Canadian Heritage Orders Financial Audit of Indigenous Languages Office

Canadian Heritage ordered a financial audit into transactions and activities at the Office of the Commissioner of Indigenous Languages after receiving anonymous complaints. The department contracted an independent third-party firm to conduct a special examination under the Indigenous Languages Act.

The review can examine whether the office's books, records, systems and practices comply with standards in the legislation.

Canadian Heritage provided no timeline for completion of the special examination. The Office of the Commissioner of Indigenous Languages is an arm's-length office set up five years ago. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission recommended the office in its 2015 final report.

The Indigenous Languages Act was passed in 2019. The office was established in 2021. It is mandated to support efforts of Indigenous Peoples to reclaim, revitalize, maintain and strengthen their languages, promote public awareness, and support research, innovation and new technologies.

The office spent $10 million hosting a four-day conference in Ottawa last year. About $10 million was spent over two years to organize and hold WAVES 2025, a Global Indigenous Languages Summit, last August. More than 2,000 people from about 20 countries attended the summit.

9 million including registration, flights and accommodation for 500 guests. A memorandum from senior officials in the office dated April 25, 2024 stated the cost of the conference is estimated at close to 100 per cent of the commission's annual operating budget.

In audio recordings from October 2024 a senior official expressed concern that the rising cost of the conference could affect the organization's ability to pay salaries and rent.

Patricia Ningewance, an associate professor of Indigenous studies at the University of Manitoba and a well-respected Ojibwe speaker, said the commissioner's office paid all her expenses for the conference although she is not sure of the total. She said she did not receive follow-up information on what was accomplished at the conference. " Ningewance said.

The commissioner's office received three formal complaints of bullying which were investigated last year. Personnel changes were made after the bullying complaints investigation and there have been no new complaints since. The commissioner's office is hiring an adviser to review its governance and human resources practices with a focus on ensuring a safe, inclusive, respectful and effective workplace.

Ronald Ignace, Robert Watt, Georgina Liberty and Joan Greyeyes were not available for interviews. 6-million multi-year funding agreement when it opened in 2021. 3 million.

3 million to support research, operations and studies on Indigenous languages. The five-year term for the commissioner and directors is set to end July 11. In 2021 roughly 240,000 Indigenous people reported to Statistics Canada that they could speak conversationally in an Indigenous language.

The 2021 figure represents a drop of about four per cent from 2016.