Language rights in Indigenous communities: The case of the Inuit of Arctic Québec 1

• Published in: Journal of Sociolinguistics
• Main Author: Patrick, Donna
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2005
• Subjects: Arctic; Canada; Nunavik; inuit
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1360-6441.2005.00297.x; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1360-6441.2005.00297.x; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1360-6441.2005.00297.x

Despite the rise of language rights, it is not clear whether the granting of rights to Indigenous and minority groups has any direct effect on the ability of these groups to revitalize and maintain their languages. This paper offers an analysis of macro‐level rights discourse in Canada, drawing on certain Supreme Court of Canada decisions regarding Francophone‐minority and Aboriginal peoples. It then traces certain consequences of the granting of Indigenous language rights for Indigenous language instruction and maintenance, focusing on the Inuit in the Arctic Québec region of Nunavik.