Northwest Territories

:For other geographical names that use the term "Northwest," see Northwest.

Official languages

The territory's Official Languages Act recognizes eight official languages, more than any other political division in Canada:

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• Chipewyan;
• Cree;
• Dogrib or Tlicho;
• English;
• French;
• Gwich'in;
• Inuktitut, including
• Inuktitut proper,
• Inuvialuktun
• Inuinnaqtun;
• Slavey, including
• Bearlake
• Hare
• Mountain, and
• Slavey (proper)

Citizens of the NWT have a right to use any of the above languages:

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• when receiving services from the government;
• in court;
• in debates and proceedings of the legislature.

History of Northwest Territories Official Languages

French was made an official language in 1877 by the appointed government. After lengthy and bitter debate resulting from a speech from the throne in 1888 by Lt. Governor Joseph Royal. The members voted on more than one occasion to nullify and make English the only language used in the assembly. After some conflict with Ottawa and a decisive vote on January 19, 1892, the issue was put to rest as an English-only territory.

Related Topics:
Speech from the throne - Joseph Royal

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In the early 1980's, the government of the Northwest Territories was again under pressure by the federal government to reintroduce French as an official language. After some native members walked out of the assembly in protest for not being able to speak their own language. The executive council appointed a special committee of MLA's to study the matter. They decided that if French was to be an official language, then so must the other languages in the Territories.

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External links:

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• Justifying the end of Official Billingualism in the Northwest Territories
• Language Commissioner of the Northwest Territories
• NWT Literacy Council: Languages of the Land