Revitalization of Indigenous Languages: Analysis of the Indigenous Languages ​​Act (ILLA) 2019

Abstract

The erosion of Indigenous languages ​​in Canada poses a threat to the transmission of cultural heritage and the linguistic survival of First Peoples. Until 2019, Indigenous languages ​​in Canada lacked legal protection and recognition of their status. The drafting of the Indigenous Languages ​​Act of 2019 fits into this legal vacuum and acts as a legal framework for the protection and revitalization of Indigenous languages. Yet, the law remains a project based on Canadian traditions of language policy that relegates Indigenous languages ​​to the benefit of official languages. This essay seeks to analyze how the constitutional context and state tradition in which the law is inserted influence the recommendations it makes. The study of language policies allows us to observe how the promulgation of the law attempts to update the issues of linguistic protection of Indigenous languages. This essay uses an analytical framework centered on the Principle of Dynamic Territoriality and Canadian state traditions. It aims to analyze how the law's shortcomings, such as Canadian federalism, the complexity of spaces, and the assumed equality of language status, impinge on their revitalization. Despite certain conceptual shortcomings, the law nevertheless represents a step forward for the protection of Indigenous languages ​​and creates a contextual break that could allow for the updating of Canadian state traditions in terms of language policies.