EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
High school students from three communities participated via desktop video conferencing with the teacher in a fourth community, elders in a fifth community and technical support in the sixth.
This technology will allow students to take courses, obtain post-secondary credentials and, Mr. Speaker, explore pre-trades opportunities without leaving their home communities.
Mr. Speaker, I am confident that this internet-based learning tool will help bridge the literacy gap.
Electronic-based learning will deliver better classroom support and training opportunities to students in our communities.
As you can see, Mr. Speaker, this project is intended to build capacity; to make e-learning a viable tool in delivering and receiving instructions here in Nunavut.
Minister’s Statement 087 – 2(4): Qikiqtani General Hospital (Aglukkaq)
I am pleased to share with the members and encapsulate for my colleagues today, a recap of the Qikiqtani General Hospital ceremony this past Friday, October 19.
We celebrated a milestone in health care delivered in Nunavut, and I would like to thank the Baffin Mayors, Qikiqtani Corporation, the Health Committee representatives and all those who attended and were part of this ceremony.
I would also like to extend my gratitude to those who were part of the planning process, and to all health care professionals. This magnificent achievement was reached by working in partnership.
Mr. Speaker, our vision is to continue to deliver top quality care and be a model institution across Canada. Our fundamental values embraces excellence, family focused services, working together as a team, respect and diversity, and the leadership to promote continuous learning in the health care field.
Our new hospital is a state-of-the-art facility that allows us to deliver the best in-patient care - care that is sensitive to our cultural values. It has an expanded in-patient unit, an increased number of day surgery beds and more birthing rooms.
Our goal is much broader than providing programs and services. We want to also train our own and continue working towards long-term stability.
Mr. Speaker, partnership is an integral tool in supporting realistic approaches to health, wellness and social service priorities.
Communities and government are connected and reliant on each other to care for those in need, to establish common goals, and to secure the resources needed to achieve our goals.
This has been a proud day for Nunavummiut, and I commemorate the joyous occasion with you all.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you, Minister Aglukkaq. Item 2. Ministers’ Statements.
Member for Qamanittuaq, Mr. Simailak.
Member’s Statement 191 – 2(4): Search & Rescue at Baker Lake Successful (Simailak)
I am very pleased to rise today to announce that the individuals that were lost have now been found and they are well.
(interpretation ends) So I would like to thank a number of people who were very heavily involved in the search.
There was Cam Lockett of the RCMP in Baker Lake, who headed the command headquarters, and all those that were working with him at the command headquarters.  I would like to thank those of Nunavut who were on stand-by, all of the people that were searching for the two young men: the Rangers, all the ladies that were cooking in the community hall for the searchers, Community and Government Services, and the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Trenton, and also especially two mining companies that are working in Baker Lake, Arreva and Agniku Ecomines Limited.
Arreva apparently lent three of their satellite phones to the search, donated a whole bunch of thermoses, and also paid for one of the search aircraft for a whole day.
Also, Agniku Ecomines Limited who were also sharing the cost of the aircraft the next day and it was actually one of Agniku Ecomines workers that were working on building the road that found the two young men walking home.  So thank you to all of those people and to a great successful search.
We are happy with your family.
Member’s Statement 192 – 2(4): Input from Qikiqtarjuaq Students (Arreak)
I rise today to announce and applaud the time and effort taken by forty students of Inuksuit School in Qikiqtarjuaq to write to me about their school.
Mr. Speaker, I recently tabled a series of letters that I received. I urge the Minister of Education and his departmental officials to read these letters at the earliest opportunity.
Mr. Speaker, as Members of the Legislative Assembly, we regularly hear from our constituents as they bring forward issues of concerns, suggestions for improvements, and other topics of importance to their communities.
Mr. Speaker, it is a special occasion when 40 of your constituents each put down their thoughts on one specific topic and present them to you.
I feel it is my duty to bring this important contribution forward to this House.
Mr. Speaker, the constituents who sent me these letters are not just my constituents. They’re students of the Inuksuit School, the future leaders of our community and territory.
They write about the challenges that they face in their current learning environment.
