Kivalliq dialect facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kivalliq |
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| Caribou Kivallirmiutut |
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| Native to | Canada |
| Region | coastal Kivalliq Region, Nunavut |
| Native speakers | (unknown) |
| Language family |
Eskimo–Aleut
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Inuit dialects. Kivalliq is the lighter green to the west of Hudson Bay.
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Kivalliq, also called Kivallirmiutut, is a special way of speaking Inuktitut. It is a dialect of Eastern Canadian Inuktitut. You can hear it spoken along the western shores of Hudson Bay in Nunavut, Canada. Sometimes it's also called "Caribou Eskimo" or was known as "Keewatin" in the past.
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Where Kivalliq Is Spoken
The Kivalliq dialect is mostly spoken in five communities in Canada. These places are Chesterfield Inlet, Baker Lake, Rankin Inlet, Whale Cove, and Arviat. In Baker Lake and Arviat, Kivalliq is the only Inuktitut dialect spoken. Most people who speak Kivalliq live in Arviat, a community in Eastern Nunavut. About 90% of the people there speak Kivalliq as their first language.
Kivalliq's Language Family
Kivalliq is part of a smaller group of dialects called Keewatin. This group belongs to the larger family of Eastern Canadian Inuktitut dialects.
Different Ways to Speak Kivalliq
Kivalliq has its own smaller dialects, which are like different accents or versions. These include Qairnirmiut, Hauniqtuurmiut, Paallirmiut, and Ahiarmiut.
How Kivalliq Is Written
Kivalliq uses a special writing system called Inuktitut Syllabics. This is the most common way to write Inuktitut across Nunavut and Nunavik. There isn't one single writing system for all Inuktitut dialects. This is because missionaries arrived in different parts of Nunavut at different times in the 1800s. Many people believe that Edmund Peck, a missionary, first brought Inuktitut Syllabics to the Inuit people during his travels.
Is Kivalliq in Danger?
The UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger says that the Kivalliq dialect is "vulnerable." This means it needs protection to make sure it continues to be spoken by future generations.
Protecting the Kivalliq Language
The Government of Nunavut is working hard to protect Kivalliq. They have laws like the Consolidation of Official Languages Act and the Indigenous Languages Act. Under the Consolidation of Official Languages Act, Inuktitut became an official language in Nunavut.
In 2019, a big program started called the Revitalizing and Strengthening Inuktitut in Nunavut Program. This was a team effort between the Government of Canada, the Government of Nunavut, and Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated. One main goal of this program is to improve language education in Nunavut. This means people can now get language certifications, diplomas, and even university degrees in the Inuktitut language.
