EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
Each public forum included an open house, a presentation, and a public meeting where the public gathered information and voiced their views and opinions and asked questions of the panellists.
At the appropriate time, I will table some of the materials that were available during these meetings and our own website to help inform the public about uranium in Nunavut.
Mr. Speaker, we could not travel to all communities, although we would have liked to, I might add, so we extended an invitation to each mayor to nominate an individual to represent their community at their regional forum with expenses paid. To further ensure participation throughout the territory, we launched a website at www.uranium.gov.nu.ca.
In addition, we informed all Nunavummiut through a mail-out that feedback was also possible by telephone, email, and letter, as well as fax.
The uranium forum concluded on May 15. Input is now being consolidated into a report that will be completed some time this summer or early fall. It will then be presented to the public.
Mr. Speaker, the next step will be for the officials to develop, in consultation with Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, a draft position for cabinet’s consideration this fall.
I would like to thank all of the communities that hosted these forums and the many individuals from across the territory who took the time to provide their input.
Mr. Speaker, I will provide a further update on this important issue in the fall. (interpretation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Minister’s Statement 061 – 3(3): Piqqusilirivvik Student Selections (Arreak)
Hon. James Arreak: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I rise today to inform my colleagues and Nunavummiut of the upcoming application process for participants interested in applying to the Piqqusilirivvik Cultural Learning Facility.
Based on elders’ recommendations, Piqqusilirivvik was created to provide an inclusive live-in community that is central to the learning of Inuit values and skills.
The 26 available student spaces per year at Piqqusilirivvik will be open to any man or woman over the age of 18 years.
There is no upper age limit of participants. Anyone interested is encouraged to apply. The selection process will ensure a fair representation of communities, various ages, and life experiences of its participants each year.
Accepted applicants will require strong references from their home community, references from elders and others. Upon construction of the facility’s website, information and application forms may be found here. The website domain will be www.piqqusilirivvik.ca.
While attending Piqqusilirivvik, participants will be housed in single bedroom dorm rooms, each with a private bathroom and shower.
Each room is outfitted with a bed, desk, and small closet and will have telephone and Internet access.
Participants will eat in the facility’s cafeteria-style dining hall in an effort to create an inclusive school community based on Inuuqatigiittiarniq.
Piqqusilirivvik’s students will be expected to participate in a positive and enthusiastic manner in all activities suggested.
It is anticipated that most applicants will not have experienced this type of learning environment before or have spent this much time away from family and therefore, orientation, guidance, and counselling will be provided for all students.
Uqaqtii, it is expected that Piqqusilirivvik will have full attendance in its inaugural year and a waiting list will be maintained if there are more interested applicants than selection spots available.
Minister of Justice, Minister Peterson.
Minister’s Statement 062 – 3(3): Family Support Orders Enforcement Act (Peterson)
I am pleased to inform my colleagues that later this afternoon, I will table a draft of the Family Support Orders Enforcement Act.
The Family Support Orders Enforcement Act has been drafted to modernize and replace the current Maintenance Orders Enforcement Act.
A new Act will bring our family support orders enforcement regime in line with other jurisdictions in Canada.
Mr. Speaker, the Family Support Orders Enforcement Act seeks to create a more effective system of collecting payments to limit defaults and ensure that families and children receive financial support.
Mr. Speaker, general consultations for the draft Family Support Orders Enforcement Act started in 2009.
I am tabling a draft to provide an additional opportunity for stakeholders, agencies, and the public to further review the draft.
I encourage the public and all interested stakeholders to contact the Department of Justice to offer their suggestions in advance of the fall session.
The proposed bill, background information, and contact information for staff is available on the Department of Justice’s website.
Minister’s Statement 063 – 3(3): Nunavut Arctic College Convocations (Shewchuk)
It is a fine day today.
There’s some good news to be smiling about: the Boston Bruins.
As spring turns to summer, Nunavut Arctic College students have joined their families and friends to celebrate their graduation.
