The NunatuKavut Community Council is responding to a charge from the Nunatsiavut Government accusing the NCC of cultural appropriation.
The NCC is providing online language lessons in Inuktitut. Nunatsiavut language, Culture and Tourism Minister, Roxanne Barbour, said she was appalled by the latest development. She says the NCC maintains that it represents the Inuit of South and Central Labrador and that they different language system than those in Northern Labrador, something she calls “harmful”, offensive and nothing more than culture appropriation.
The NCC meanwhile, it is saddened by Minister Barbour’s comments and that, as a minister responsible for the promotion of Inuktitut., she would disparage their sincere and genuine efforts of language reclamation in other Inuit communities.
In a statement on the NCC website, the NunatuKavut Community Council accuses the Nunatsiavut Government of relying on, unethical, sexes, Eurocentric and racist opinions to make false assertions about their land claim.
The Nunatsiavut Government says while acknowledges that some members of NCC have some Indigenous ancestry and background, they do not recognize NCC’s proposed land claim.
Story courtesy of VOCM.