Many of them state that the school is too old and falling apart.
They write that they would like to have a dedicated library so that they don’t have to share that space with other classes. They say that they would like a new kitchen and a shop so that they can learn important skills for later in life.
Mr. Speaker, the students would like to see more classrooms, a bigger gym, and a safe playground.
Mr. Speaker, I recognize that some of the suggestions put forward may not be within the government’s current vision, or budget.
For example, having a fountain running with juice and a dedicated games room for playing computer games may not be possible within current fiscal limits.
Mr. Speaker, for the most part, however...
Speaker (interpretation): Mr. Arreak, your time is up. If you’d like to complete your statement you have to ask for unanimous consent.
Mr. Arreak (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I ask my colleagues for unanimous consent to complete my statement.
The member is seeking unanimous consent to complete his statement.
Thank you. There are no nays.
Mr. Arreak (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, my colleagues.
(interpretation ends) Mr. Speaker, for the most part, however, the Inuksuit students have come up with some very good recommendations for the Department of Education Capital Plan to take into consideration.
Mr. Speaker, I am very proud of the Inuksuit School students for bringing their thoughts and concerns to me.
Once again, I urge the minister and his officials to read the letters that I have tabled and take them into consideration as they begin the planning and decisions of school projects in the community of Qikiqtarjuaq.
Member’s Statement 193 – 2(4): Unmanned Drones: The Wrong Solution for Sovereignty (Tootoo)
I rise today to express my shock and disbelief of the news that the Federal Department of National Defense is considering the purchase of a fleet of unmanned drones to patrol the Canadian Arctic.
Mr. Speaker, this reminds me that another ill-conceived federal scheme, of which I am sure my colleague from Iqaluit East will agree, and that’s to provide Nunavut’s weather forecasts from station located thousands of kilometres away from where the snow actually falls on the ground.
Mr. Speaker, Nunavummiut want to be assured that our sovereignty is well protected.
However, this plan makes absolutely no sense; its nonsense.
Mr. Speaker, the independent project on government oversight released a study on the Predator unmanned drone. That does not give us, or me, any cause for comfort. Let me share some of their findings with the House.
The study concluded and I quote, “Although Pentagon officials say that the Predator has been a very valuable asset during the War in Afghanistan, it has proven to be a fair weather aircraft. It cannot be launched in adverse weather, including any visible moisture such as rain, snow, ice, fog, or frost, nor can it take off in cross winds greater than 17 knots.
Mr. Speaker, it’s not a national secret that rain, snow, ice, frost, fog, and high winds are exactly the kind of weather conditions that define the arctic for most of the year.
The study also reported that, and I’ll quote again, “Although it carries the camera for night surveillance, testing at 30,000 feet showed that the Predator could only recognize potential targets during daylight hours and clear weather.
Mr. Speaker, again, I hate to break the news to our friends in the DND headquarters in Ottawa, but significant portions of the arctic experience 24 hours of darkness for months at a time; something called winter.
Mr. Speaker, we had better hope that any intruder decides to be polite and hold off an attack until the middle of July.
Speaker (interpretation): Mr. Tootoo, Mr. Tootoo, Mr. Tootoo, Mr. Tootoo.
Thank you. You ran out of time. If you would like to seek unanimous consent you can do so.
If we’re going to be serious about Arctic Sovereignty.
Speaker: Mr. Tootoo, Mr. Tootoo, I will allow you to seek unanimous consent to finish your statement. Mr. Tootoo.
Speaker (interpretation): Thank you. The member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement.
There are no nays. Please proceed, Mr. Tootoo.
It kind of reminds me of what I’m talking about here.
Mr. Speaker, if we’re going to be serious about arctic sovereignty, let’s get serious. Let’s ensure that manned search and rescue aircraft are permanently stationed in Nunavut. At the moment, search and rescue operations lose valuable hours while waiting for aircrafts to arrive from bases in the south.
Let’s ensure that manned aurora sovereignty controls take place. As a former commander of the Canadian forces presence in the North has been quoted as saying, and I’ll quote, “Human beings give you a better understanding of what is taking place and a better capacity to react for it.”
