Ottawa says it will support First Nations fight against Quebec's new language law
The federal minister of Indigenous services said Thursday she supports the will of Indigenous communities to be exempt from Quebec's new language law, which limits the use of English in the public service and increases French-language requirements in schools.
Patty Hajdu told a news conference she was "preoccupied" to hear that Indigenous leaders think the language law, known as Bill 96, will have a negative impact on the rights of First Nations children to be educated in the language and culture of their choice.
"We cannot put barriers in the way of children striving to reach their full potential, including barriers that involve language," Hajdu said. "We will continue to stand by and defend the leaders with whom I have the opportunity to work. I see it as an important part of my role as minister."
Hajdu made the comments after participating in a signing ceremony for a new agreement under which Ottawa will give $1.1 billion over five years to First Nations communities in Quebec to help fund education. The ceremony was held on the Mohawk territory of Kahnawake, south of Montreal.
Quebec's new language reform proactively invokes the notwithstanding clause of the Canadian Constitution to shield it from Charter challenges. It restricts the use of English in the public service and the legal system, and it requires students at English junior colleges to take three additional courses in French to graduate.
Indigenous communities say they are particularly worried about the new rules for junior colleges. John Martin, chief of Gesgapegiag on Quebec's Gaspe Peninsula, said Thursday that provincial language laws have been creating obstacles for English-speaking Indigenous students for decades.
"For 40 years we have been confronted with linguistic laws," Martin said. "We have students who can't graduate because they were unable to get the credits they needed, and Bill 96 raises the wall even higher."
He said Indigenous Peoples have constitutional rights just like Quebecers do, adding that the provincial government is acting like a colonial power. Martin said the federal government must "stand and support us" by addressing the issue of Indigenous rights -- including language rights -- guaranteed in the Constitution.
"When a language tends to dominate, it is a colonial practice and that means the extermination of other languages and cultures," Martin said. "This is what we are up against."
Earlier, representatives from the federal government and the First Nations Education Council signed the $1.1-billion education agreement, the result of 10 years of negotiations.
The money will go toward building culturally adapted education programs for about 5,800 children across 22 communities. It will also fund school transportation and the recruitment and training of more than 600 teachers and other school staff. The First Nations Education Council, which represents eight Quebec First Nations, says the agreement will allow communities to assume full responsibility over their schools.
Daniel Gros-Louis, executive director of the First Nations Education Council, said "history has shown us the many broken promises of governments. The assumption of responsibility for education by and for the First Nations that we are celebrating today is our promise to ourselves, to our young people."
-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 14, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Most of Canada to receive emergency alert test today
The federal government will test its capacity to issue emergency alerts today, with the exception of Ontario, where the test will take place on May 15.
OPINION What King Charles' schedule being too 'full' to accommodate son suggests about relationship with Prince Harry
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Ontario man devastated to learn $150,000 line of credit isn't insured after wife dies
An Ontario man found out that a line of credit he thought was insured actually isn't after his wife of 50 years died.
Boy Scouts of America is rebranding. Here's why they're now named Scouting America
After more than a century, Boy Scouts of America is rebranding as Scouting America, another major shakeup for an organization that once proudly resisted change.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
Rape, terror and death at sea: How a boat carrying Rohingya children, women and men capsized
In March, Indonesian officials and local fishermen rescued 75 people from the overturned hull of a boat off the coast of Indonesia. Until now, little was known about why the boat capsized.
'A huge difference': These adults born in the '90s partnered with their parents to buy homes in Ontario
An Ontario woman said it would have been impossible to buy a house without her mother – an anecdote that animates the fact that over 17 per cent of Canadian homeowners born in the ‘90s own their property with their parents, according to a new report.
For their protection, immigrants critical of China and India call for speedy passage of Canada's foreign interference legislation
Canadian immigrants threatened by hostile regimes are urging parliamentarians to quickly pass the 'Countering Foreign Interference Act' so they can feel safe living in their adopted home.
How Drake and Kendrick Lamar's rap beef escalated within weeks
A long-simmering feud between hip-hop superstars Drake and Kendrick Lamar reached a boiling point in recent days as the pair traded increasingly personal insults on a succession of diss tracks. Here’s a quick overview of what’s behind the ongoing beef.