Over the past month, Arctic College celebrated convocations at Cambridge Bay, Rankin Inlet, Iqaluit, and many community graduations throughout Nunavut.
Over 340 Nunavutmiut earned certificates, diplomas, and degrees.
This included the first 12 graduates from the new trades training centre in Rankin Inlet.
Hon. Daniel Shewchuk: The programs ranged from adult basic education to trades degrees to degrees in education and nursing.
I commend and congratulate the success of each and every graduate.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to make special mention of three graduates. Cambridge Bay Elder Annie Neglak started college in adult basic education and this year earned a Social Services Worker Diploma at the Kitikmeot Campus.
Annie is a passionate promoter of literacy. She sees literacy as the way forward for all people in their respective life journeys. As an elder, she is a role model to all Inuit.
Elizabeth Avingaq earned a Management Studies Certificate at the Kivalliq Campus. Elizabeth also won the MacKay Landau Award for the highest academic standing in management accounting and the Ilagiiktut Limited Award for the highest academic standing in the Management Studies Program.
Morty Allooloo earned her Bachelor of Education Degree at the Nunatta Campus. Morty also won three NTEP awards: the Arnaitok Ipeelie Award for the highest proficiency in Inuktitut; the Rebecca Idlout Memorial Award for the highest academic average; and the Leadership Award for the Bachelor of Education graduate who displays leadership skills.
Through hard work, dedication to their studies, and for some, the sacrifice in travelling far away from their family and friends, our students have achieved their goals and make us very proud.
I strongly encourage all Nunavutmiut to visit their local Arctic College campuses and community learning centres to apply for the many diverse programs and courses that their college has to offer.
Mr. Speaker, please join me in extending our congratulations to this year’s graduating students and wishing them the very best of success in their chosen careers.
Before we move on to Members’ Statements, I must say to Minister Kusugak that I don’t think it was necessary for you to apologize for that nice tie you’re wearing.
Member’s Statement 087 – 3(3): Lorne Kusugak dons a Boston Bruins Tie (Shewchuk)
First of all, I would like to say “hello” to all Arviarmiut on this last day of our sitting and I hope that everybody is having a fine spring and summer over there.
Mr. Speaker, it’s a timely Member’s Statement to make.
As members are well aware, this time of year is for playoff hockey.
Mr. Speaker, my long-supported team, the Boston Bruins, is doing quite fine in the Stanley Cup playoff finals against the Vancouver Canucks. However, to get there, they did have to beat the Montreal Canadiens in the first round of their playoff series.
As we do every year this time of year, my esteemed colleague, Minister Lorne Kusugak, an avid Montreal support, and I have an annual wager.
Today, Mr. Speaker, I recognize Mr. Kusugak in honouring our wager by wearing again the beautiful Boston Bruins tie.
I do hope, Mr. Speaker, that Mr. Kusugak will have ample opportunity today to be live on TV and to be seen by all Nunavutmiut across the territory wearing this prestigious tie.
Member’s Statement 088 – 3(3): Reflections on Family (Rumbolt)
I rise today to talk about the importance of family.
Mr. Speaker, when I was first elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly, a good friend of mine told me that there would be many sacrifices to be made.
Mr. Speaker, I can honestly say that this comment is true. As MLAs, we spend a lot of time away from the communities and because of this we miss out on many special events with our family members and friends.
This is the price we have to pay.
Mr. Speaker, in the past three years, I have missed a number of special occasions, but I was especially disappointed about not being able to celebrate my son’s birthdays with him.
Mr. Speaker, although I have missed many occasions, I would like to say that I am proud to be a Member of the Legislative Assembly and we will continue working for the benefit of all Nunavummiut.
Mr. Speaker, today I’m missing yet another special family occasion, so I would like to wish my wife a very long distance happy 17th wedding anniversary.
Speaker: Thank you, Mr. Rumbolt, and congratulations on your anniversary.
