There is growing recognition of the importance of Indigenous languages in Canada and around the world. The United Nations declared 2019 the International Year of Indigenous Languages. The Canadian government just adopted An Act Respecting Indigenous Languages, which calls for, among other things, the appointment of a Commissioner of Indigenous Languages.
The linguistic situation in Nunavut, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, is unique among the Canadian provinces and territories: an Indigenous language is the mother tongue of the majority of its population. English, although a minority language in Nunavut, is attractive due to its status as the majority language in Canada. French, which is the mother tongue of less than 2% of the population, also has official language status in Nunavut.
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