Linguistic Rights for Aboriginal Nations

Abstract

As seen in Chapter 4, Quebec is indeed engaged in the fight for ‘world cultural and linguistic diversity’ to which the Larose Commission refers above, one that has most recently taken the form of supporting UNESCO’s Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, with a view to protecting its own (Francophone) cultural heritage in the world order. In reality, the UNESCO Convention is more attuned to the protection of endangered indigenous cultures such those of Quebec’s Aboriginal peoples, and the Larose Commission cited above is right to underline the global importance of protecting Quebec’s indigenous cultural and linguistic heritage. But while this part of the quotation is unambiguous, the assertion that ‘it is essential to continue to recognise that the Amerindian and Inuit nations have helped fashion the Quebec soul and that their members are fully-fledged citizens of Quebec’ is less clear. This is not a simple declaration that Aboriginal people are recognised by the state as ‘fully-fledged citizens’. The value judgement in ‘it is essential’, combined with the fact that recognition has to be reiterated or continually affirmed, points to the Commission’s awareness of the complications involved in including Aboriginal people within the civic model of citizenship that it is promoting. More precisely, the Commission’s position has to be understood in terms of the racism of past neglect and discrimination with regard to Aboriginal people that is the legacy of Quebec and Western settler states in general.

[T]he Commission considers it essential to continue to recognise that the Amerindian and Inuit nations have helped fashion the Quebec soul and that their members are fully-fledged citizens of Quebec. Quebec cannot claim to emphasise its North American character without restructuring its cultural relations with the Aboriginal nations who are the territory’s first occupants. Neither can it fight for world cultural and linguistic diversity and not value the totality of the cultural and linguistic heritage that exists on its territory. (Gouvernement du Québec 2001a: 16)

[L]a commission considère comme essentiel de continuer à reconnaître que les nations amérindiennes et inuite ont contribué â façonner l’âme québécoise et que leurs membres sont citoyens du Québec à part entière. Le Québec ne peut prétendre mettre en valeur son américanité sans refonder ses rapports culturels avec les nations autochtones, premiers occupants du territoire. Il ne peut non plus militer en faveur de la diversité culturelle et linguistique mondiale et ne pas valoriser l’intégralité de l’héritage linguistique et culturel présent sur son territoire.