Hockey Day In Canada In Inuktitut

In June of last year I was able to speak to the Senate Committee of the Whole in Inuktitut on the first anniversary of the federal Residential Schools Apology. It was the first time that Inuktitut was officially spoken in the Senate and simultaneously translated into English.

In February 2009 I held my first official meeting with the minister of health, Leona Aglukkaq, and it marked the first time the national Inuit leader spoke Inuktitut to a minister of the Crown.

In June 2008 Inuktitut was spoken on the floor of the House of Commons in my response to the Prime Ministers Residential Schools Apology.

These are important milestones for our language.

Tomorrow afternoon will see another "first" for the Inuit language when the Ottawa Senators / Montreal Canadians “Hockey Day in Canada” game is broadcast in our language.

According to an article in the Nunatsiaq News

CBC broadcasters Charlie Panigoniak and Annie Ford will call the game in Inuktitut.

The Inuktitut-language television broadcast will be available through Shaw, used by many co-op providers, on Channel 333, and Bell satellite TV on Channel 249.

CBC’s website will also stream the broadcast live, with Inuktitut commentary if desired.

Many co-ops in Nunavut and Nunavik will also broadcast the game and Inuktitut commentary on the regular CBC cable channels.

I would encourage Inuit language speakers to tune into tomorrow’s game as Charlie and Annie do the play by play and make the broadcast as big a success as possible so that it becomes a regular feature.

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