Education Minister Dominic Cardy said it would be impossible to have all New Brunswick students learn an Indigenous language fluently because there are so few people in the province who know the languages. (Ed Hunter/CBC)
New Brunswick education minister Dominic Cardy says the bill that would add Indigenous language teaching to the curriculum isn't controversial because it's only a small change.
The bill put forward by Green Party MLA Megan Mitton was introduced last month. On Monday, it got unanimous support from an all-party committee of MLAs.
"This is not going to change the education system in huge and dramatic ways," said Cardy in an interview Wednesday with Information Morning Fredericton.
While he thinks the bill is important, Cardy said it wouldn't be possible to teach all New Brunswick students Indigenous languages.
"Those languages are only spoken by a very small number of people in the province, including a small minority of folks from the First Nations communities themselves."
Cardy sees the bill adding language to the Indigenous teachings that are already happening in the public school system.
He said a goal for the younger students would be to have them learn simple songs in Indigenous languages.
"One of the easiest ways to really learn about another culture is to learn some part of the language." Mitton said it's too soon to say what the addition of Indigenous language teachings will look like but she agrees the goal isn't to make every student fluent.
"It is to ensure that language is included in the curriculum to help foster an understanding of these Wabanaki languages and the history and culture. We can't disconnect language from history and culture."
"It's important that there be some basic exposure to these languages."
She said the Department of Education will have to work with Indigenous leaders to make sure the curriculum serves the needs of Indigenous students.
"The needs of First Nations students might be different and I think there is some work to be done there."
Green MLA Megan Mitton said this is an opportunity for the province to right some of its passed wrongdoings. (CBC)
According to Mitton, one of the goals would be to eventually provide all Indigenous students the opportunity to be fluent in their languages. She wants to coordinate with courses that are offered in Indigenous communities to ensure all Indigenous students have access to that education.
"There is a lot lost when one loses their language or when a community loses their language, which also means there is a lot to be gained with the revitalization of these languages."
Mitton said Indigenous languages have been systematically excluded from the public school system for a long time and this is a chance to fix that.
"We have opportunities to right the wrongs of the past and present and change things going forward."
David Amos Content disabled Methinks after listening to Cardy on the radio and reading the comments yesterday no doubt all the political animals were not surprised to see a second article on this topic N'esy Pas?
Emery Hyslop-Margison Some exposure to Indigenous language will promote student understanding of Indigenous people. Language is important in this regard since it carries ideas and concepts that reflect Indigenous values and beliefs. The move also represents an important show of respect for Indigenous culture. There’s no harm here and lots of potential for good.
Terry Tibbs
Reply to @Emery Hyslop-Margison: Right. A history lesson then? Because I have employed many Indigenous folks over the years and their wants and needs were the very same as everyone else's'. Oh, I am sure there are some traditionalists, but I never met one. So, what's it to be, a history lesson, or a study of folks just kinda the same as us?
Ray Oliver
Reply to @Emery Hyslop-Margison: How about a history class, not learning a 3rd language when our students have such a minimal grasp on the 2 as is...
David Amos
Reply to @Terry Tibbs: I would run with the latter
Fred Brewer Ms. Mitton said ""We have opportunities to right the wrongs of the past and present and change things going forward." With all due respect to Ms. Mitton, we are already making our children learn about the culture and heritage of First Nations in NB. Forcing another language upon our children, will have the opposite effect of what you wish to achieve.
Terry Tibbs
Reply to @Fred Brewer: An opportunity to right past wrongs? There is absolutely no way past wrongs can be "fixed" in the present/future. What has been done is done nothing will change that. We can only try to not make the same mistakes twice, but being human, I don't even expect that.
David Amos
Reply to @Terry Tibbs: Methinks you should understand what I have come to expect it from my mindless cousin and her many cohorts N'esy Pas?
Matt Steele There must be an election coming as this idea is pretty much a total waste of time and resources ; but they teach useless yoga classes in schools , so why not waste class time on this as well . N.B. already has one the bottom ranked education systems in Canada , so it can't really sink any further ; but it would be a better use of resources to the tackle the severe illiteracy problem in N.B. schools .
Jarrod Yeo
Reply to @Matt Steele: Have you ever tried yoga, bro?
Fred Brewer
Reply to @Jarrod Yeo: I cannot think of a single job (other than Yoga Instructor) where learning yoga will help our graduates get jobs. So I agree with Matt that Yoga and learning Wabanaki is pretty much useless and a waste of time.
David Amos
Reply to @Fred Brewer: Can you imagine me agreeing with you dudes?
Anders Jamers This is a great step in the right direction if it passes. Learning a language is an excellent way to build bridges between communities.
Terry Tibbs
Reply to @Anders Jamers: Sadly you are mistaken. This is right up there with rainbows and unicorns flying out of backsides.
