NDP MP Romeo Saganash says speaking Indigenous languages in Parliament is a ‘right’
"NDP MP Romeo Saganash addressed the House Procedure and Affairs Committee in his native Cree language on Tuesday to call for the right to speak Indigenous languages in Parliament and have the words properly translated in French and English, calling it a “constitutional and human right.”
Opening in Cree and then answering questions in English, Mr. Saganash (Abitibi-Baie-James-Nunavik-Eeyou, Que.) told the committee that before he arrived to Ottawa as an NDP MP in 2011, there was never a Cree word for “Member of Parliament.”
The first Cree from northern Quebec to be elected federally, Mr. Saganash said he spoke with local elders about creating a a new word, and reached one that translates into “he or she who speaks on your behalf,” and pronounced “yum-shta-ma-jeh-suu” (there is no current written word for it).
Speaking to
The Hill Times after the meeting, Mr. Saganash said he hoped that he will be able to speak in Cree in the House and have it interpreted in real-time quite soon because “he won’t be back”—he’s not running for a seat in 2019."
More of the Lunacy:
hilltimes.com/2018/03/20/ndp-mp-romeo-saganash-tells-house-committee-native-cree-speaking-language-parliament-right/138202
"Asked by Liberal MP and committee member Filomena Tassi (Hamilton West-Ancaster-Dundas, Ont.) what a moment of being able to speak Cree in the House and have it interpreted into English and French would feel like, Mr. Saganash said “it won’t only be for me, it will be for all Indigenous.”
“It will be for all Canadians as a matter of fact. All of us. It’s going to be a victory for all of us.”
Sorry Mr Saganash but speaking Cree in the HoC is not a right. Canada has two official languages and Cree is not one of them. The only victory, if this foolishness is allowed, will be for all the bureaucrats hired to translate both in the House and for all documents of any proceedings where the language is used. The last thing we need is more bureaucrats especially in aid of a language that a
very tiny percentage of Canadians speak or will ever speak. In addition to that, there are many other tribes that do not speak Cree having a language of their own so this will in no way be a victory for them either.