EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
Again, we are optimistic that maybe next week when the federal budget comes out that there may be some opportunities for Nunavut there.
One of my communities, Grise Fiord, brought out an Energy Plan.
Has the minister supported the request of the plan that the people of Grise Fiord made?
The Hamlet of Grise Fiord recently contacted our office with some exciting news and plans that they have underway for looking at alternative energy in the community of Grise Fiord.
We have corresponded with the Hamlet of Grise Fiord and suggested that if there’s an opportunity to provide logistic support, as well administrative support that we would be doing that.
Again, we have endeavoured to set up a meeting with Grise Fiord and the hamlet representatives in the coming weeks to be able to go over their ideas and the plan that they have to leverage some funds.
Question 065 – 2(4): KDBC Annual Report (Tootoo)
Again, my question is for the Minister responsible for Economic Development and Transportation.
Mr. Speaker, earlier the minister had indicated that his regional department officials were working with KBDC to get the information to legal registries to get in good standing.
He also indicated earlier that his regional staff have received the business plan for this coming fiscal year.
So I would also assume that the department, since 2003, has received annual reports as required under the contribution agreement that show how KBDC spent the money that the government provided. Can the minister confirm that his department had received those since 2003?
Hon. David Simailak: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (interpretation) I will have to ask my staff at Economic Development if they have been receiving annual reports.
I know one thing that the department should have on its own is a copy of the contribution agreement that outlines how the funds are supposed to be sent.
Would the minister commit to tabling the copies of those contribution agreements with all the appendices attached to it since 2003, will he commit to tabling those in the House.
Hon. David Simailak (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will look into the issue.
I don’t know why he is looking at that.
I asked if he would commit to tabling that information, that his department should have copies of those contribution agreements within his own department; they would keep a file on that. I asked if they have them; they must have them.
Will the minister commit to tabling in the House?
I responded to your question.
All I can say at this time is that I will look into the matter and take it from there.
I don’t know why...maybe he’s not sure the department doesn’t have those copies, so maybe that’s why he is going to look into it first, before he can commit to it.
As well, when they’re looking into that, will he also look into tabling the reports that the department has received since 2003, the annual reports on how those funds were spent, as well in the House.
It doesn’t have to be at the same time, those may take a little longer, but would he commit to tabling those as well.
Yes, I will commit to tabling the annual reports that he is asking about.
Question 066 – 2(4): Barge Stuck in Baker Lake (Alagalak)
I would like to direct my question to Mr. Simailak.
The Keewatin is concerned about a barge that is ice-locked outside of our community and we look forward to using it again.
I would like to ask the minister if there is going to be any delay due to that barge being ice-locked.
Speaker: Minister responsible for Economic Development and Transportation, the Honourable David Simailak.
I looked into this matter and the only response I got from that company is that they will use it as soon as it’s free, but they didn’t tell me if there were going to be any delays.
Speaker: Your first supplementary, Mr. Alagalak.
It’s hard to tell if there are going to be any delays, or not, but we are concerned as we have to transport the housing materials from Churchill up to the Keewatin communities.
I think it’s very important to find out if there are going to be any delays due to the situation. Usually the materials that are needed for summer construction are sent up to the communities that get ice-free first, and there might be cases where we will have to air transport some of these materials.
Can you elaborate on this further?
I will talk to the company again and get all the information we need before we make any plans for spring or summer construction.
Usually, the barge comes up around July to Baker Lake.
I will talk to the company again and get further details on whether there is going to be a delay or not.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Minister. (interpretation ends) Your second supplementary, Mr. Alagalak.
After you had your first meeting, did you get any indication whether it is going to create a problem for the construction companies?
There is more and more mining development and exploration going on in the Keewatin area.
It’s very important that we get all the information because there is going to be a lot of transportation requirements prior to construction season.
There are two that are ice-locked in Baker Lake. I don’t know if they are going to stay in the Keewatin area. I will make sure that I pose those questions and get some responses from that company prior to the construction season.
If it is going to be an overload or a huge traffic requirement, then we will have to look at alternative methods of transporting all the material to the communities.
Speaker: Your final supplementary, Mr. Alagalak.
Mr. Alagalak (interpretation): As the Member for Sanikiluaq stated, he only had one minute left but in any case, on this issue, and in regard to the barge, are you going to be able to get this information before the end of this session?
I think the Keewatin communities have to get this information first-hand so we can make plans for the spring and summer. Could the minister commit to getting that information before the end of this session?
I will make sure my staff looks into this issue. I can commit to getting the information prior to the end of this session.
We have two-and-a-half minutes. Mr. Kattuk.
Question 067 – 2(4): Financial Support for the Hunters (Kattuk)
Mr. Kattuk (interpretation): I would like to direct my question to the Premier. We heard about the farmers getting financial aid from the federal government.