Member’s Statement 089 – 3(3): Resilience of Former Residential School Students (Tapardjuk)
Before I proceed with my Member’s Statement, I want to comment on an announcement regarding the Nunavut Arctic College Kivalliq Campus. Elizabeth Avingaq is originally from Igloolik and I am very proud of her accomplishment.
Mr. Speaker, it is approaching the fourth year to this month when the Prime Minister apologized to all former residential school students.
During his apology, I was inundated with deep emotional feelings and I recognized that it took quite a few years before the Canadian government acknowledged that the residential schools attempted to assimilate aboriginal peoples’ cultures.
This applied to all aboriginal people who would become ordinary Canadian citizens with no additional aboriginal rights.
This was an unfortunate period in our country since our people were taken advantage of and abused. Irrespective of that result, the fact that he apologized and asked for forgiveness had a big impact on me personally, Mr. Speaker.
Many Inuit, like me, throughout Nunavut attended residential school for a number of years and we suffered pain from these experiences as we were constantly belittled in the schools.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the Akulliq MLA because for six years at residential school, being of an older generation, he took care of me as I was too young to look after myself. I am sincerely grateful to him and thank him at every opportunity.
The experiences we suffered caused many of us pain and we are still hurting as we retain these experiences. I know for a fact that words cannot heal this pain and the problems we face cannot be solved with grandiose wording.
Due to these reasons, I completely accepted the apology.
Mr. Tapardjuk (interpretation): Thank you, my colleagues.
After the Prime Minister apologized, many of us felt we had started anew and I accepted the experiences I had during our school years. Furthermore, I have also accepted the fact that my experiences have resulted in the way I have led my life.
During the residential school era, we were totally at the mercy of the teachers and every aspect was tightly controlled. We had nowhere to go when they were trying to assimilate aboriginal people by dismantling their culture and language. From my perspective, it was as if they wanted to destroy our decision-making ability and extinguish our future as aboriginal people.
Mr. Speaker, if you will allow it, I would like to reiterate my statements on June 3, where I expressed my gratitude to the TRC members and their staff.
I was informed that on Saturday, the TRC will be holding a gathering in Igloolik to recognize past students who went through the school system but who are no longer alive. We must not forget them and keep their memories alive. The best way to retain their memories is to walk the path towards healing.
Albeit the road towards healing is long, but we have to initiate the healing as this will lead to recognition of the work towards healing.
Recognition and acknowledgement, based on my understanding, is the start to the road to recovery.
We have to move forward and it can be very difficult at times, but we must undertake this work.
Most people are aware that Inuit are very stoical as we don’t give up very easily.
We can deliberate on approaches and work towards a goal after careful consideration. This clearly highlights how Inuit are very persistent in their efforts. When Inuit finally started determining their own future, they did so by undertaking the negotiation process that resulted in the creation of Nunavut.
Although this is a public government, Inuit have become willing participants in paving their future here in Nunavut.
The cultural aspects that we lost in those days are finally being repatriated. Some of us can now participate in the governance as MLAs and we can point to the direction we want our government to move towards.
Within our homelands, we want to make decisions towards our future based on Inuit culture.
When one speaks about the best cultural practices, it seems some of these practices are already written as Inuit are assuming more responsibility to incorporate their culture, such as Piqqusilirivvik, the recognition of the Inuktitut language in Nunavut, as well as the new Education Act and the Inuit Language Protection Act.
Another example was the review of the Child and Family Services Act.
If we look at initiatives such as that, Mr. Speaker, Inuit are taking on responsibilities for the betterment of their future using their culture.
The experiences we went through in those days of assimilation cannot be reversed, but what we can say is this: the experiences we went through are in the past.
Attempts were made to extinguish our culture and every attempt was made to belittle Inuit, especially cultural practices that were frowned upon.
In retrospect, looking at and talking about these experiences is a start towards healing and the only way to move forward is acknowledging the hurt we suffered.
Mr. Speaker, I want my constituents to know that I will continue to support them here at the Legislative Assembly and in any way possible to amend things by way of legislation, policies, and so forth.
