期刊名称：Rupkatha Journal on Interdisciplinary Studies in Humanities
电子版ISSN：0975-2935
出版年度：2019
卷号：11
期号：2
页码：1-8
DOI：10.21659/rupkatha.v11n2.01
出版社：Rupkatha Journal on Interdisciplinary Studies in Humanities
摘要：Linguistic diversity is the key to Canada’s multicultural identity which it has been struggling to maintain fordecades. Its language policies are rooted in two kinds of languages, the languages of European settlers andthe indigenous languages spoken by aborigines who are the native residents of Canada. Despite thecountry’s conservation policy, social tensions and political debates abound on how it treats its languages byaccording them official or non-official status. Canada first developed its language policy in 1960s on accountof Quebec nationalism and growing tensions between colonizing rivals. This led to establishment of policieswhich rendered English and French as official languages while indigenous languages got little support.Consequently, language-based discrimination is central to the nation’s social and political debates, whichinform its self-image since the conquest of indigenous tribes. A combination of factors like hostile colonialpolicies, reserve systems and residential schools have undermined these languages and separatedcommunities sharing common languages and traditions. This paper will assess how Canada’s indigenoustribes have fared since the implementation of national language policy which mandates protection ofindigenous culture and identity. It will examine the treatment of indigenous languages in the currentpolitical milieu of Canada, and the progress made by the government towards adoption of important lawsand path-breaking policies to create a future that nurtures its multicultural roots while affirming thenational identity.
关键词：Indigenous; Language; Rights; Identity; Cultural Diversity; Language Policies; Canada.
