The federal government is providing funding to land-claims organizations to support Indigenous languages. Source: Nunatsiaq News, file photo

Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. (NTI) is one of 12 Indigenous land claim organizations to benefit from Indigenous Languages Component.

Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. is looking for proposals to distribute just under $13.8 million in federal money for Inuktut revitalization.

The purpose of the funding is to “provide and enhance opportunities for Inuit to protect, reclaim, revitalize, and maintain Inuktut that are not currently supported by government programs,” the organization’s call for proposals says.

Eligible applicants include groups or individuals enrolled under the Nunavut Agreement and Inuit not-for-profit organizations in or outside of Nunavut that could identify language programmes that demonstrate “alignment” with NTI’s priorities for the funding.

There are five areas of priority: Inuktut media and arts including broadcast, film, print media, verbal and literary arts; education in early childhood, K-12, and post-secondary; language skills training, courses or professional development; community programming such as camps and celebrations; and language documentation that would record Inuit languages and history.

The funding is administered by Department of Canadian Heritage, through the Indigenous Languages Act.

The 2024 federal budget committed $225 million over five years, with$45 million ongoing to support the implementation of the act.

The federal government is providing funding directly to Indigenous Land Claim organizations so they can implement “their own language revitalization strategies,” the programme overview says.

A total of 12 First Nations, Métis and Inuit Land Claim organizations received the funding, including four Inuit ones: NTI, Makivvik, Inuvialuit Regional Corp. and Nunatsiavut Government.

“Indigenous languages have seen challenges to their sustained use,” says a 2024 report by Statistics Canada based on its 2021 census.

Inuktut, a collective name for Inuktitut, Inuinnaqtun and other Inuit languages, is not an exception, with younger Inuit less likely to have it as their mother tongue, according to Statistics Canada.

Revitalizing Inuktut was one of the priorities of NTI’s four-year strategy introduced in February.

“Providing access to language funding will help us to achieve this goal,” NTI president Jeremy Tunraluk said in a news release about the new funding.

The deadline to apply to NTI’s call for proposals is May 30.

Source: Nunatsiaq News