Colonial Language, Fragile Language: The Dual Status of French on Indigenous Territories in Quebec

This conference examines the ambivalent position of French in Quebec, as both a minority language in North America and a colonial language on Indigenous territories. It brings into dialogue sociolinguistic studies of the French language in Quebec and analyses of coloniality, two fields that are generally examined separately. Drawing on a demo linguistic portrait of Indigenous peoples across Quebec, the presentation explores the hypothesis that competition between French and English as languages of colonization has influenced the vitality of Indigenous languages.

Guest speakers

Éléna Choquette is a Professor of Political Theory in the Department of Social Sciences at the Université du Québec en Outaouais. Her research focuses on power dynamics in settler-colonial societies such as Quebec. Her recent book, Land and the Liberal Project (2026, Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences Canada Prize winner), examines the processes through which the Canadian state appropriated Indigenous lands. Her work has also been published in Publius, Settler Colonial Studies, the Journal of Political Ideologies, and the Revue canadienne de science politique.

Pauline Sarrazin is pursuing a PhD in Applied Social Sciences at the Université du Québec en Outaouais (UQO). Her dissertation focuses on women's migration decision-making processes. She also works as a research assistant on projects related to the regionalization of immigration, the French-language integration of immigrants, and, more broadly, linguistic dynamics in Quebec.