National chief calls for 60 indigenous languages to be declared official alongside English and French

Well, 62 languages on all product packaging would be interesting. That *is* how I learned French afterall. And as they say in Quebec, "Avec plus de fibres!"

sure, as long as they drop the silly idea that the tribes own the languages. if canada maintains them, canadians all have right to them. to learn @usqueam at ubc you basically have to sign your soul away

This will be a fucking nightmare to generate documents for as no one has taken the time to build language generators for FN languages.

Maintaining some of these languages as official languages would require more native speakers translating documentation than there are often people who speak the language.

Maybe create a new category like 'indigenous languages' where important documents are made transcribed in those languages. But operationally it just isn't feasible. Unless the end game is to get more FN on the federal government payroll (as employees).

It's probably going to become law under the present Supreme Court. Should be fun. In the morning while eating our breakies we can brush up on a few dozen new tongues. I like the idea of waiting for takeoff while the airline flight cabin crews do the emergency briefing in 62 languages. It will certainly double the flying time to Calgary if it has to be completed before takeoff. Perhaps they'll serve nuts and drinks before departure, while they perform.

Electrical appliance handbooks will become bigger than some of the gadgets they are explaining.

This is truly a Sienfeld moment.

You laugh and crack jokes in ignorance. Yet you do not know the importance of that language. The language itself is being, each and everyone of us had it. Denying that very importance of the descendants of the first people's language on the land you call home as a guest, is unjust. Its about respect to restore a nations being that this so called Canadian government has fought so hard to assimilate. To continue to speak down upon the matter in arrogance once informed is unfortunate. Know that just because a few generations of your immigrated family were born on this land you and your family call home, you're a guest of the first care takers of this land we still fight to preserve. That also goes for the language of each and every first nations person on this continent.

Any language or culture that requires all non-speakers or non-affiliates to preserve it is not worth preserving. If you have an interest in it, go ahead, no one will stop you. Preserving our differences is what causes war.

@nayheyow, I am not a guest in the country of which I was born.

In the European Union, their documents are not published in the national languages of all the nations that are members. If a member country deems that a document or standard has significant importance to the people of a member nation that nation is is required to translate and publish the document for its people.

The UN has a similar policy. Not all documents are printed are even printed in all of their five official languages.

@ ?. It is a comment to address that as a "guest" in someone' s home origin to support or at the very least , respect the people of this land and the heritage that this governance has fought to assimilate. To slander and disregard those people's values and heritage including revitalizing their native tounge is a clear sign of disrespect and/ or ignorance. Ultimately it is now a multicultural society, so to live harmoniously and respect the teachings of the 1st nations people. You don't see the Chinese, African, European etc. governments stripping the heritage and language of those nations and treating their people as 2nd class citizens to the visitors that inhabit those counties. This is no different. Ideally the goal in my eyes is to support and respect the background of all nations. This is a case of principles.

If we don't unite soon as one nation there will be no freedom for anyone no one owns Mother Earth we ALL are guest in her land