Mr. Speaker, like I said, let’s get serious.
I urge all members to join me in rejecting the drones and calling on Ottawa to rediscover the virtues of human beings.  Mr. Speaker, I’ll be forwarding on a copy of my statement to the Minister of Defence and also the individual in charge of military operations in the North in Yellowknife.
Member’s Statement 194 – 2(4): Important Role of Inuit Culture for Mental Health and Wellness in Nunavut (Mapsalak)
I rise today to address an issue that I have recently brought up in the House.
Mr. Speaker, I’m sure that many of my colleagues will share memories of a childhood when we were sent to school and were forced to leave our Inuit culture behind when we walked through those doors.
Mr. Speaker, years ago, we were taken away from our communities and our families to go to school. We were expected to live, speak, and behave as we were Qallunaat.
For a lot of people, this destroyed many ties that they had with their culture. People lost their language. People lost traditional knowledge that they had learned from their parents and elders.
Mr. Speaker, it has taken a long time of many Nunavummiut to reach the back of those roots and to rebuild this sense of pride in Inuit culture. One could argue that losing these things has had damaging effects on mental health and wellbeing.
Mr. Speaker, many of the social workers and mental health workers in our communities are not Inuit.
They may not have an understanding and appreciation of the Inuit culture. The laws and systems that govern our social services do not take counsel into consideration.
Mr. Speaker, it concerns me greatly that when Nunavummiut have to deal with social workers when they seek counselling from mental health workers, they are expected to adopt Qallunaat ways to deal with their problems. Inuit, once again, are told to deal with these things like a Qallunaaq.
This is not appropriate.
Mr. Speaker, when a person is struggling with deep personal issues, it is even more difficult when they have to use another language to describe what they are going through.
To be given the base of another culture and other ways of life does not help someone who is living in this culture and in this way of life...
Speaker (interpretation): Mr. Mapsalak, you have run out of time.
If you could have the opportunity to seek unanimous consent to conclude your statement.
Member of the Legislative Assembly, I would like to seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
Are there any Nays? There are no nays.
Mr. Mapsalak (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly.
(interpretation ends) ...this must change, Mr. Speaker. I strongly urge the government to ensure the Inuit culture principles are fully incorporated into all social work and mental health practice in Nunavut.
Mr. Speaker, I was very pleased to hear that seven Nunavummiut recently graduated from mental health diploma programs last weekend.
This is an important step in the right direction.
I wish these individuals every success as they follow their careers.
Member’s Statement 195 – 2(4): Youth of Kugluktuk (Evyagotailak)
I rise today to speak about the needs of our youth in Nunavut.
Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday I rose and spoke about the results of the Liquor Act plebiscite in my community, and how the youth have strongly expressed their desire for life and hope.
Mr. Speaker, some constituents of mine have expressed concerns to me that the elders and youth of today are not connecting as much as they used to.
As legislature, we can provide more for our youth; we can make changes.
Our youth need to spend time with our elders to learn hunting and survival skills and to learn about their culture.
Mr. Speaker, there are many things that factor into why our youth are getting into trouble: alcohol, drugs, overcrowded houses, lack of recreational opportunities, and lack of programs.
Mr. Speaker, we need to provide our youth with infrastructure so they may practice or participate in sports and have a place to meet to keep them healthy, occupied, and out of trouble.
Mr. Speaker, we can provide activities for our youth all year long.
Everything we do is seasonal.
Camps can operate in summer, winter, spring, and fall.
Mr. Speaker, the youth in my community have spoken and we must listen to them. Mr. Speaker, I urge this government to sincerely think about the need of our youth.
We have to make them our priority.
Member’s Statement 196 – 2(4): Search and Rescue of Enoki Kunuk (Barnabas)
I rise today to thank the many people who helped in the search for my biological father, Enoki Kunuk of Igloolik.
You probably heard that he went missing last spring.
Mr. Speaker, many of you will recall that Mr. Kunuk went missing while he was caribou hunting. He failed to return and a long search began that lasted an entire month.
