Nunavut now has its own sign law.

As of July 9, all private businesses and government offices across Nunavut must offer services and communication in either Inuktitut or Inuinnaqtun, unless they operate across the territory, in which case they must offer services in both languages.

The law includes public signs, posters, advertising, invoices, and estimates, as well as customer and reception services.

The Nunavut Independent Television Network (NITV) is launching a new channel — Uvagut TV — starting first thing on Monday, at 12:01 a.m.

The new channel's Inuktitut title translates to "Our TV" in English — a term used to encompass all Inuit languages, including Inuktitut, which is spoken in western and central Nunavut.

Canada is home to several other Inuit regions besides Nunavut, including the Inuvialuit region of the Northwest Territories, Nunavik in northern Quebec, and Nunatsiavut in Labrador.

Uvagut TV is calling itself the first language-focused Indigenous television channel in the country. Content will be primarily in Inuit languages, with English subtitles, says the network's executive director, Lucy Tulugarjuk.

"For me, Uvagut TV is a dream come true — to see Inuit culture and to hear our language full time on TV," Tulugarjuk said in the news release.

"As our elders pass away, we are fighting against time to keep Inuit culture and language alive for our children and grandchildren. TV in Inuktut all day every day is a powerful way to keep a living language for future generations."

Tulugarjuk said the network will also have programming in Inuinnaqtun, an Inuktut dialect spoken in western Nunavut, and Inuvialuktun, which is spoken by Inuit in the Northwest Territories.

Both of those languages are considered dying languages, and the organizations from those regions that create cultural programming for television, like the Inuvialuit Communications Society, often create content in English as well.

Haluuqtuq La #Weeklytongue es Inuinnaqtun una lengua indígena Inuit canadiense y un dialecto del Inuvialuktun. Tiene una relación muy cercana con el Inuktitut, y algunos estudiosos creen que al Inuinnaqtun sería mejor clasificarlo como un dialecto del mismo. Los gobiernos de los Territorios Noroestes y Nunavut reconocen al Inuinnaqtun como lengua oficial sumado al Inuktitut. El Acta Oficial de Idiomas de Nunavut, aprovada por el Senado canadiense el 11 de junio de 2009, reconoció al Inuinnaqtun como uno de los idiomas oficiales de Nunavut.

El Inuinnaqtun es usado principalmente en las comunidades de Cambridge Bay y Kugluktuk en la región occidental de Kitikmeot en Nunavut. Fuera de Nunavut, es hablado en la aldea de Ulukhaktok, donde también se lo conoce como Kangiryuarmiutun. Se escribe utilizando el alfabeto latino.

ALGUNAS FRASES ÚTILES EN INUINNAQTUN

Hola - Haluuqtuq

Adiós - Ublaakun

Buenos días - Ublaami

¿Cómo estás? - Qanuritpin

Estoy bien - Naammaktunga

Te amo - Piqpagiyagin

No sé - Nauna

Sí - Ii

No - Imannaq

Necesito ayuda (ayúdame) - Ikayullannga

Te veré mañana - Aqaguttauq

Mi nombre es… -  Atira …

Gracias - Quana

Haluuqtuq The #Weeklytongue is Inuinnaqtun an indigenous Inuit language of Canada and a dialect of Inuvialuktun. It is related very closely to Inuktitut, and some scholars believe that Inuinnaqtun is more appropriately classified as a dialect of Inuktitut. The governments of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut recognize Inuinnaqtun as an official language in addition to Inuktitut. The Official Languages Act of Nunavut, passed by the Senate of Canada on June 11, 2009, recognized Inuinnaqtun as one of the official languages of Nunavut.

Inuinnaqtun is used primarily in the communities of Cambridge Bay and Kugluktuk in the western Kitikmeot Region of Nunavut. Outside of Nunavut, it is spoken in the hamlet of Ulukhaktok, where it is also known as Kangiryuarmiutun. It is written using the Latin script.

SOME USEFUL PHRASES IN INUINNAQTUN

Hello - Haluuqtuq

Goodbye - Ublaakun

Good morning - Ublaami

How are you? - Qanuritpin

I am fine - Naammaktunga

I love you - Piqpagiyagin

I don't know - Nauna

Yes - Ii

No - Imannaq

I need help (help me) - Ikayullannga

I will see you tomorrow - Aqaguttauq

My name is... -  Atira ...

Thanks - Quana