The things we lost are being repatriated. I think and believe that Inuit have been given rights and responsibilities within the Nunavut government so that we can start fresh in our lives in order to move forward.
The factor that is important to move forward is to ensure that it means something to families, to our communities, and to Canadians as a whole because Inuit have been here since time immemorial.
However, the experiences Inuit have undergone which cause them problems were unavoidable. Our destiny is to live as Inuit in our beautiful land of Nunavut and hopefully we will continue to live here in our future.
I also want to move forward so that Inuit can regain self-sufficiency and self-determination in order to provide a better future for their descendants.
Member’s Statement 090 – 3(3): Addressing Violence in Nunavut (Ugyuk)
I rise today to strongly urge the government to reconsider its priorities, to take a good hard look at where it directs its resources, and to more adequately address the issue of violence in our families and communities.
Mr. Speaker, sometimes it seems that we do not value highly enough the right of every human being to be safe from violence and harm.
We spend hours and hours speaking of the ideals of Inuit societal values, while every day across Nunavut women and children are suffering at the hands of others and we spend very little time talking about that.
It seems that when we don’t know what to do for the victims of violence and abuse, we turn away and ignore them.
Instead of increasing levels of support and assistance, we carry right on as if nothing has changed.
Why are there not more men’s groups following the good examples that are out there to help men look for solutions instead of hurting our mothers, aunts, sisters, and nieces?
Mr. Speaker, in looking through the government’s most recent business plan, it saddens me to see where our priorities lie. Let me give you one example.
For 2011-12, $3,846,000 has been allocated to address family violence, the same amount as in the previous year.
Meanwhile, $4,200,000 has been allocated for wildlife research, an increase of almost half a million dollars from last year.
Mr. Speaker, how do we make decisions on where to allocate our limited budget?
How many women and children have to suffer, and even, sadly, to die before we realize that we need to put more effort and resources into addressing the critical problem of violence in Nunavut?
Mr. Speaker, individual members of our society need to buckle up and take on some responsibility for their actions, for their decisions, and for what they consider to be important.
I urge the government to consider this when bringing forward its next budget.
Member’s Statement 091 – 3(3): Reflections on Fatherhood (Ningeongan)
I rise today to share some reflections on fatherhood.
Mr. Speaker, although I am proud to be the Member of the Legislative Assembly for Nanulik, I am first and foremost proud to be the father of my children.
Mr. Speaker, as Members of this House, as mentioned by my colleague Mr. Rumbolt earlier, we are required to spend extended periods of time away from our families in order to fulfill our duties in this House. These absences are not easy on our families and I want to pay tribute to the patience of my better half in this regard.
Mr. Speaker, one of my sons, Johnny Jr., is fast approaching manhood. I am proud to say that he is following in his father’s footsteps and shows every sign of becoming a proficient hunter and provider.
In other words, he’s caught a lot more geese than I have this spring.
Mr. Speaker, as Members of the Legislative Assembly, we face complex and challenging issues every day. Although we are committed to preserving and protecting many of our traditional values and practices, we are also committed to equipping our children with the skills and tools that they need to succeed in the 21st century.
As parents and leaders, we need to find the right balance of responsibilities between families and government.
This is a theme that I look forward to returning to at our next sitting.
Member’s Statement 092 – 3(3): A Boston Bruins Tie during Cold/Flu Season (Kusugak)
I, too, would like to express my gratitude today for the support we had this winter from our families in facing challenges as it seems to be that time. To all of our fellow residents of Nunavut, I want to express my gratitude for their enormous support.
Sometimes we cannot be there with our family members in Rankin Inlet because we have to attend the sessions, so I send my regrets to my relatives.
My Aikuluk will be buried today and I regret that I cannot attend her funeral today.
Later on this summer, I will be going to Rankin Inlet and Whale Cove. I wanted to state this for their information.
(interpretation ends) On a brighter side, Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate my colleague’s team for beating up on my Montreal Canadiens over the playoffs and thus, I have to wear this ridiculous looking tie.
