services in Indigenous languages where there is demand and capacity; and reporting and accountability mechanisms.

The Act has been implemented gradually. Ronald E. Ignace (a Secwepemc Knowledge Keeper) was appointed as Canada's first Commissioner of Indigenous Languages on June 16, 2021. Implementation funding began in 2019 to 2020 and has grown to about 350 million dollars over 5 years. Indigenous communities use the funding for language nests (early childhood immersion), Master-Apprentice programmes (intensive teacher-learner partnerships), Indigenous-language broadcasting, publishing, and digital tools. The Act is one of the most ambitious Indigenous-language legislative frameworks in the world. Critics note that the Act does not formally recognise Indigenous languages as official languages of Canada (unlike English and French) and that funding has been criticised as inadequate to reverse the century of language loss caused by residential schools and other federal policies. Nunavut has parallel territorial Indigenous Languages Act framework recognising Inuktut as an official territorial language.