Members from all four parties voted on Tuesday afternoon in favour of the bill, which was introduced last month by Green Party MLA Megan Mitton. (Jacques Poitras/CBC)
A bill that would require New Brunswick schools to teach Indigenous languages to all students has won unanimous support from a committee of MLAs.
Members from all four parties voted on Tuesday afternoon in favour of the bill, which was introduced last month by Green Party MLA Megan Mitton.
"There's a long history of Indigenous languages being systematically excluded from our public school system," Mitton said during the debate.
"This is an opportunity for the revitalization of Wabanaki languages in our public school system."
The bill would add a requirement for the teaching of Indigenous languages to a section of the Education Act that already requires the teaching of Indigenous history and culture.
That section was adopted in 2017 through a bill by Green Party Leader David Coon.
Mitton said the goal was not to make all New Brunswick schoolchildren fluent in the languages but to "foster an understanding" about the languages.
'There's a long history of Indigenous languages being systematically excluded from our public school system,' Mitton said during the debate. (CBC)
Progressive Conservative, Liberal and People's Alliance MLAs all spoke in favour of Mitton's bill Tuesday afternoon. No one opposed it.
"This is all part of a very necessary process that this province and this country needs to undertake as we examine issues around systemic racism in our country and society," said Education Minister Dominic Cardy..
"Clearly, in New Brunswick, our biggest challenge as a society is examining the serious issues that have affected our First Nations communities now for hundreds of years."
Few speakers
Mitton said there are fewer than 100 Wolastoqey speakers and about 2,000 who speak Mi'kmaq.
Last year the federal government passed an Indigenous Languages Act in response to calls from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission for the preservation and revitalization of Indigenous languages.
The law sets out a funding system for those languages.
Calls for inquiry
Mitton introduced her bill June 16, amid calls by First Nations chiefs for the Higgs government to establish an inquiry into how Indigenous people are treated by police and the justice system.
Those calls came after the death of two Indigenous people, Chantel Moore and Rodney Levi, in two separate shootings by police. Both incidents are being investigated by Quebec's independent agency that reviews police shootings.
Aboriginal Affairs Minister Jake Stewart supports the idea of an inquiry but has yet to persuade Premier Blaine Higgs.
Cardy said Tuesday the language bill was "our opportunity as legislators to be part of moving toward some form of redress but also establishing some sort of foundation for a more harmonious relationship going into the future."
He introduced an amendment to, as he put it, "broaden the scope" of Mitton's bill.
Education Minister Dominic Cardy said Tuesday the language bill was an opportunity for lawmakers to move toward 'redress' and to establish 'some sort of foundation for a more harmonious relationship.' (Ed Hunter/CBC)
It added the Passamaquoddy people to the existing section of the act and changed the word "Maliseet" to "Wolastoqiyik."
It also changed the wording of a phrase that requires the province to "respond to the unique needs" of Mi'kmaq, Wolastoqi and Passamaquoddy children.
That section applies only to on-reserve schools run by the province under agreements with chiefs and band councils, but Cardy's change means if the bill passes, it will apply to off-reserve Indigenous children as well.
Liberal MLA Chuck Chiasson and People's Alliance MLA Michelle Conroy both supported Mitton's bill but asked how it will be implemented.
Mitton said the goal of her legislation wasn't to prescribe a specific approach but to create a general requirement.
"The department would then need to work on the curriculum and on implementing, while doing consultation" with First Nations, she said. "There are different ways this could look."
Jacques Poitras has been CBC's provincial affairs reporter in New Brunswick since 2000. Raised in Moncton, he also produces the CBC political podcast Spin Reduxit.
David Amos Methinks this is just another bill that will die on the table when the snap election is called N'esy Pas?
David Amos "Mitton introduced her bill June 16, amid calls by First Nations chiefs for the Higgs government to establish an inquiry into how Indigenous people are treated by police and the justice system."
Methinks the Greens are political opportunists N'esy Pas?
Terry Tibbs
Reply to @David Amos: "Members from all four parties voted on Tuesday afternoon in favour of the bill, which was introduced last month by Green Party MLA Megan Mitton."
Come one, come all, lots of room on that political band wagon.
David Amos Methinks Cardy is sharing his butter tarts with the Greens again N'esy Pas?
Terry Tibbs
Reply to @David Amos: I'm re-visiting Breaking Bad at the moment and I suspect it's not just butter tarts.
David Amos
Reply to @Terry Tibbs: Cardy is talking Happy Happy Happy On the radio right now
David Amos
Reply to @Terry Tibbs: BTW I called Chuck Chiasson's office yesterday but trust that I never wish to speak to my Mitton cousin
Right. A history lesson then? Because I have employed many Indigenous folks over the years and their wants and needs were the very same as everyone else's'. Oh, I am sure there are some traditionalists, but I never met one. So, what's it to be, a history lesson, or a study of folks just kinda the same as us?