We also have people who make money through harvesting animals.
Is it possible for these people to get financial aid also because we heard that you were going to be having a meeting pretty soon with your counterparts?
Is it possible to access some of these monies for Nunavut so that the hunters could get financial aid through the program?
Premier of Nunavut, Mr. Paul Okalik.
I have no idea of what’s going to be happening with that pot of money but we will find out once the federal budget is announced. We will know exactly what’s going to be happening come Monday, March 19.
Mr. Kattuk (interpretation): This will be my last question.
If there’s money available for Nunavut, is it possible to consider the hunters getting financial support through that program?
We are having discussions with the federal government, especially on the issues of the environment.
We will have discussions on the same issue next week.
Speaker: Thank you, Mr. Premier. (interpretation) Question Period is now over. (interpretation ends) Item 7.
Tabled Document 039 – 2(4): CLEY Schedule of Vote 1, Vote 2 and Vote 4 Grants and Contributions 2005-06 Fiscal Year (Tapardjuk)
I would like to table the following document: Grants and Contributions for the 2005-06 Fiscal Year.
Speaker (interpretation): Please bring the documents to the officer’s table. (interpretation ends) Tabling of Documents.
Tabled Document 040 – 2(4): Environmental Rights Act Annual Report for the Period January 1, 2006 to December 31, 2006 (Netser)
Tabled Document 041 – 2(4): Ministerial Meeting Report – Intergovernmental Ministers Responsible for Workers’ Compensation Board of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut January 2007 (Netser)
Tabled Document 042 – 2(4): Communications Protocol between Ministers Responsible for the WCB, Governance Council of the WCB, Workers’ Compensation Board and Members of the Legislative Assemblies (draft) (Netser)
One is the 2006 Environmental Rights Act Annual Report for the period of January 1, 2006 to December 31, 2006.
Mr. Speaker, the minutes between the WCB Ministers for NWT and myself. And also the Communication Protocols for the WCB.
Tabled Document 043 – 2(4): Drop the Pop Posters (Aglukkaq)
I would like to table the ‘Drop the Pop’ Poster that’s part of the current ‘Drop the Pop’ Week, which I referenced in my Minister’s Statement. The posters are available in all four languages.
Bill 05 – An Act to Amend the Local Authorities Elections Act – First Reading
I move, seconded by the Honourable Member for Amittuq, that Bill 5, An Act to Amend the Local Authorities Election Act, be read for the first time.
Speaker: Thank you, Ms. Brown.
Bill 08 – An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act – First Reading
I move, seconded by the Honourable Member for Iqaluit West, that Bill 8, An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act, be read for the first time.
The motion is carried and Bill 8 has had first reading.
Bills 1, 2, and 3 with Mr. Barnabas in the Chair.
Before we proceed to the Committee of the Whole we will take a 20-minute break.
>>House recessed at 15:07 and Committee resumed at 15:34
Chairman (Mr. Barnabas)(interpretation): We will go back to our meeting.
We heard the opening comments from the Minister of CLEY and the Chairman of the Standing Committee finished his opening remarks.
At this time I would like to ask Mr. Tapardjuk if he is ready to bring his officials to the witness table.
Hon. Louis Tapardjuk (interpretation): Yes, I want my officials there.
Sergeant-at-arms, can you escort the officials to the witness table?
Thank you, Sergeant-at-arms for escorting the officials.
Mr. Minister, for the record, can you introduce your officials please?
To my left, David Akeeagok, my Deputy Minister for Culture, and to my right, David Kolot, Finance Comptroller.
Chairman: I would like to remind members of the following: According to Rule 77(1), you have 10 minutes to speak and according to 77(2), subject to the discretion of the chair, a member may speak more than once to a matter under discussion but not until every member wishing to speak has spoken.
I suggest to members that, whenever possible, you ask your detailed questions during the page-by-page review of the departmental estimates.
Thank you for the opening remarks by the chairman of the standing committee.
The Department of Culture is used and people are happy about it and they use that department.
When we first started going to school when the schools first came up in Chesterfield Inlet and other communities, they were told to forget or not to use our language or culture and we have heard that if they spoke in their language then they got slapped on the hand.
We were also told when we first started going to school in the late 1950s to 1960s we were discouraged.
The Inuit culture or the Canadian traditions, some of them were demolished.
For example, at the age of six, once you go to school, especially in the Kitikmeot, they wouldn’t go home for six years.
By the time they got home after six years, they would lose their language.
In other parts of the world, the culture…they wanted to do the same in Canada where we lose our culture so that we would just agree with whatever is going on.
Just recently, around 1940 some communities were moved by the federal government to the High Arctic and Coral Harbour. Not that people wanted to. It was the doing of the federal government.
