Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I would like first to thank the members of the committee for inviting Statistics Canada to appear before the committee to contribute to its study on the use of indigenous languages in proceedings of the House of Commons.
My presentation will cover three main topics. I will begin by presenting some general statistics on the very wide diversity of indigenous languages spoken in Canada, their number and distribution across the country, as well as the language variables available in the census that can be used to inform us of the status of the indigenous languages in this country. I will subsequently present general historical trends on spoken indigenous languages and their relative vitality. I will conclude with key factors and indicators of the vitality and long-term viability of indigenous languages in Canada.
Indigenous languages spoken in Canada are of great importance to first nations people, Métis and Inuit. More than 70 indigenous languages were reported in the 2016 Census. The vast majority of these languages are unique to Canada and, as with most indigenous languages globally, they are not spoken anywhere else in the world. This is just one of the many reasons that the preservation and revitalization of their languages is of great importance.
The Census of Population provides several measures of the use and knowledge of indigenous languages. The number of individuals with an indigenous language as their mother tongue is counted, as is the language spoken most often or on a regular basis at home, the language used at work, and the language in which they can conduct a conversation.
In 2016 the overall national response rate for the census was 97.4%. Statistics Canada works with indigenous organizations and communities on an ongoing basis to improve participation in surveys and the census. As in previous years, census staff conducted door-to-door enumeration of households in reserve communities as well as in remote and northern communities. The census questionnaires were made available in 11 indigenous languages: Atikamekw, Denesuline, Dogrib, Inuktitut, Montagnais, northern Quebec Cree, Oji-Cree, Ojibwa, Plains Cree, and Swampy Cree.
Overall, the coverage and participation in the 2016 census was excellent. Although 14 out of the 984 census subdivisions classified as reserves were incompletely enumerated in 2016, which could affect counts for some specific languages, the proportion of such incompletely enumerated census subdivisions has systematically decreased over time.
The census, with its expansive reach across the country, remains one of the most comprehensive sources of information about indigenous languages in Canada. As stated, more than 70 languages were reported. In 2016, as shown in the tables provided to the committee, about 213,000 reported an indigenous language as their mother tongue—that is, the first language learned at home in childhood and still understood. Nearly 264,000 people reported that they were able to conduct a conversation in one of the 70 aboriginal languages. This is to say that there are 24% more speakers of an indigenous language than people who have an indigenous language as their mother tongue. This is an indication of the importance of the acquisition of these languages as a second language.
Of the 70 indigenous languages spoken, 36 languages had at least 500 speakers. The Cree languages, which are spoken primarily in Saskatchewan, Alberta, Manitoba, and Quebec, accounted for just under 100,000 speakers, or 37% of all speakers of an indigenous language in Canada.
Inuktitut, the second most common indigenous language, is mainly spoken in Nunavut and Nunavik and had slightly less than 41,000 speakers.
Ojibway and Oji-Cree, spoken primarily in Ontario and Manitoba, accounted for 28,000 and 15,600 speakers, respectively, while the approximately 13,000 Dene speakers were mainly in Saskatchewan and Alberta.
Four other Algonquian languages—Montagnais, Mi'kmaq, Atikamekw, and Blackfoot—grouped together had nearly 33,000 speakers.
Considering that almost 9 in 10 of all speakers of an indigenous language in the country spoke one of these nine languages or groups of languages, this means that many other indigenous languages have very few speakers
As a result, these are generally considered by several specialists as threatened or destined to an uncertain future. The average age of these indigenous language populations varies considerably from one group to the other. For example, the average age of the population with Inuktitut as a mother tongue was 27 in 2016 compared with 61 for the population with Michif as a mother tongue.
The language profiles of first nations people, Métis and Inuit vary considerably. In 2016, two out of three Inuit stated they could speak an Inuit language well enough to conduct a conversation, predominantly Inuktitut. Among first nations people, more than 21% said they spoke an indigenous language, whereas among the Metis, less than 2% stated they were able to do the same.
