EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
What are your current requirements with respect to reporting on funds?
That is what I would like to understand, Mr. Chairman.
Minister Arreak.
I also wish to thank my previous Annuraaqatik for his question. I also enjoy his appreciation for the idea of an annual report to include pictures of our successes.
We expect that this annual report will be a successful endeavour and instead of tedious reports only, it can show projects and the successful ideas that produced results. Pictures can provide a better medium for those who prefer to see pictures.
We are checking to see if this can become a successful initiative to highlight successful projects.
With respect to the member’s question on the grants and contribution program and reporting requirements; we require a report for all contribution agreements funded by our department. We also request financial reports at six months and also at year-end.
The reporting requirement is for funding provided via contributions and for groups that receive grants, we do not request any detailed reports on the use of the funds.
Mr. Tapardjuk, I believe that you have lost the title, Annuraaqatik, but you may proceed.
Mr. Tapardjuk (interpretation): Indeed, I am sorry to hear I have lost the endearment term.
I will try to recoup that term, especially after we have completed this session and I want to let you know that.
In the 2009-2010 fiscal year, your department spent close to $7 million on grants and contributions.
Was it given to the appropriate groups that require assistance?
Was it spent on largely on superficial things?
I would like to know how you determine the success of this funding to these groups.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you Mr. Tapardjuk.
Yes, the government funding for grants and contributions is to fund groups and we need to account for these public funds.
I can state that yes, the $7 million was used productively throughout the territory.
As the members know, we receive funding requests from all over. This year, there were 715 applicants and we provided funding to 486 applicants through the contribution funding program.
Yes, these funds have been used quite properly.
Within your budget estimates, it speaks to computer related actions in the plan. It states that your departmental website will include a schedule or calendar of events available via computer.
With respect to this website information with the calendar of events, will this provide a service to people who wish to learn about the upcoming events, Mr. Chairman?
I am uncertain as to exactly what the member is referring to. We can try to provide more details once the member clarifies the item.
Can the member clarify his question as to which website he is referring to?
Mr. Tapardjuk, if you can rephrase your question.
Your business plan notes that your updated departmental website will include a calendar of public events and deadlines, that is, the Department of CLEY’s website.
It states that your department will be updating the website throughout the year and it will include details specific to each month and events, meetings and the like would be listed on this website.
I imagine that this website already exists.
Does the website provide any assistance to the public? I wanted to know if this website has provided results.
I hope that this clarifies my question, Mr. Chairman.
I thank you for the clarification, my colleague, as it is now understandable.
This project has been completed and the new website is in place right now.
Indeed, people are now starting to utilize the website, and people can search for information on future events. The website also includes information on programs and services, as well as a calendar of events that is updated frequently.
The website is running and it is currently up to date. If you were to visit the website, it is a very nice website and you will be able to notice that it is up to date.
We are on page F-4. (interpretation ends) Culture, Language, Elders and Youth. Branch Summary. Directorate.
Total Operations and Maintenance. $3,038,000. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Chairman (interpretation): Go to page F-5. (interpretation ends) Branch Summary. Culture, Language, Elders and Youth.
Official Languages. Total Operations and Maintenance. $4,234,000.
In your business plan, it seems that the funding will be decreased by $110,000, especially after the Official Languages Act was enacted.
I would like to raise this question. In your business plan, with respect to official languages, it states that the language services are funded through an agreement between Nunavut and Canada for French language services and to assist the Inuit language services.
The amount that we receive from the federal government to provide language services seems to be decreasing.
I want to know if the funds have indeed decreased for 2011-12 fiscal year.
Can you explain how this decrease is justified, especially as we require more funding to provide language services and in light of our future negotiations? Will the federal government be providing more funding assistance for these language services that the Department of CLEY has to offer in both French and Inuktitut?
It’s not decreasing; it seems to have decreased because it was utilized last year when they held a conference of experts to talk about official languages.
They ended up using $110,000 for that meeting which was a one time meeting, so it’s not going to occur again.
That is why there was a decrease.
Mr. Tapardjuk (interpretation): Yes, my other question is the Official Languages Act has been enacted and is being implemented.
What is the position of the federal government that provides funding for official language services?
Do you believe they will increase the funding for the official languages services, especially in relation to Inuktitut language services?
We know that it’s going to be expensive to implement the Official Languages Act, especially incorporating Inuktitut into government operations.
This will require a lot of funds to properly implement this legislation. How can the federal government assist our government to fund these language services?
In my Minister’s Statement, I spoke to our approach on this matter. As I stated, I will be providing an interim report soon and a full report hopefully in the fall session on this issue.