We’re happy that we can defend ourselves.
Mr. Curley was saying yesterday that the Qangualuk family just disappeared. The federal government, especially the Nunavut Government will have to do a review on dog slaughter. There was a commission on the High Arctic relocation and also on the residential school students.
The government now knows of the mistake they made.
The Qangualuk family that were abducted we have to find out.
We are very happy with the Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth, not just for the Inuit culture in Nunavut, but there should be a report done as to how the Inuit helped.
For example, there is now Captain Henry Lawson, who arrived to Pond Inlet from Vancouver because he was very capable.
Those people who assisted them are still alive: Panipakoocho’s son, Qajaaq’s children told us. I believe they did for two or three years, I can’t remember if it was two or three years.
When Henry Lawson and his crew couldn’t do anything else, even to help them pee because their hands were so cold that they couldn’t pee by themselves.
The Inuit stories of how they helped with the foreigners according to using their culture they helped them survive. There is nothing in there that mentions the Inuit.
When my grandfather was still alive, when they still had sail boats, during a big storm the Qallunaaqs just wanted to go on shore. My grandfather was manning the boat and they wanted to just go on shore but he wanted to set anchor because he had to run forward because they wanted to go on shore and they dragged the anchor and they were able to stop.
Those are the stories that we don’t hear and I am very happy that the older staff of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth in Igloolik and here in Iqaluit will assist the department and I expect while some of the elders are still alive... we have lots of grandchildren.
They have so many grandchildren.
We should start going out camping just with our families and extended families so they’ll start to understand how the Inuit were, and it can be used today, like sharing, and living together.
I will be raising more questions on this later.
We are on general comments on Culture, Language, Elders and Youth. I don’t have anybody else on the list under general comments.
Culture, Language, Elders and Youth. (interpretation ends) Branch Summary.
On page F-5.
Total Operations and Maintenance. $3,350,000.
I thank my colleague, the Member for Tununiq.
I, too, feel strongly about the traditional Inuit societal values.
I think we have to help the government but our way of doing things is not the Inuit way.
For example, if we go in a building, like in Rankin Inlet, if you go to a board room, you won’t hear people talking in Inuktitut.
I feel that is embarrassing. Our elders get intimidated if they go to an environment like that. It shouldn’t have to be that way.
We want to be able to speak in Inuktitut and show our culture, but we are losing our tradition.
Most of it is gone.
For example, if you look at people by age groups, there are more young people.
The men and women who can really do what they used to do a long time ago are outnumbered by the people who are not capable anymore.
There are still some people who are around because they would refer to them as real men, but nowadays they only say they can be a man.
Mr. Chairman, maybe you can tell me, we would be able to call them men only if they could survive alone out on the land.
Once you are able to survive all alone, then you earned the respect of being called a man.
How do they call it now?
I believe it’s the same way with women.
They are not listening to the elders once they become teenagers.
They think they can do whatever they want, and then they start doing their own thing and we can’t really control them. There’s a lot of bullying around in the schools, our teachers even get scared.
I think the Minister of Education can say that there are times the teachers are fearful because they’re not using the Inuit tradition when they...(interpretation ends)...maybe not necessarily smarter…(interpretation)…we were told because they were older to respect them and to listen.
I want this brought back to us.
When we are visiting we have to start helping but it seems like for whatever new thing we want we have to get a committee going in the community.
We have to take part, even if they’re not registered, there should be groups. Will they be able to meet so that our elders won’t be so intimidated?
Nowadays, the teenagers there are a lot of them.
Maybe in about 10 to 20 years, we have to give them something so that they’ll be able to be good leaders at that time.
We have to promote this in our communities and in Nunavut.
I always support our teachers because they work really hard.
We give them a big responsibility.
The women and elders who work in the schools help make improvements, and if we start recognizing them for their participation, and to encourage and help them to be proud.
One thing that I could state is that we should rebase our culture and our language because that’s one of the majority things and the biggest things.
A few days ago I heard from the Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth that individuals don’t want them to speak Inuktitut in their office.
In their meeting that individual started speaking Inuktitut but the superior was not happy with that individual.
Do you want to see this continue, Mr. Chairman?
I don’t think so. We have heard already that in the past in the school when we spoke our own language we were reprimanded.
When we have employees who do not like to see Inuit people speak their own language, how come that individual has stated that? We need to investigate this if it’s true or not.
The government would say, “Give me the name of the individual so I can look into it.”
You, as a minister, have been given the mandate to investigate. So you can look into that and investigate; you have that mandate and the authority but as regular members, we don’t have any funding to do any investigations.
Sometimes we don’t get it and sometimes we’re denied our request.
So Mr. Chairman, I would like the minister to look into this issue.
