Dorothy Myo has been appointed the permanent commissioner of Indigenous languages, succeeding interim holder Candice St-Aubin.
A member of the Saulteaux First Nation in Saskatchewan, Myo will hold the post for a five-year term.
Myo, who speaks Saulteaux & Cree, most recently served as deputy chief of self-government and senior director of policy and research with the Métis Nation–Saskatchewan.
Earlier this year The Canadian Press reported that the office—whose mandate is to support the preservation of endangered Indigenous languages—is under audit.
Multiple sources, among them former staff, told the news agency that in its first five years the office made little progress in strengthening languages or advancing research. They described a heavy emphasis on travel and a single large Ottawa conference that cost $10 million, along with claims of a toxic workplace, bullying, unfinished initiatives and employees leaving in frustration.
Canadian Heritage Minister Marc Miller called the allegations serious, adding in June that accountability also requires respecting due process and giving people the benefit of the doubt.
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