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Non-Inuttitut-speaking Inuit feel deprived of rights

"I think Makivik lost its soul when it passed this resolution," says president of Montreal Inuit Association

JANE GEORGE

Critics of Makivik Corporation’s new bylaw, which requires election candidates to be fluent in Inuttitut, say it creates two classes of Inuit: those who speak Inuttitut and those who don’t, and that those who don’t are being deprived of their rights.

"I think Makivik lost its soul when it passed this resolution," said Vic Mesher.

Mesher, who works for Makivik’s finance department in Montreal, is also the president and founder of the Montreal Inuit Association.

Mesher doesn’t speak Inuttitut, but defends his "inuk-ness" against this new bylaw, saying his lack of fluency in Inuttitut hasn’t stopped him from working on behalf of Inuit who live in Montreal.

Mesher questions Makivik’s right to decide on the qualifications of its Inuk leaders. He’s afraid the resolution is just the first step in stripping away his status as a full-fledged beneficiary of the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement.

As a corporation, Makivik can theoretically define the qualifications of its directors and executives.

But because Makivik enters "nation-to-nation" agreements with Quebec, Mesher said it shouldn’t be able to strip away his civic rights as a Canadian by denying him the right to run for elected office.

"The history of mankind is wrought with this kind of nonsense," Mesher said.

Mesher wanted to share his thoughts with delegates at the AGM, but he said he never had a chance to speak on the resolution before it went to a vote.

"You came and took away my rights. Don’t cut my tongue out for eternity," Mesher said.

Mesher said the people his organization represents, as well as other non-Inuttitut speakers, never got a chance to learn why Makivik wanted to make the move.

"Why weren’t the people affected consulted? If you’re going to steal our rights, at least tell us. And to this day no one from Makivik Corporation has gone to the population that’s affected by this and told them why it’s been done. Why? Why? What’s wrong with us?"

Mesher said the new regulation also goes against the spirit of the James Bay and Northern Quebec agreement, whose original beneficiaries — including his mother — agreed to collectively pool their money for the good of the entire population.

"No one was questioned about their language of choice, or did a language test before we put money into the pot," Mesher said.

Mesher said he is deeply hurt that the bylaw removing his right to run for elected positions was passed in his mother’s home community, Tasiujaq. He suggested that those affected by the bylaw should have been offered some time, and a chance to learn Inuttitut.

Mesher said he would like to see Makivik and the Kativik School Board collaborate on developing language courses for beneficiaries who don’t speak Inuttitut.

He said the $10,000 of federal money that the Montreal Inuit Association and Chisasibi Inuit have received for language course development is just a drop in the bucket.

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