By Canadian Press

Indigenous groups going to court over Quebec’s French-language reforms

Apr 20, 2023 | 10:12 AM

QUEBEC — Two Indigenous groups are going to court over the reforms passed last year to Quebec’s French-language law.

The Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador and the First Nations Education Council are seeking judicial review before the Quebec Superior Court regarding 14 articles in the Charter of the French Language, which was amended by Bill 96 last June.

They say the legislation infringes on their rights to self-determination and to teach children their ancestral languages.

The groups accuse the government of failing to consult them before adopting the law, which reinforces the use of French across several institutions, including the education and justice systems.

Chief Ghislain Picard of the Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador says the Quebec government is using insidious methods of assimilation that date from another century.

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Sipi Flamand, chief of the Atikamekw Council of Manawan, says the law is a direct attack on the languages and cultural identities of the First Nations and Inuit.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 20, 2023.

The Canadian Press