Jean Johnson, president of the Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne (FCFA) du Canada, made the following statement today following the Introduction in the House of Commons of the Indigenous Languages bill:

“The bill introduced today is part of a dialogue that was initiated and must continue between the federal government and Canada’s Indigenous peoples. In this respect, we at the FCFA do not believe that it is our place to comment on the details of the bill.

We want, however, to send a message of solidarity and reiterate our full support for the protection, preservation and revitalization of our country’s Indigenous languages. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission clearly underscored the urgency of acting in this regard, and we fully support this principle.”