I believe that the federal government will be able to provide more assistance in this area. Once we start negotiating with the government to implement the Official Language Act language services, we will be discussing the funding.
At this time, I believe it is only set at $2.55 million.
This fund is provided by the federal government for both French and Inuktitut language services.
This fund is shared by these two language services and to fund certain positions related to providing these services.
Yes, we will renegotiate with the federal government to try and make the funding more appropriate to our larger responsibilities.
Mr. Tapardjuk (interpretation): Thank you for the clarification.
We expect to see that funding increased in the future.
Perhaps we can envision ways to strengthen the Inuit language, especially when we talk about using Inuktitut in the government bureaucracy.
Further, your plan states that you will be looking at establishing committees in the communities. For example, let’s use Igloolik for this scenario.
You state that committees will be established to deal with languages in every community.
What is the status of this initiative, Mr. Chairman?
We are still planning on establishing these language committees, and we have gone to one community in Mr. Rumbolt’s riding.
It is still in the planning stages. The language committees will be established under the municipality system.
Alternatively, if the hamlet is unable to establish one immediately, we would want to work with them on the preparations to establish these language committees.
Obviously, it looks like the initiative is ongoing and as it progresses; I know that the communities will be kept apprised.
In my constituency, in particular in the community of Hall Beach, they are clamouring for a languages committee, especially since they had a prior committee that reported on these issues in the community.
We will await the progression of this initiative.
You also mentioned in your plan with respect to official languages, there will be classes offered for employees.
What type of language proficiency tools does the department use in cases where GN employees wish to learn to speak Inuktitut and they enrol in language classes?
How do you determine their fluency?
I believe it was during this winter when I noted a CBC News reference to non-Inuit GN employees taking these Inuit language classes.
That is very commendable and good to hear on the news.
I was quite proud of the individuals who want to learn Inuktitut, as only a small portion of the Qallunaat who move here ever bother trying to learn the language.
How can you determine the language proficiency of these employees?
Yes, the person is now adept at the language and has become eligible for the bilingual bonus since they can speak Inuktitut.
How do you determine their level of fluency? As an example, when taking courses, generally a test to determine the grade in the particular subject is done. However, we don’t have the assessment tools to state that this Qallunaaq has reached a specific Inuit grade level.
I hope that my question is understandable.
With respect to the member’s earlier reference to the wishes of Hall Beach to establish a language committee, our department was able to present our plans to the mayors during the mayors’ summit. We informed them of these committees, at least the mayors and representatives who were able to arrive for the meeting.
Furthermore, with regard to GN employees who wish to learn Inuktitut, most of the classes are by the GN employees who live in that community and operated locally.
However, we don’t have a grading system to determine proficiency in Inuktitut, but work is progressing on that front. We hope to eventually have assessment tools to determine proficiency and their level of fluency in Inuktitut.
It’s still under development at this time.
I know that my colleagues have questions to this department, so I would like to ask this last question, Mr. Chairman.
As you referred to in your opening comments with respect to interpreters and translators are that, especially here in the Legislative Assembly, these positions are critical, especially when members don’t speak the same languages.
We sometimes don’t understand each other, but we all have the right to speak in one of the official languages here in the Legislative Assembly. When we speak in our official languages, it’s quite an honour and I’m very proud to be able to speak in my language.
Nonetheless, Mr. Chairman, our most experienced interpreters and translators are aging and many of them are reaching middle age and beyond, including the members here. Furthermore, it is obvious that during the life of this legislature, we will have to replace interpreters and translators many times.
At this time, I believe that we don’t have any interpreters being trained or a program in place. Some of the interpreters and translators are quite skilled and experienced in this field.
Will this be reviewed?
I would like to see this considered as soon as possible.  Has the department considered plans for replacing our current interpreters/ translators here in the Legislative Assembly?
If you use the office of the Speaker, perhaps you can collaborate with Nunavut Arctic College to provide a program towards these future replacements. Can you work on such a program?
For a second there, I was not too appreciative of my Annuraaqatik for implying that we are all getting old.
Yes, with respect to this idea, we would have to work with Nunavut Arctic College to develop a specific program. We would want to work closely with the college on the terminology as well as the curriculum, specific to the Legislative Assembly.
We will always require this service in my opinion.
Mr. Tapardjuk, are you finished?
I have no more names on my list. We’re on F-5. (interpretation ends) Branch Summary.
Culture, Language, Elders and Youth. Official Languages. Total Operations and Maintenance. $4,234,000. (interpretation) Do you agree?
