EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
It’s sometimes quite hard for us to find people in the community who will do the interviews and pay them on an hourly basis. We know that elders feel more comfortable if they’re being interviewed by a community member.
The compilation of Inuit traditional stories is still not completed and it’s still ongoing.
This is going to be my last question, again, a supplement to my last question regarding traditional legends or stories.
What are you planning to do once the story gathering is completed?
Hon. James Arreak (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I also thank the member for those questions. Most of our future strategic plans revolve around school curriculum subjects, libraries, and for public information purposes.
This is generally the way elders are interviewed about these issues.
I don’t have a lengthy commentary, although I do have a question related to my colleague from Pangnirtung Mr. Oshutapik’s previous comments.
As Inuit, we are known to not have a literary-based society, but rather we were an oral society with no written language until the purveyors of the Anglican and Catholic faiths taught us the syllabic system to be our writing system.
I thank the missionaries for that gift, obviously, since we now have a writing system.
On another note, with respect to the English wording under the minister… . Let me say that I have been friends with this minister since we took courses in Rae Edzo to become hamlet administrators. That was so many years ago.
To return to the English title, (interpretation ends) “recording of Inuit oral history, (interpretation) it’s absolutely edifying. I thank you for that.
Inuit didn’t have a writing system, so let’s now pull together to record our elders’ stories. We’re often told that elders will always be around since we are the next generation soon to become elders, as the current elders keep telling us.
When it’s our turn to pass away, our descendants will become the next set of elders. That cycle will continue to revolve with others replacing us.
I personally don’t have that perception simply because the elders well versed in Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit are fewer and dwindling. We, the next generation, are getting older, which will always continue until the end of days. I believe that particular saying.
However, in this day and age, the elders who have that knowledge and who lived in that age, still depending on that knowledge to survive and succeed, should be recorded, even if it’s only their life histories.
Even if we just record elders’ stories and legends, they contain information much like the Bible. They are that important to our people. It speaks to Inuit cultural practices, healthy living, and stories of consequential actions based on whether you are a good person or not.
If you misbehave, something will happen. Alternatively, if you’re a good person, then animals will present themselves to you.
If you’re respectful of animals, certain things will occur.
If you’re hospitable and welcoming to your fellow Inuit, then benefits will accrue to you. If you mistreat those who are poorer or an orphan, then consequences will follow. These are part of our cultural traditional beliefs.
Now, with respect to this minister and his deputy minister, I believe, I encourage and insist on the recording of traditional Inuit history and life experiences of our elders that we can use in our educational system, particularly as it relates to our traditional Inuit laws. Our traditional laws outline the correct ways to treat your people and respecting our wildlife, as we were always advised on these issues by our elders.
That may not be known by non-Inuit.
Even the smallest organisms, such as mosquitoes, ticks, flies, vegetation that we are allowed to trample on, food species, and water organisms that we can stomp on if we aren’t careful, we were always advised that since these are all living things, we have to be respectful, especially smaller organisms.
Due to their smaller size, we can inadvertently trample them or we may be able to pick them up and extirpate them.
It is contrary to the Inuit law that if you aren’t going to eat the organisms or you aren’t harvesting it for clothing purposes, you should leave them alone.
That was the advice our elders gave to us based on our traditional Inuit customs and laws.
Please record these stories and legends.
I urge your department to compile these recordings of our elders to ensure that Inuit don’t forget their history. (interpretation ends) Recording of Inuit oral history, (interpretation) why am I so passionately urging that this be done?
It’s simply because they aren’t written elsewhere due to Inuit being an oral society in the past.
So I wonder: will this be a priority? Particularly in this day and age, elders will always be present, but this knowledge has to be recorded.
So I urge you to prioritize this initiative to write up our Inuit oral history.
I want to ask the minister if this will be the case. I fully support this initiative. I have no questions on this issue, unless there is no movement to record our Inuit histories.
As a reminder, we had completed general comments and we’re going to go to the page-by-page review.
I also appreciate the sincerity behind the member’s comments on Inuit history.
We will not be abandoning this program and it will continue to be a priority for this department.
In our communities, we’re trying to record our elders’ stories, but we run into the problem of oral history workers, so we usually return to that community to continue our recording of Inuit oral histories. Sometimes we lobby the communities for a person to assist us in that regard.
The commentary by the member was appreciated.
We will continue this program as it is laid out in our plans.
Mr. Ningark (interpretation): Thank you for giving me my 10-minute allotted time.
That’s it for me.
Yes, we have 10 minutes allotted for questions.