Among the 73% of Inuit living in the Inuit Nunangat, 84% could speak an Inuit language, while this was true for 11% of those residents outside the Inuit Nunangat. Similarly, 45% of first nations with registered Indian status, who lived on a reserve, could speak an indigenous language, compared with just over 13% of those living off-reserve.
The place of residence, concentration, and proportion of members of a community on its territory are among the factors influencing the propensity to know and use an indigenous language.
The census allows us to look at change over time. Between 1996 and 2016, the population reporting the ability to conduct a conversation in an indigenous language increased from 234,000 people to nearly 264,000, an increase of 12.8%. However, it is important to note that the indigenous population increased at a much faster pace. The pace of growth of the indigenous-language-speaking population is not keeping pace with the growth of the indigenous population overall.
The story of long-term viability is different for every language. For example, in 2016 the number of people who could speak either Cree, Ojibwe, or Oji-Cree was roughly the same as it was 20 years earlier, that is, over 125,000. On the other hand, the number of Dene speakers grew by almost 15% over the 20-year period.
The census shows that the number of people who can speak an Inuit language has increased. In 1996 there were just over 30,000 people in Canada who could speak Inuktitut. By 2016 this number had risen by 34%, with more than 2,000 others who were available to speak other Inuit languages such as Inuinnaqtun or Inuvialuktun.
Not all indigenous languages fared well over this period. Languages with smaller and older populations are particularly vulnerable. The number of people who could speak one of the Wakashan languages, such as Haisla or Heiltsuk, declined by almost 25%. Similarity, the number of people who could speak Carrier went down by 27% over the 20-year period.
Past events have severely affected the vitality of indigenous languages in Canada. For example, the residential school system under which generations of indigenous children were not permitted to speak their mother tongue had enormous impacts upon intergenerational transmission of indigenous languages.
Unlike other language groups in Canada, people speaking in an indigenous language cannot rely on new immigrants to maintain or increase their population of speakers. Passing on the language from parents to children is critical for all indigenous languages to survive. High fertility rates and strong intergenerational language transmission thus contribute to a young and vibrant language community.
Moreover, although learning an indigenous language, at home in childhood, as a primary language is a crucial element of the long-term viability of indigenous languages, second-language learning can be an important part of language revitalization. Efforts to preserve and revitalize indigenous languages through second-language learning are under way across the country. These efforts include incorporating indigenous language instruction in classrooms, creating standard orthographies, and developing language immersion programs.
This explains why, particularly among youth, the population able to conduct a conversation in an indigenous language is larger than the population with indigenous language as a mother tongue. Considering revitalization efforts is particularly important in light of the results of the 2012 Aboriginal Peoples Survey. In this survey we learned that 59% of first nations living off reserve and 37% of Métis reported that it is very important or somewhat important to speak or understand an indigenous language. Among Inuit, the proportion reached 81%.
Let me conclude by saying that numerous studies on indigenous languages point to a number of key factors that have an impact on the vitality and future of these languages. Although the numbers of speakers of indigenous languages could be considered precariously small, the domains in which these languages are spoken play a key role. For instance, the use of indigenous languages at home, at school, during social and cultural events, and throughout community life has a strong impact on their vitality and long-term viability.
The vitality of a given indigenous language also depends on the presence of a critical mass of speakers within the community, the presence of a network of social relations using the language, and the intergenerational transmission of a language from parents to children, as a mother tongue or as a second language. Studies have also shown that the vitality of indigenous languages also depends on the strong identity of their speakers and on whether there is an internal or external recognition of the language as distinct and unique within society. This recognition can therefore confer status and prestige through a language.
In conclusion, allow me to say that Statistics Canada recognizes the importance of engaging first nations people, Métis, and Inuit throughout all stages of the data life cycle, in understanding data needs and gaps, determining content, and ensuring relevance of the analysis and statistical products that we deliver. The high quality of the language and other data we gather would not be possible without their participation in the census and other surveys. Our measures of indigenous languages and other characteristics of the indigenous population of Canada have evolved and will continue to evolve over time as we work with communities and organizations to improve the way data are collected, in a way that is respectful of their rights to self-determination.
Thank you, and it is with pleasure that my colleagues Vivian O'Donnell, Pamela Best, and I will answer your questions.
