At the turn of the century, Gwichyà Gwich’in woman Julienne Teh’dahcha relied on language to survive.

As a fur trader, trapper, mother and matriarch on the flats of the Tsiigehtchic area of the Northwest Territories, her success as she travelled through present-day Alaska, Yukon and the Northwest Territories was intrinsically linked to her ability to speak multiple languages: her own, Dinjii Zhuh Ginjik, along with Dene and French.

More than 100 years later, Canada passed a bill to help save a core piece of Indigenous culture that Julienne’s own great-grandchildren couldn’t inherit: the ability to speak their language. There are fewer than 400 fluent Dinjii Zhuh Ginjìk speakers today.

Loss of language is a common thread for First Nations, Métis and Inuit across the country as a result of colonial policies, including the devastation of Indigenous kin networks by institutionalizing children in Indian residential schools and often punishing them for speaking their languages. For decades, Canada’s colonial programming sought to destroy Indigenous cultures, languages, economies and connection to the land.

An Act Respecting Indigenous Languages has good intentions, but we can’t ignore a critical piece of the puzzle missing from its fine print. Bill C-91’s goal to protect, promote and revitalize the nearly 90 Indigenous languages left in Canada can’t be fully realized until rural, remote and northern Indigenous communities can access fast, affordable and reliable internet.

The beauty of the internet lies within its possibilities. This human-powered network of networks has allowed people to create innovative new ways to teach culture and language through web-based apps, programs and services. For Dinjii Zhuh, the social media campaign #speakgwichintome is helping new generations join an online community dedicated to learning Julienne’s language. FaceTime and other video-conferencing apps are connecting knowledge seekers with knowledge keepers in ways that were once not possible.

But people cannot use these powerful tools without the internet. More than two million Canadians lack access to decent internet and the disparity is especially harsh for Indigenous households. A confidential document retrieved by The Wire Report last week reveals Ottawa projects about 70 per cent will not have access to the national minimum high-speed internet baseline this year.

Bill C-91 seeks to establish an Office of the Commissioner of Indigenous Languages and ensure people have “access to services and programs in Indigenous languages where there is sufficient demand and access.”

The demand is widespread, but Canada won’t be able to deliver on its promise when lack of connectivity inhibits many northern, rural and remote Indigenous communities. Even in regions where there is an internet option, people often struggle with unreliable connectivity, data caps, slow speeds and high costs.

Indigenous peoples all over the country, including several Arctic communities Julienne once travelled, are developing innovative ways to improve connectivity through community networks. Community networks are built, managed and used by local communities to get access to the internet on their own terms.

Rural Economic Development Minister Bernadette Jordan has promised funding for solutions like these in a forthcoming plan to help rural Canada thrive. And the first round of Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission’s $750-million broadband fund to Canada’s northern territories could bolster these efforts.

But much work remains.

Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading...

Most Canadians rarely think twice about the ubiquity of high-speed internet, but we must all make sure Indigenous people living in the colonial state of Canada have equal access to the same opportunities.

If Canada truly wants to preserve and revitalize Indigenous languages, it must act now to ensure people have a fundamental tool for doing so before it’s too late.

Crystal Gail Fraser is a Gwichyà Gwich’in woman originally from Inuvik, Northwest Territories, and the great-granddaughter of Julienne Teh’dahcha.

Mark Buell is the Internet Society’s regional bureau director for North America.

Read more about: