EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
This collaboration is giving students an opportunity to learn relevant laboratory skills from university professors and researchers, which will hopefully create a knowledge base in Nunavut to allow the creation of Nunavut’s first accredited lab.
Mr. Speaker, this will allow compliance monitoring to be done within the territory, reducing shipping delays that presently limit the ability for sample analyses within regulated hold times.
This will also strengthen local capacity and provide Nunavut students opportunities for education and employment in technical sciences.
Science and water issues are becoming increasingly more important in Nunavut and worldwide. Conducting youth workshops, developing new laboratory space and equipment, and training future technologists on water analysis will help Nunavut better prepare for the environmental challenges ahead.
Minister’s Statement 179 – 3(3): International Day of the Girl (Ell)
In December of 2011, the United Nations General Assembly officially adopted International Day of the Girl.
This year, October 11, 2012 officially marked the first ever International Day of the Girl.
(interpretation ends) The Government of Canada has led the international community in establishing this day in order to champion girls’ rights around the world.
This year, Canada celebrated girls as significant agents of change and focused on ways to empower them to reach their full potential.
Mr. Speaker, I stand before you today as the Minister responsible for the Status of Women to celebrate the inauguration of the International Day of the Girl and to urge all Nunavummiut to continue to promote equal opportunity for all girls and young women in our territory.
Minister responsible for Culture and Heritage, Minister Arreak.
Minister’s Statement 180 – 3(3): Approval of Official Geographic Names – Cambridge Bay Area (Arreak)
A very good afternoon to the people of Nunavut, Qikiqtarjuaq, and Clyde River.
Mr. Speaker, the Department of Culture and Heritage recognizes the strong relationship between Inuit and the land, and the importance of traditional place names to the language, culture, and history of Nunavut.
Through the department’s Nunavut Toponymy Program, names are submitted to the Government of Nunavut for consideration as official names.
It is my pleasure to announce the approval of 299 new official Inuinnaqtun place names in the Cambridge Bay area.
The names were submitted by the Kitikmeot Heritage Society, which has been active in place name initiatives for many years and has received support through Culture and Heritage grants and contributions program.
Two hundred and thirty-four of the approved names are new official names and 65 are official name changes.
Mr. Speaker, because of the importance of traditional names for geographic features to Inuit culture and heritage, the Department of Culture and Heritage will continue its efforts to support, through official recognition, the preservation and use of these names.
Minister’s Statement 181 – 3(3): Patient Relations (Peterson)
I am pleased to inform members that the Department of Health and Social Services is revising our current patient/client complaints process.
We have heard from Members of this Assembly and acknowledge that the patient relations process must better reflect the needs of Nunavummiut.
Mr. Speaker, we are looking at ways to remap the current process and implement a standard procedure based on best practices.
We want to create an environment where Nunavummiut can be guided through a complaint process, share ideas on services they received, understand when a concern warrants an official complaint, or simply how a patient can officially express gratitude for health care they received.
A standardized process serves as a key component in identifying gaps in the experience of care and managing patient expectations. Tracking the quality of our client experience also assists us in identifying opportunities for improvement.
Mr. Speaker, we know patient relations are all-encompassing, and we see this role as more than a territorial coordinator dealing with only complaints.
Health and Social Services is committed to providing members with more information as we move along. Our target completion date is December, with a comprehensive communication campaign rollout early in the new year.
Member’s Statement 286 – 3(3): 2012 Franklin Expedition (Curley)
Good afternoon to all Nunavutmiut, especially the people of Rankin Inlet, while they are watching the proceedings.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my strong opposition to the federal government’s project to undertake a new search for the remains of the Franklin Expedition vessels that were lost about 150 years ago.
Mr. Speaker, in August of this year, this past summer, the Prime Minister announced that Parks Canada would be leading a new search for the remains of HMS Erebus and HMS Terror.
The Prime Minister’s announcement indicated that the expedition would cost approximately $275,000. Mr. Speaker, although I have a passion for arctic history, I believe that this expedition is simply wrong for the people of Nunavut.
Mr. Speaker, at a time when the federal government is cutting funds for numerous organizations and programs that benefit Canadians, I can think of 275,000 better uses for this funding and not look for lost ships.
Franklin was a foreigner. We should just keep him buried at that. Mr. Speaker, the events of 1845-46 are a part of our national history.
However, I believe that we should demonstrate respect and allow the remains of the expedition, wherever they may be, to rest in peace and lie undisturbed.
Member’s Statement 287 – 3(3): Congratulations to Igloolik High School Graduates (Tapardjuk)
I also would like to send greetings to my constituents in Igloolik and Hall Beach. I say “good afternoon” to them.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate my colleagues who work very hard to make sure that education is very important and that the students graduate.
There were 19 students who graduated in Igloolik.
I would like to congratulate the students, who will be role models to other students.
The students are:
Linda Sheena Airut,
Rita Alaralak,
Roland Alorut,
Sippora Amarualik,
Amber Angutautok,
Chantal Arnatsiaq,
Mike-James Attagutalukutuk,
Trevor Evaluarjuk,
Maata Irqittuq,
Candie Issigaitok,
Tye Haulli Awa,
Dennis Kangok,
Louisa Kipsigak,
James Kripanik,
Jakob Kublu,
Samantha Mikki,
Jeffery Qanatsiak, and
Isiah Patterk.
These students graduated and they celebrated their graduation last week. I’m sure that they will benefit the workforce. I urge them to stay in school and continue their education, even though they graduated.
I, too, wish them the best of luck in their future endeavours, whatever it may be.
Member’s Statement 288 – 3(3): Food Security (Elliott)
I rise today to address the issue of food security.
Mr. Speaker, as you will recall, it was a year ago this week that officials from the federal Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development and the Nutrition North Canada Advisory Board appeared in this Chamber on the occasion of the historic public meeting held by the Full Caucus to discuss the Nutrition North Canada Program.
Mr. Speaker, over the past year, awareness of the importance of food security has increased significantly, and I pay tribute to the many ordinary Nunavummiut who have made their concerns and views known on this issue.
Mr. Speaker, as you are aware, the Nutrition North Canada Program’s revised food list came into effect on the first day of this month.
Over the coming months, it will be critical that all stakeholders work closely together to evaluate the impact of the revised list on our constituents.
It is also essential that efforts are made to examine the extent to which retailers were able to successfully use the transitional period that was in effect between April 2011 and October 2012 to make improvements to their annual sealift ordering practices so that adequate supplies of non-subsidized products, such as essential non-food items, are available in our communities.
Mr. Speaker, earlier this year, I tabled copies of the correspondence that I exchanged with the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development concerning last October’s appearance before this Assembly.
I will continue to push for the greatest possible transparency with respect to the administration of this program and I again call on the federal government to publicly release the Nutrition North Canada Advisory Board’s annual reports so that we in the north can be assured that the board’s important work is being listened to in Ottawa.
Mr. Speaker, the federal government has recently released some important dollar figures for the first full fiscal year of activities under the Nutrition North Canada Program.
These figures indicate that the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development provided a total of $54,155,221 to subsidize the transportation of food during the 2011-12 fiscal year.
Mr. Speaker, every dollar that is invested to make nutritious, perishable food more affordable for our constituents is a dollar well spent.
Mr. Speaker, at this time, I would like to request unanimous consent to complete my Member’s Statement today.
I guess that’s why I find it saddening to note that the most recent set of federal public accounts reveals that the same federal department spends approximately $112 million per year on general departmental legal services.
In other words, for every dollar that the department spends to subsidize the transportation of food to the north, it spends two dollars on lawyers’ fees and related costs.  I hope that we will see the next federal budget invest more resources into programs and initiatives that benefit ordinary northerners.
Mr. Speaker, I will continue to be a strong advocate for food security. Earlier this year, I worked closely with other northern legislators to jointly lobby the federal government for improvements to the program.
I was very pleased to see that our Minister of Health and Social Services joined with his provincial and territorial counterparts last month to work together on this issue.
Mr. Speaker, as I noted during our recent spring sitting, the issues of food security, poverty reduction, economic development, and education are closely linked. I look forward to continuing to push these issues.
Member’s Statement 289 – 3(3): Changing Approaches to Learning (Ningeongan)
I rise today to once again urge the government to take a good hard look at how our education system is preparing our youth for the future.
Mr. Speaker, as you know, I have expressed grave concerns that our grade 12 graduates are not always graduating with the academic skills that they need to continue following their dreams. I have expressed the doubt that Nunavut’s grade 12 graduates have the same qualifications as grade 12 graduates in other jurisdictions.
Mr. Speaker, as I have focused more on this issue, I have realized that over the years, there has been a fundamental shift in the approach to teaching and learning.
The root of the problem may not be in what our graduates end up with but in what our students are given to start with.
Mr. Speaker, at one time, schooling was said to focus on the three Rs: the R in reading, the R in writing, and the R in arithmetic. The approach was somewhat rigid.
Students learned the rules of spelling and grammar, applied the system of phonics to sound out new words, studied times tables by memory and rote, and repeatedly practised mathematical operations to solve equations.
Yes, it was a rigid way of learning, but by the end of their schooling, most students who completed their K-12 could read, write, and do basic math.
These basic skills created a foundation from which they could tackle many options in further education, training, or employment.
Mr. Speaker, approaches to learning have undergone an enormous shift in recent years.
The curriculum, the means of assessing and evaluating the progress of our students, and even the objectives that we expect them to achieve have all been reformed to such an extent that it seems that we have lost sight of the need for basic skill sets.
Mr. Speaker, some of Nunavut’s current grade 12 graduates struggle with basic spelling and writing tasks. Some of our graduates lack the basic skills in math and how to apply those principles to real-life situations.
I do appreciate that the new approaches to learning attempt to allow young minds to work towards outcomes without being confined within rigid frameworks.
However, somehow it seems we have lost the balance between reaching for the goals ahead while ensuring that we have a solid foundation beneath our feet.
Mr. Speaker, Nunavut’s education system is once again in the middle of a reform. We finally have the opportunity to develop our own system using northern knowledge and examples.
We are finally moving out from under the wing of the Alberta system in creating our own Nunavut curriculum.
Mr. Speaker, I urge the government to take this opportunity to truly evaluate what our young students need to survive and flourish in the future and to approach learning in a way that gives our youth a good balance of basic skills, as well as the thinking and analytical skills they will need to thrive in the northern environment.
Member’s Statement 290 – 3(3): Kivalliq Inuit Games in Whale Cove (Kusugak)
I say “good day” to the residents of Rankin Inlet and Whale Cove. Ipkornerk, I believe, is closely following the proceedings and I would like to say “good day.”
I just came from Whale Cove last week where there were Inuit games being played.
There were quite a few participants and it was quite a celebratory event.
A lot of people enjoyed the events and all of the participants were billeted in the homes. I believe we can learn something from that. Even though a community may be small and have limited accommodations, it seems a lot of people open up their homes so you can visit them for larger meetings.
I am very proud of the people who participated. There were people who unfortunately who couldn’t arrive from Coral Harbour and Repulse Bay.
Even though that was the case, many elders and youth were competing. In the spirit of Inuit games, if their competitor kept missing, then they would encourage their competitor.
While we were there, we also recognized, based on the Diamond Jubilee recognition of people who have assisted Canada, Sam Arualak, an elder from Whale Cove, who has been on various boards in trying to provide assistance for his fellow citizens of Whale Cove, who also provides advice to youth in his community, and who fights for the preservation of the Inuit culture and their dialect in Whale Cove.
He’s a very important elder for the community. He was recognized during this event. So I would like to share our pride and let us be proud of Sam Arualak of Whale Cove.
Member’s Statement 291 – 3(3): Arviat Nanisiniq Project (Shewchuk)
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge an incredible young man from my home community of Arviat.
Curtis Konek is a young Inuk researcher working on the Nanisiniq Arviat History Project, a joint undertaking of the Sivulimiut Elders Society of Arviat and the School of Social Work, University of British Columbia. Frank Tester of UBC is the principal investigator on this project funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
Curtis has worked alongside Jordan Konek and Amy Owingayak in this very important project.
As a young researcher, Curtis brought to this project a desire to rediscover Inuit history and culture, recognizing the importance of both to his identity as an Inuk, and to a sense of pride, purpose, and belonging. Curtis is also a member of the Arctic Rangers.
Like many Inuit youth, Curtis has had to deal with and overcome problems and circumstances that can largely be explained by history involving, in many cases, catastrophic social and personal change.
Inuit, in the last 10- to 15-year period, from 1955 to 1970, made the transition from land-based hunting camps to settlement living and everything that accompanied it.
The disruption in family relations, the impact on sense of purpose, social roles, norms, and cultural practices is hard to imagine.
The effects have been transmitted from one generation to another and are relevant to understanding phenomenally higher rates of young Inuit suicides as a tragic reality for the current generation of Inuit youth and problems with substance abuse, domestic violence, and effects of poverty, of living in a world that promises much but which provides limited means for getting there.
By participating in the Nanisiniq project, he has had a chance not only to rediscover Inuit culture as a source of personal strength and pride, but to relate this knowledge to dealing with the contemporary issues of central importance to Inuit well-being.
Mr. Speaker, at this time, I would like to ask for unanimous consent to continue my statement, please.
Please proceed, Mr. Shewchuk.
Hon. Daniel Shewchuk: Curtis has listened to and filmed his elders.
He has recorded their stories of going, sometimes in a matter of weeks, from tents and igloos on the land to working above and underground in the Rankin Inlet nickel mine that operated on the west coast of Hudson Bay from 1957 to 1962.
He has filmed his elder, Peter Irniq, talking about the merits of traditional caribou skin clothing.
He has listened intently to elders talking about climate change and, along with other youth in the Nanisiniq team, taken their message to South Africa and the United Nations at the COP17 conference on climate change.
But more importantly, Curtis has developed himself. From a young man unsure of himself, his identity and ideas, having difficulty speaking to even a small group of his peers, Curtis has developed personal strengths and abilities that have enabled him to become an advocate for being Inuk, being proud of his culture, the history and struggles of his elders, and recognizing the strength and wisdom of a hunting culture that has much to offer the modern world as it grapples with problems that threaten human survival on the planet.
In Durban South Africa, Curtis shared his insights at press conferences attended by reporters and others from all over the world. He spoke with confidence, pride, and, with the knowledge gained through his participation in the Nanisiniq project, shared the experience with disabled residents of Lesotho and rallied with them in drawing attention to the ravages of HIV and AIDS in South Africa. Curtis’ commitment is to helping other Inuit youth take pride in who they are, their history, culture, and what they have to offer to the world.
Cutis’ journey has been one of discovery in the interest of developing himself and his service to others.
Mr. Speaker, I again rise and am very pleased to honour, to recognize and congratulate a grade 12 student of John Arnalukjuaq School, a Nanisiniq Arviat History Project member, and a Canadian Ranger, Master Corporal Curtis Konek on being named a national role model this year for global dignity in Canada.
Curtis, you have made your family, your teachers, your community, and especially our great territory of Nunavut all very proud of you.
Item 3. Members’ Statements. Member for Baker Lake, Mr. Aupaluktuq.
Member’s Statement 292 – 3(3): In Support of Language Rights (Aupaluktuq)
I say “good day” to the people of Baker Lake and Nunavut. On behalf of the people of Baker Lake, I want to extend sharing in celebration of a wedding today in our family of Sasha Aupaluktuq-Hickes and Larren Nakoolak.
Our thoughts are with you and I regret I am unable to attend.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address an issue which has been raised in my community of Baker Lake but which is an important one across Nunavut: the need to better support language rights at the community level.
Mr. Speaker, as we all know, the outstanding work of interpreters and translators across Nunavut ensures that Nunavummiut can hear and receive information in their own language. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our own interpreters in this House who make it possible for the words of the legislature to be shared in Inuktitut and English.
(interpretation ends) Mr. Speaker, in order for language rights to continue to be supported and protected in this way, it is critical that our government provide learning opportunities and training for individuals to enter the field of interpreting and translating.
I am confident that we have all heard the excuse, at one time or another, that an important document or report is not yet available because it has not yet been translated.
We need to build our capacity in this area.
Mr. Speaker, every community has a community learning centre where courses are delivered to improve the educational status and employment opportunities of community residents.
Wherever possible, efforts should be made so that residents do not have to travel and live outside of their community for education and training.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to call upon the Minister responsible for Nunavut Arctic College to give some consideration to providing Inuit language interpreting courses at Nunavut Arctic College’s Community Learning Centre in Baker Lake.
Mr. Speaker, at this time, I seek unanimous consent from the House to continue my Member’s Statement.
Speaker: Thank you, Mr. Aupaluktuq. The member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there are any nays?
There being none. Please proceed, Mr. Aupaluktuq.
I thank my colleagues as well.
Mr. Speaker, our language legislation mandates that Nunavummiut’s language rights be respected at all levels of the public service.
It is up to our government to provide the means and supports which will enable us to meet those requirements now and for the generations of Nunavummiut who will come after us.
Member’s Statement 293 – 3(3): Firearm Safety in Nunavut Communities (Ningark)
I rise today to speak about the important issue of firearm safety in our communities.
Mr. Speaker, as a lifelong hunter, I am very aware of the importance of the safe storage and handling of firearms across the territory.
Last month, the Government of Nunavut announced that it will be working with the RCMP, or the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, to conduct a door-to-door firearms safety awareness campaign across Nunavut.
Mr. Speaker, I was pleased to note that local conservation officers will be partnering with the RCMP to visit homes.
However, Mr. Speaker, I encourage the government to work closely with local hunters and trappers organizations on this campaign.
Mr. Speaker, it has been reported that the Maliiganik Tukisiiniakvik legal aid clinic had been providing information to the public concerning this campaign.
Members of the public should be aware that the purpose of this campaign is to provide information to the public, not to allow for random searches of private homes.
I would like to underline that.
Mr. Speaker, I believe that it is important that households in Nunavut have a good understanding of their legal rights and that all stakeholders work together to ensure that this important firearms safety campaign is a success.
Member’s Statement 294 – 3(3): Happy Birthday to Peter Iqalugjuaq (Arreak)
I wish to commemorate birthdays of people in my constituency, starting with our community. I wish all of you to have a wonderful birthday, starting with Peter Iqalukjuak, his wife, Annie, as well as their son, Raymond.
Mr. Peter Iqalukjuak is quite active in our community, offering video shows as well as audio feeds via the Internet. He uses this medium to inform his fellow citizens and to welcome visiting dignitaries attending meetings in Clyde River.
He provides an essential service to our community.
Additionally, his wife, Annie, serves on the women’s auxiliary board and has served on women’s group boards in Nunavut.
Their son is also celebrating a birthday today, so I also send a very happy birthday wish to him and to emulate his parents, who serve their fellow community members.
Member’s Statement 295 – 3(3): Government Contracts (Ugyuk)
I wish a good day to the residents of the Kitikmeot and people from Nattilik.
I am also thankful that most of the MLAs are attending this session and I am grateful for the fact that my fellow Kitikmeot MLAs are also at this session.