I would now like to recognize Mr. Curley.
Yes, my colleague was stating that he was using his privilege.
Mr. Chairman, some of the questions I have may not be related specifically to elder and youth issues.
It is exceedingly hard to verbalize the question as it is quite complex, but I’ve always had a concern on this issue.
Here is my reasoning behind this issue first of all: Nunavut is quite small population-wise, as most members here are aware.
We’re continually bombarded with facts, such as Nunavut is the youngest population in Canada.
Does this mean that our elders’ base in Nunavut is quite small? The minister can respond to this if he wants to. If we were to think on this matter, we could come to the conclusion that our base of elders is shrinking.
They may be dwindling quite rapidly.
What happens when we lose our knowledgeable elders?
Will we wait for older Inuit to become recognized elders?
When Inuit of this generation finally get older, does this mean we can finally concentrate on Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit and fix it up?
It’s really not that funny, except for this generation.
From my personal perspective, I believe that our elders are disappearing, especially elders born around the 1920s. If they were born in that decade, then they are past 90 years of age. Further, Inuit born in the 1930s are mostly in their 70’s reaching up to age 80 or maybe 79.
So if you look at Inuit born in the 1940s, I think that perhaps our generation constitutes the largest number of people still living. I am talking of our generation born in the 1940s.
What I’m trying to voice here is the fact that I keep trying to raise.
Our elders’ base knowledge pertaining to animals and polar bears are what I really wanted written down in the past. This was due to this reason: the Inuit culture is being attacked by a different mentality that can now bar certain age-old practices of Inuit. As an example, the trade in sealskins has been banned by different perspectives of other societies.
Seals and the meat have allowed many people to survive, including many early explorers, our Canadian explorers especially. Vilhjalmur Stefansson, who was a renowned Canadian specialist explorer, was entirely dependent on seal meat if they weren’t camping, especially if they wanted to survive.
They could only subsist on seal meat.
So we know that seals have allowed many people to survive, especially explorers of the arctic regions. If you read the stories and reports of these past explorers, you will find anecdotal evidence of certain areas that retain the same number of polar bears in the middle of the 1800s as they do today.
Today, Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit has been belittled by academia, especially these so-called scientists. Once a person shows their scientific papers, more people believe their reports since they assume scientists only spout factual information. I disagree.
Scientists’ reports are generally assumptive. You can read many assumptions if you peruse these reports. The definition of assumption is their scientific beliefs. (interpretation ends) It’s not a fact.
(interpretation) With respect to Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit, we have to ensure that we compile our elders’ stories, especially regarding certain animal species, Inuit life skills, family values, as well as specific skills meant for outdoor survival, including traditional Inuit clothing that Inuit women used to make.
Have you put any thought into these types of categories as a conceptual basis when you are recording the stories? Is the emphasis on information required for teaching particular skills when you are dealing with elders and youth issues?
I know this is quite a lengthy commentary, Mr. Chairman, but I would like to understand the department’s position on this.
I thank the member for his question and his comments.
I would like my deputy to respond to that question if you would allow him, Mr. Chairman.
With respect to the member’s question about teaching of wildlife, as a department, we haven’t done anything of that sort by recording animal behaviour and migration, including all the other stuff.
Maybe we can work with the Department of Environment to start writing down the skills and hunting techniques from the elders.
To date, the minister said that what we do is still mostly with culture and heritage.
We also gather family kinship ties and this has been compiled. Elders have been gathered together to discuss traditional values, such as life skills. This initiative was completed previously.
Another initiative we have introduced is to record Inuit traditional clothing designs, particularly clothing made from caribou skins. That will be our focus over the next year.
The other issues alluded to earlier related to animals and the need for knowing animal behaviour.
We will be recording these thematic categories as it would have a benefit for many people. Perhaps once the life skills and family values we have worked on to date have been largely written down, we would be able to focus on other matters. However, it is also largely dependent on budgetary considerations which would have to be approved, but this area is another good one to work on.
My preference is that if the department starts to focus on these issues or, alternatively, request further funding for recording these oral stories.
Perhaps if we were to request proposals for oral history projects with recording elders’ stories, it would be good. My reasoning here which has been in my mind over many years is the fact that our base of elders is dwindling.
Here I talk about expertise gained over a lifetime which is lost forever when that elder dies and can’t be reclaimed.
Some elders pass away without their stories being recorded.
I believe our first priority should be to target the elders who were born in the 1920s since their connection to our ancestors is still strong.