I don’t believe we need employees like that who oppose Inuit language and culture, and yet we want to incorporate it and use it.
I don’t think it states in the policy that Inuktitut language should not be used in the workforce.
So that’s the first one I wanted to point out.
I did not hear a question. Mr. Minister, if you would like to respond.
We are very sensitive to what we hear and we’re going to work very hard to incorporate Inuit societal values.
Yes, that is a concern, and also Inuit societal values, we are doing an assessment on rearing children, and we do have funding to review that.
Also, as a government, we have goals and objectives in all the government offices that we use the Inuktitut language by the year 2020.
That is part of our target and goal, and that’s what we’re initiating now.
But, when you don’t know of any incident that has occurred, or not, whether one of our employees did not want the employees to speak Inuktitut, I do want to look into that because it contravenes the government policy and the government objectives and goals.
I have asked my deputy minister and the one on my right if they have heard of any complaints about that, and they have not heard of any complaints.
Once we hear that we do want to investigate because this should not be occurring with our employees when we are promoting Inuit language and culture. Individual staff should be in support of Inuit.
So, Mr. Chairman, I agree with what has been stated and what I have heard under general comments.
We’re under Directorate. Page F-5.
Mr. Arvaluk (interpretation): Mr. Chairman, I am a bit confused on pages F-6, F-10, F-12. What is the difference between those pages?
Perhaps on page F-5 I could probably ask the whole question but I would like to be told which page the support for Culture, Language, Elders and Youth is to strengthen Inuit culture and to promote Inuit culture.
So my question is: I don’t know who, or Petaloosie Atakkaalik, for example, from Pond Inlet, who does cultural programs, and elders who have many grandchildren as I alluded to earlier on in regard to the extended family.
When we talk about family in English, they only talk about the single family unit and in Inuktitut you include your extended family that goes all the way to Pond Inlet and to Rankin Inlet.
What I’m talking about is within the community. The extended family within the community would like to go spring camping but the grandparents don’t have any funding so therefore they can’t go out camping.
In the spring time, if they could be assisted with a fuel subsidy and a group subsidy they would appreciate that.
On which line item would I find that if there were less than 100 extended family members?
Where can we find that line item where they can go spring camping?
We’re very proud of the cultural instructors such as Petaloosie Atakaalik. The only time they get compensation or get payment is when they work with non-family members under grants and contributions.
Is there a funding line item for large extended families to be assisted in that form?
Page F-13. There are two line items that could be used. There’s the grants line item of $150,000 and the contributions line item of $100,000.
It’s on page F-13. So that’s what Mr. Arvaluk was alluding to.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Minister. (interpretation ends) Mr. Arvaluk.
Inuit traditional knowledge, it states here under Directorate, (interpretation ends) coordinates the development of Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit initiatives across government and provides administration support to the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit.
(interpretation) With that, I would like to ask the minister, since he’s responsible for this, has this entity been established, or who gives authority to the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit?
Chairman (interpretation): There are two questions, Mr. Minister.
Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit, the Traditional Knowledge Committee was established in 2002 and it provides advice and support to the government in regard to Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit.
This committee, Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit, is to provide support and advice to the government but in the year 2005, this has been the second year that Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit was amended so there are now 15 members in Katimajiit.
There are 15 members and there are three subcommittees and those subcommittees consist of five members.
Their mandate varies - some deal with social issues, some deal with mapping, and some deal with reviewing legislation.
The Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit, although they may be under the Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth, the ministers all know that the department would like to use this Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit. They can request for Katimajiit to review various things or policies.
Like for example, just to explain further, the Department of Human Resources would like to establish a servicing policy when we’re planning in preparation for the policy, we invited Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit, Inuit Traditional Knowledge Committee, to get their advice as to whether the policies that we’re proposing are foreign to Inuit culture, or if they are part of Inuit culture.
Prior to them being selected, we had asked all Nunavummiut to nominate a name, and we selected from all the nominees.
The Minister of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth appoints the members of the Katimajiit, but we’re open.
Having said that, there is another committee called Tuttaarvik; that’s an internal Tuttarvik.
Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit is not for government but outside of government issues. Perhaps if they come from outside of the government they can observe the government better from the outside.
So that’s how it’s been set up and it has been very beneficial.
For Piqqusilirivik School we have members from Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit, and this Katimajiit Committee helped and assisted on Bill 16. They got input from this committee of Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit for health.
On December 12 they’ll be holding their committee meeting here in Iqaluit to review how they can enhance policies.
They have no shortage of discussions with Inuit societal values to look at the detrimental or deteriorating factors of Inuit societal values; whether it is legislation…sometimes some legislation opposes the Inuit societal values. So we’re now reviewing them.
Though my answer might be lengthy it is because we have such a huge responsibility. We will continue, as a government, we have work to do on Inuit societal values.