May 31, 2026
The establishment of the Office of the Commissioner of Indigenous Languages was a significant step for First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples, and an important milestone on the path to reconciliation in Canada. We are committed to delivering our mandate with full transparency, accountability and integrity.
When the first Commissioner and Directors took office in July 2021, the need for this work was urgent, and itremains so today. Indigenous languages in Canada speak to our nation’s early beginnings, and continue to face significant vulnerability following generations of colonial policies, displacement, residential schools andsystemic efforts that disrupted the speaking and sharing of our languages from one generation to the next. The Government of Canada has recognized the urgent need for action to prevent the loss of approximately 70 living Indigenous languages in Canada.
The creation of this Office was not only an institutional achievement. It was a recognition that Indigenous languages are central to identity, culture, spirituality, self-determination and the continued vitality andknowledge-sharing among Indigenous Peoples and communities. When I was appointed as Commissioner, Icommitted to serving only one term which will come to an end in July and I am extremely proud of the work undertaken to establish this Office and advance its mandate.
Building a new national institution is complex under any circumstances. Doing so during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic brought additional challenges, including limitations on travel, community engagement, hiring and organizational development. Despite these challenges, we succeeded in laying the foundation for an Office capable of carrying forward this significant work for years to come.
Held in Ottawa last August, the first Global Indigenous Languages Summit brought together Indigenouslanguage champions and supporters from across Canada and around the world to promote, celebrate and share best practices to revitalize Indigenous languages.
This Summit reflected the scale and importance of the work entrusted to the Office of the Commissioner of Indigenous Languages by creating an international forum for language leaders, communities and partners to shareknowledge and research, strengthen relationships and advance the objectives of the International Decade of Indigenous Languages proclaimed by the United Nations.
I acknowledge that the Office’s evolution has not been without challenges. Like many newly established organizations with complex mandates and high expectations, we have had to build internal structures, policies andpractices while simultaneously delivering on our responsibilities.
Where challenges or issues have arisen, we addressed them in good faith by enforcing our Code of Conduct and Business Ethics; and conducting objective, external reviews and acting on these recommendations to strengthen theorganization’s governance, processes and overall institutional capacity. Annual audits by independent, external auditors are also performed – the OCIL maintains fiscal discipline by managing its operations within a balanced budget framework.
To demonstrate our ongoing commitment to accountability and current/best practices in HR and governance, and with the goal of providing our successors with the strongest organization possible, the OCIL will retain independent governance and human resources advisors to review the robustness, clarity and application of our internal policies,guidelines and practices. This review will examine how the Office can continue to strengthen its governance, contracting principles and procurement practices, workplace processes, conflict resolution mechanisms and human resources practices, with a particular focus on ensuring a safe, inclusive, respectful and effective workplace for all those who support the Office’s mandate.
The mandate of this review will build on previous recommendations, conflict resolution processes and relevant internal practices to ensure issues have been addressed fairly, transparently and in accordance with the Office’s guiding principles.
The review will also be asked to provide practical recommendations to support continuousimprovement as the incoming Commissioner and Directors assume responsibility for the Office’s next phase.
Our objective is straightforward: to ensure that the Office can continue to grow based on high standards forperformance and serve Indigenous Peoples and communities effectively.
The protection, revitalization and advancement of Indigenous languages in Canada is of utmost importance. These languages carry histories, knowledge, laws, relationships, identities and ways of seeing the world thatmust be preserved and strengthened for future generations.