Many of these elders are unilingual with nary a word of English spoken in some communities amongst them. These elders born in the 1920s were living prior to the introduction of the school system. I believe this generation is largely dying off.
I would want youth to make proposals to conduct oral history recordings, particularly related to traditional Inuit customs, accumulated knowledge of particular species, especially in light of the global tendencies to try to manage our animals and especially if we were to talk about polar bears and/or seals for that matter.
We aren’t allowed to trade our sealskins anymore internationally, and the extremist animal rights groups are really trying to place the polar bears in that category which would severely impact our Inuit people.
These ignorant fanatics completely believe their own lies, which are largely based on the name, polar bears, in my opinion.
If the polar bear was less specialized, like a black bear that lives in the forest, then the perception of the southerners wouldn’t be so ubiquitously focused on this falsehood.
They believe polar bears, due to their namesake, only live on the ice and that they don’t go on land.
That is why the fanatical propagandists spout the lie that polar bears will have no place to live since the ice is shrinking. They don’t even ponder the food species that the polar bears live off of.
From the Inuit perspective, if the seals die off, then the polar bears would really be in the plight they are so often stated to be in.
I am in support of the department’s initiatives and the minister and his officials, but I would prefer that the program be the priority before we lose more precious elders who hold such tremendous knowledge of the animals we have subsisted on for generations.
As the Member for Akulliq stated, we have to compile Inuit oral history.
Perhaps we can request the department place an emphasis on this initiative and specifically target our oldest and most knowledgeable elders, as many are already dying off. I refer to our elders born in the 1920s and 1930s.
Yes, those are the exact type of comments and suggestions we want to hear and to get further queries from the members about possible alternatives. We like advice especially related to these issues.
If anyone was interested in submitting proposals, even though we have this oral history project, and if they required funding for recording these stories, for their recording equipment for capturing these elders’ stories, our department has specific funding for these types of project proposals. Upon submission, it would be reviewed by our officials.
We can provide funds for these types of projects that are proposal-based, along with our current project of recording Inuit oral history in our communities.
With respect to the figures that were mentioned, as Inuit, we also rely on these numbers, especially when dealing with the government.
In light of these numbers we review, we can expect that in the short-term future, our elders will start to increase in numbers here in Nunavut. They will also be going up in numbers in the long term.
(interpretation ends) Your department’s 2013-14 draft main estimates include $608,000 for elder and youth administration.
Can you describe what kinds of programs and services will be covered by this funding?
Through you, I would like to have the question responded to by my deputy.
Can the member tell me which page I can find the $608,000 for elders and youth administration that she is referring to?
Ms. Ugyuk, can you tell us what page you’re asking about?
It’s on page 67.
The money that is going to be used for elders and youth are for programs and services. If they have to have somebody help them out in the office to fill out the applications for funding by elders and for the elders, for instance, to be interviewed and recorded, that is how we’re going to use the money.
For the youth, what they will do is if they want to do something with youth programs, they can apply for that funding.
The grants and contributions are in the range of $800,000 for elders and youth, if they were given that amount of money.
This is the last question I have.
The 2013-14 (interpretation ends) draft business plan indicates that your department’s two priorities for 2013-14 will be to compile information on family relations and to document and preserve various clothing patterns.
How will the information be collected and reported on?
That’s what we’re working on right now in regard to family relations, documenting information, for instance, kinship.
There are a lot of families who get together nowadays and they don’t know if they are related because they are not really sure about how they are related.
This has been done in some communities and it is all going well.
With various clothing patterns, Igloolik and Hall Beach are the first communities to be documenting and preserving various clothing patterns. That’s what we are doing at this time. It’s in our business plan and this is ongoing.
With respect to clothing and making clothing, you stated that our clothing has different patterns, even though they are a little bit similar. You also stated that they will start in Igloolik and Hall Beach.
What other communities will also be involved? Will other communities be involved in this?
When communities that have similar clothing patterns, such as Igloolik, Hall Beach, and Repulse Bay, want to do that sort of work, they’re more than welcome to do that sort of thing as long as their patterns are quite similar and if they want to work together with different communities that are more similar to the patterns that are out there.
I have no more names on my list for F-7. (interpretation ends) Branch Summary.
Culture and Heritage. Elders and Youth. Total Operations and Maintenance. $2,322,000. (interpretation) Do you agree?
Go to F-8. (interpretation ends) Culture and Heritage. Branch Summary. Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit.
Total Operations and Maintenance. $1,157,000.
I thank the minister. I would like to ask the minister and I would like to get a good answer.