We will go to page F-6. (interpretation ends) Culture, Language, Elders and Youth. Branch Summary. Taiguusiliuqtiit.
Total Operations and Maintenance. $2,048,000. Mr. Tapardjuk.
As I alluded to in my general comments, the language authority is scheduled to become an independent body by 2011.
How could I ask this question? How will you accomplish this separation?
Will they become totally independent or will the umbilical cord still be attached to the government placenta?
I hope I am being understandable, Mr. Chairman.
Yes, the date for separation is September 18, 2011.
Even when they become an independent body, the Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth will still provide financial support to the Inuit Language Authority, so it’s not an entire separation in that regard.
Additionally, if they need office space, the Department of EIA would provide them with office space.
Even though the language authority becomes an independent entity, they will not entirely be at arm’s length from the government.
Yes, with this plan to make it an independent agency and with no direct connection to the government department, it would mean the public would be less fearful and perhaps that is the reason.
The Inuit Language Authority, Mr. Chairman, as we have heard through the CBC media, has made some people are unhappy and others seem satisfied, especially when we talk about the standardization of the Inuit language.
Which dialect will we, as a government, expect to use to start implementing the standardized terms?
What exactly are they standardizing? If the minister can elaborate further so that the listening public can understand.
Is it true that the Inuktitut language will be standardized in all of Nunavut?
Firstly, to try to respond to the member’s question, when the language authority becomes their own entity, we will still cooperate with them until they are able to operate on their own.
At that time, we will not abandon the agency until they are capable of operating on their own, perhaps in a couple of years.
With respect to the language authority issue of standardizing Inuktitut terminology, I believe that the public misunderstood that we will be using one dialect. As an example, Nunavummiut will not be speaking in the Clyde River dialect, but they will be developing terms for words that have been created or that have different meanings and standardize the terms for all of Nunavut.
For example, we wanted to develop some of our identified priorities, especially the medical terminology, including the names for pharmaceutical medicines.
We are not trying to create one standardized language and we are not trying to create one standardized way of the writing system.
We are just trying to strengthen the roman orthography, which is used by the western Arctic and we are looking at strengthening the use of new orthography.
We are not trying to get the public to speak in one dialect, such as the Clyde River dialect.
So we won’t call this paper anymore and call it Aliilajuuq, which is a word in a different dialect.
Is that true? Is that what standardizing terminology means?
We call it Paippaa (paper) in the Baffin region and if we are going to talk about paper, then call it that and in Inuktitut, we could standardize it into Aliilajuuq.
I imagine that these types of details will be debated.
It was mentioned that there is going to be an Inuit Language Authority. I suppose that the authority has its own board, but I didn’t see any mention of that in your report.
With an independent Taiguusiliuqtiit agency, with respect to the issue of a board of directors, will they continue with that corporate structure or will they review other styles of corporate administration?
As an example, the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation stated that the NHC will now have a board of directors.
That is what I would like to understand at this point, as my colleagues will most likely have other questions to ask.
Hon. James Arreak (interpretation): Thank you Mr. Chairman.
Whether it’s Paippaa or Aliilajuuq, Inuit can still understand each other’s dialects, so those types of words are not the issue.
However, any recent terms adopted into our language with no actual translation like the word “respect” or other words that have to be explained in order to be understood. We will have to work on the approved terminology of such words.
An example is a computer, called a Qarasaujaq, which means “functions like a brain,” something like that to choose the adoption of new words.
Yes, Taiguusiliuqtiit has its own committee which we are not planning to dissolve and we foresee the need for this committee in the future.
We’re on F-6. (interpretation ends) Culture, Language, Elders and Youth. Branch Summary. Taiguusiliuqtiit.
Total Operations and Maintenance. $2,040,000. (interpretation) Do you agree?
My colleagues, we will take a 20-minute break and we will let you know when come back.
>>Committee recessed at 15:04 and resumed at 15:36
We can now resume our meeting.
We were done with F-6, so we will now proceed to F-7. (interpretation ends) Branch Summary.
Culture, Language, Elders and Youth. Culture and Heritage. Total Operations and Maintenance. $4,494,000.
With regard to public libraries, I know there are quite a few communities that have standalone public libraries and then some communities have a joint public library within their schools.
I’m wondering if the minister can comment on whether the new school in Sanikiluaq is going to be a public library or if it’s going to be a joint school/public library.
Thank you, Mr. Rumbolt, for your very good question.
At the present time, the local DEA is responsible for the library. It’s up to the local DEA whether it should be a public library or a joint school/public library.
