Inuit language(s)

This paper examines the relevant legislation which establishes the official languages of Nunavut, a multilingual subnational unit of Canada, and discusses issues in the interpretation of said legislation. The main issues identified are the definition of “Inuit Language” and the authority afforded to acts in “Inuit.” The Official Languages Act (2008) and the Inuit Language Protection Act (2008) establish and define the three official languages of Nunavut as English, French, and “Inuit Language.” I argue that the legislation, though recognizing Inuit cultural views of themselves as one people speaking one language, also accounts for the varying mutual intelligibilities between Inuit “dialects.” Importantly, there are provisions in the legislation which allow for the legislature to afford translations in the “Inuit Language” equal status to the English and French drafts. This is novel in a country predicated on equivalence and sameness of English and French and is deserving of further inquiry