Policy Research & Development
International Indigenous Language and Cultural Revitalization Models for the Avataq Cultural Institute, 2005
Know: Consilium researched, assessed and provided a policy paper on potential models for Inuktitut protection, preservation and promotion for the new Nunavik Government.
Collaborate: The project was initiated and directed by Avataq, the organization in Nunavik (Arctic Quebec) charged with protection and promotion of the Inuit language and culture in the region.
Connect: The protection of Inuktitut language and Inuit culture is of paramount importance to the residents of Nunavik. We were assigned to identify, analyze and establish linkages to successful models of language promotion and reclamation from other jurisdictions, both in Canada and internationally.
Act: The project required extensive research into examples drawn from many indigenous communities, through both an extensive literature review and onsite, in-person research in Canada, New Zealand (Maori language) and Hawaii (Hawaiian language). Models examined included the Maori Language Commission, Maori Television, and an immersion Hawaiian language school linked to the University of Hawaii that takes students from junior kindergarten to a doctorate in their native language.
Succeed: Our final report described these potential models, and provided recommendations on their potential adaptation and application for Nunavik.