To date, I know the department is doing their ongoing work in regard to Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit.
Minister for Culture and Heritage, to date, how many stuff have you gathered in regard to Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit that is used within the Government of Nunavut?
I will have my deputy respond to that question as to what stage we are at in that regard, if that’s okay with you, Mr. Chairman.
I can’t specify a number when we speak about how much Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit has been compiled.
What I can say is that when the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Committee is set to meet, just prior to the meetings being held, we inform various departments about the planned meeting.
If they require any assistance from the committee, then they should prepare for the next meeting set up and any questions they may have should be submitted. This includes any requests for clarification as the committee would be available.
However, we request advance notice about which issues or areas that department may require assistance with.
As an example, when the government is drafting up policies or legislation, perhaps all issues related to life issues or if it will impact Inuit, that department should request advice on specific wording to accommodate Inuit or to further incorporate Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit.
This is better, as those are the types of questions posed to the committee and their advice assists the departments in their work, and it is always a joyful exercise when their advice is sought.
On another issue, it has been perhaps three months since the Department of Culture and Heritage has started compiling data on how certain aspects of Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit have been incorporated into various departments.
We’re currently compiling this information, but quite a number of aspects have been included.
We feel that once the data has been compiled and the report completed, we may be able to table it in the House in the short term.
I also thank the deputy minister for his response.
It leads directly into my next question.
Actually, he touched up on my secondary question.
Let me ask it anyways since he didn’t mention which departments request the most assistance from this committee.
We have a myriad of ministers responsible for different departments.
Which departments are the most prolific when it comes to requesting advice from this committee your department works with?
Hon. James Arreak (interpretation): Yes, the departments requesting assistance varies with most having already requested assistance. However, the departments who are usually at the meetings include the Department of Education, the Department of Justice, the Department of Health and Social Services, the Department of Environment, and other departments.
These departments have requested assistance from Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Katimajiit.
Mr. Enook (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. First of all, let me state my own position.
Personally, I have no knowledge of Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit and I can’t even fathom its depths.
I am extremely proud of the elders who partake in this work since they retain this knowledge.
However, what I really respect is their breadth of knowledge, although I personally haven’t practised it.
From a personal perspective, I will do my utmost to use all of my skills to try to incorporate Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit as it is a foundational matter.
The Minister of Human Resources just recently announced recent developments where Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit would start to be used more frequently here in Nunavut. Mr. Chairman, I believe there was a specified day identified.
Do I understand now that this department was involved in the final drafting of these activities?
I’m not exactly sure what the discussion was, but if I can get Mr. Awa to respond to that question.
Yes, the Department of Human Resources policies, particularly the two policies, were developed and the Department of Culture and Heritage partook in the development of these policies.
Let me ask the minister this question then. This day that was identified for the IQ day and which is recommended for implementation as part of these activities, did the minister personally get involved when it was first discussed for approval?
What specific activities did the minister want included as part of the IQ days?
When the initiative was first discussed for creation of this day, our department had to work with their department. The committee deliberated with their officials within the Department of Human for identifying the IQ days.
The minister is the lead minister for the Department of Culture and Heritage. Was he leading the Department of Human Resources on what kinds of things to be included in the IQ days?
It is to do with the GN staff and everyday operations of the Government of Nunavut.
I will have Mr. Awa respond to the question.
The work that was done by the Department of Human Resources was done by that department. As the Department of Culture and Heritage, we are more than willing to give them advice on what should be included, but this has to do with the everyday operations of the government.
Once they were completed the assignment or what they were writing down, the government had to agree to what they wanted to do.
In this document tabled recently, it states that the new Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit and Cultural Immersion Day directives and customs would be incorporated within the IQ days. In English, (interpretation ends) Cultural Immersion Day directives.
(interpretation) What about the departmental committee ultimately responsible for Inuit customs that has that mandate? As the protectors of these cultural issues, weren’t they involved in identifying these activities?
Were they provided with the opportunity to provide their advice only after the Department of Human Resources completed their directives?
I will have my deputy respond to that question and explain exactly what happened in that regard.
As I stated earlier, we were consulted during the process and we participated while they were dealing with the Cultural Immersion Day.
That is the only thing I can respond with.
It is a directive for all GN employees and it is under the Department of Human Resources. The Department of Culture and Heritage was just consulted and helped out with the plan.
We had meetings with them. There was a working group that was set up and we fully participated as a department.
I get concerned about Inuit societal values and the preservation of Inuit traditions. Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit is just a word. I don’t think they even know what Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit means.