Inuktitut standardization still hot topic in Nunavut

A major topic of discussion at this week's Nunavut Language Summit is whether to standardize the Inuktitut language, which is spoken and written in a number ofways across the predominantly Inuit territory.

Standardizing Inuktitut has long been a hotly debated subject in Nunavut, where the Inuit language isspoken in several local and regional dialects.

There are also two writing systems: syllabics are used in eastern Nunavut, while Inuit in western Nunavut write Inuktitut words using Roman orthography.

But Inuit leaders at the language summit, which began Tuesday and runs through Friday in Iqaluit, say a standard form of Inuktitut is essential to the language's survival.

"I think there is no other answer than to develop a standard writing system, and on top of that a standard dialect," Jose Kusugak, president of the Kivalliq Inuit Association in Rankin Inlet, told CBC News during the summit.

Deeply rooted opposition

Kusugak said he has been talking about standardizing Inuktitut since the 1970s, but resistanceis deeply rooted.

"There is, in syllabics, two different ways of writing 'Jesus,' for example. There is a Roman Catholic way and an Anglican way," he said.

"If we pick either one as a standard, the other church assumes it's blasphemous."

Supporters of Inuktitut standardization point to Greenland, where Inuit speak a standardized form of Kalaallisut as their official language.

"There are 56,000 people in Greenland and over 90 per cent of the total population is Kalaallisut speaking," said Katti Frederiksen, who works with the Greenland Language Secretariat in the capital city of Nuuk.

"It's something that we don't really question."

Nunavut's language commissioner, Alexina Kublu, said a newly created Inuit language authority has been charged with developing standard Inuktitut terminology. However, the authority is not responsible for standardizing the whole language.

"The term that they decide is going to be used throughout Nunavut, but the aim is not to standardize the Inuit language; it's to make sure that there is standardized terms," Kublu said.

The authority's work is ongoing, and Kublu said there will likely never be a shortage of work because there will always be a need for new words.