Nonetheless, I would ask my colleagues to please refrain from asking me questions today, thus the less airtime for this tie. It may be convenient, though.
With the spring flu and everything running a little loose, it might have another purpose.
Congratulations again.
I look forward to repaying you the debt next spring.
Let’s have a good day, and go Canucks, go!
Member’s Statement 093 – 3(3): The Recent Loss of Cecile Kamingoak, Mona Tigitkok, and Martha Kolaohok (Taptuna)
I would have liked to have ended the last day of this sitting here with a happier note, but for the most part, we do have to face reality whether we want to or not and whether we like it or not.
Mr. Speaker, in Kugluktuk, we have lost three elderly ladies in the past week, who are great, great-grandmothers, great-grandmothers, grandmothers, and mothers. In a short period of time, we have lost a lot of knowledge in our culture, traditions, and language.
Our deepest sympathies and condolences go out to the families of Mona Tigitkok, Martha Kolaohok, and Cecile Kamingoak.
Cecile Kamingoak is a special person in my son’s life, Ian Taptuna. Ian Taptuna is the grandson of Cecile Kamingoak, so I wish the family well.
Hopefully at the next sitting, we will end with a happier note.
I’m sure all of the thoughts and prayers of everyone here go out to those families.
Member’s Statement 094 – 3(3): Spring Family Activities (Curley)
I stand to state my gratitude and greetings to my fellow residents in Rankin Inlet.
I rise today to make my last Member’s Statement until later on this fall as that is quite a long period of recess for the members.
Nevertheless, I hope all members and staff have a great spring and summer.
The reason I stand today is because I know the Kivalliq residents are getting their spring camps ready, ferrying equipment and supplies so that they can make dried meat. Some Inuit bury caribou meat close to the permafrost to keep it cool and others cache meat for winter.
This is wonderful Inuit spring rite that shows our cultural values and I want to state that it allows families to bond and to pass down traditions and knowledge.
Even if some youth don’t participate, especially if they are in school, I urge you to bring your children for at least part of the trip. Here is the meaning: families that practice the traditional spring activities tend to be closer and they are more appreciative of their culture throughout their lives. They are happier, even when facing difficult times.
This is a good cultural value, so let us retain this practice.
It is an excellent life skill training exercise.
I wish all Kivalliq residents good luck as they are preparing their camps.
Sally and I reminisce about this time of year, envious and stating that Kivallirmiut are making mikku.
After spring, they will be going to their summer camps to make dried fish that will augment their winter food supplies and enjoy the summer weather.
For that reason, all of us families ought to do things together in the great outdoors while the weather is enjoyable.
It is beneficial to celebrate together in one’s life.
Thank you for the opportunity to speak as we are quite envious of Kivalliq residents.
Member’s Statement 095 – 3(3): Congratulations to New Economic Development Officer in Baker Lake (Aupaluktuq)
I also send my greetings to the people of Baker Lake.
Before I begin, I would like to send my condolences to the families in Kugluktuk.
I had the pleasure of going to Kugluktuk on two occasions; very beautiful country, very beautiful people, and very hospitable.
I also want to briefly, if I may, Mr. Speaker, thank my mother, my brother Joe, my partner, Laurie, as well as other family members and all of Baker Lake for their continued support. It’s a good relief to know that there is support there and it’s always helpful to keep us focused and also to remember where our foundations come from.
With that, Mr. Speaker, if I may briefly, I rise today to address the issue of more support in economic development in Baker Lake. We have a young man who is a beneficiary and an economic development officer in Baker Lake. In his community, we are very proud of him.
We would also like to congratulate Mr. Nathan Annanowt in his position as economic development officer.
I would like to advise him that our office is always open.
We’re accessible for his role, as well as all economic development needs, as are other needs.
With that, I just want to address the fact that I wanted to advise the appropriate minister and his department that I will be in communication by means of written correspondence as well as discussions.