In that case, I would like to direct my next question to the Minister of Education, if I could, please.
Is it the school’s intention or the Department of Education’s intention to have this library as just a school library or will it be a joint public school library?
It’s my understanding, as it is right now, it’s just part of the school, but I also understand that the DEA and the school and some individuals in the community are looking at forming a board and a society to establish it as a public library in the near future.
In regard to it becoming a public library, will the local DEA have to submit some kind of… ? You mentioned that they have to become a society.
Is that going to have to be the DEA’s initiative or will the Department of Education be working with the local DEA and ensure it gets done?
I don’t know the intricate details of what it would take, but I’m sure that if the district education authority had decided that they wanted to move it from just being a school library to a public library, officials within the department would assist them and point them in the right direction to ensure that whatever they need to do to make that happen, that that information would be available to them.
So at the present time, it’s going to be classed as a school library. My next question is: what is your department doing to ensure that it is stocked with adequate and up-to-date books?
It’s my understanding that the staff at the school in Sanikiluaq is in the process of developing a list of necessary resources, including materials for the library, and I believe there is about $20,000 that has been identified within the project budget for those costs.
Will any of the books from the old junior high school be moved over to the new high school?
It’s my understanding that existing resources that are currently located in the one school for the high school students and staff will be transferred to the new school.
I have been in the library in the elementary school many times and all of the books seem to be outdated and getting very old.
Are there any programs in place to have the books replaced in these libraries?
At this point in time, I don’t have that information, but I would be more than happy to follow up with the member and provide him with that information.
I have Mr. Tapardjuk.
In your business plan or at least in past business plans, it described such initiatives as the archaeology field school. There are some archaeologists who do some fieldwork.
We keep hearing about climate change and how global warming is having an impact on the land with the melting permafrost. Now, with respect to historical sites, such as old camp sites or sod huts here in Nunavut, will climate change not impact these sites?
How much of a priority is this potential impact, Mr Chairman?
If this is indeed a concern to the department, what will his department do to meet this challenge?
Will CLEY be offering any archaeological related programs in the coming years to protect old camp sites and old artefacts before more erosion damages these sites?
I would like him to clarify that, please.
We are aware that climate change might have an impact on historical sites.
As my Annuraaqatik noted as a concern about the protection of these areas, we will keep monitoring these historic sites or archaeological related issues.
Artefacts are very important to us and whatever we are required to do to protect the sites, we will continue to try to maintain our protection.
Mr. Tapardjuk (interpretation): In the past, we had students in archaeological fieldwork camps that were assisting the archaeologists during the summer break. There were some students who were trained to do archaeological work while earning credits and this program has stopped.
I’m wondering if this stoppage has resulted in no more funding or if there are other initiatives being undertaken by his department.
The question by the member was with respect to students earning credits by assisting the archaeologists in their fieldwork.
The accreditation program for summer break activities is ongoing.
However, the complexity of determining the program, the planning, and the logistics for determining a site in Nunavut, given its large size, are what causes the time lag that makes it seem slow.
However, it is still running.
With regard to archaeology sites, they say that Mother Nature is interfering with a lot of them, but there are also cases where modern day technology is interfering with them too. I’ll use Sanikiluaq as an example. There are some archaeology sites near the community and there’s also a gravel pit in close proximity.
I’m just wondering if anything is being done to preserve these sites to keep them from being destroyed in the future.
Yes, with respect to any artefacts or old archaeological sites, if you’re aware of any construction projects that may impact these old sites or if people are taking artefacts from these sites, the work is supposed to be immediately stopped so that it can be appraised.
I’ll ask Deputy Minister Simon Awa to supplement my response.
In addition to the minister’s response, if there is to be a quarry or any kind of exploration, the department, as a process, will be involved to see if there are any archaeological sites that might be around that area.
If there would be a quarry which may be close to some of those areas, a permitting process will be taken so that those areas would not be disturbed while the other activities or quarrying is going on.
So there is a process in place for most of the land use activities in Nunavut, including exploration.
The actual sites themselves aren’t being damaged or being tampered with that I can see.
It’s just that there’s a gravel pit in close proximity of the site and that’s the reason I’m asking that question, but then again, the process was explained to me, so that’s fine.
I take that as a statement.
Mr. Ningark (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker… Mr. Chairman.
I thank the minister for being available.
We’re on page F-7. In Kugaaruk, we have a very old church constructed of local stone on the exterior, with the interior including wooden beams and panelling.
It’s not worrisome at this point, but it’s a historical site and due to its age, it is deteriorating.