Mr. Speaker, two air searches failed to locate Mr. Kunuk, including an official search involving military aircraft that was eventually called off.
Mr. Speaker, the community of Igloolik refused to give up.
We received so much support from all over Nunavut.
I cannot begin to name all those that assisted in various ways but I will try and name some of them.
On behalf of Mr. Kunuk’s family members, and myself I wish to say a special thank you to the following: the residents of Igloolik and their search and rescue team.
The land search team took turns going out looking for Mr. Kunuk.
I would like to say thank you to the military Hercules search and rescue team, the Minister of Community and Government Services for providing emergency measures operations with a Kenn Borek Twin Otter, Norterra for providing the Air Inuit Twin Otter, Air Inuit pilots...
Speaker (interpretation): Mr. Barnabas, you have also run out of time.
You could seek unanimous consent to conclude your statement. Mr. Barnabas.
The member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays?
There are no nays. Please proceed, Mr. Barnabas.
There were also many people of Iqaluit and Rankin Inlet who helped us.
I would also like to thank Minister Louis Tapardjuk for spotting the ski-doo.
I would also like to say thank you to Advance Explorations Inc. and Rock Bay for providing an airplane and a helicopter.
(interpretation ends) Mr. Speaker, we all know that we live in a very harsh and unpredictable environment.
Before you find yourself in a similar situation, tell someone where you are going, and if you get lost, stay where you are. That’s exactly what Mr. Kunuk did and it saved his life.
We can learn from elders.
Member’s Statement 197 – 2(4): Sporadic Monitoring of Arctic Waters (Picco)
I just wanted to say very quickly that I want to take credit for Mr. Tootoo’s speech that he read earlier, but I can’t.
Mr. Speaker, earlier this week I spoke about the ongoing media spotlight on Nunavut and the arctic in general.
A recent CBC news story announced that the Department of National Defence is looking at having drones, as Member Tootoo has just mentioned. I just want to go into a little bit more detail on what the member was also saying and echo his thoughts.
On unmanned vehicles patrolling the arctic, now, what the Department of National Defence is looking at is having these in place in five years. Today, the sporadic, and I mean sporadic monitoring and checking of arctic waters is carried out by antiquated Aurora Aircraft.
Now, the Aurora Aircrafts, as most Members in the House know, are over 40 years old.  This first line of observation in arctic waters is like looking for a needle in a haystack.
The arctic coastline in question, Mr. Speaker, spreads from Alaska on the Yukon border to Cape Chidley north of Labrador and then to the top of Ellesmere Island. It’s the largest undefended coastline in the world. This summer is a good example.
This summer the Vikings, a group of pleasure seekers, arrived halfway through the Northwest Passage and docked in Cambridge Bay and Gjoa Haven looking for a bar; they were in Cambridge Bay when I was over there.
They docked in Cambridge Bay and Gjoa Haven before the Canadian Government or any authorities knew they were actually in Canadian waters.
There have been several cases of boats, ships, and pleasure craft navigating our waterways without us noticing or knowing that they were actually present on our soil, and in this case, on our waters. We also had the case in the High Arctic, when a would-be immigrant sailed from Northern Greenland and got stranded in Grise Fiord trying to find asylum and I believe was deported.
Mr. Speaker, the dismal monitoring of our arctic shores is embarrassing.
A robust monitoring plan needs to be put in place now, not in five years and certainly, as pointed out, not with unmanned drones. Using unmanned drones, Mr. Speaker, is too little too late. No less with the continued global warming that we’re seeing increase nautical traffic, foreign fishing, and indeed, industrial developments.
A robust surveillance program should have been in place yesterday, not in five years.  Mr. Speaker, I look forward to sending a letter to the Minister of National Defense on this issue.
Member’s Statement 198 – 2(4): Inuit Language Bills Weak Need Community Consultations (Curley)
I stand today, just recently this winter the language of the Inuit has to be protected as to how we’re going to utilize it in the government.
First of all, I would like to say to you the Inuit language; I often say that we need to protect our language.
Why do we need to protect it?
We don’t remember when Inuktitut emerged as a language. We cannot say that we learned it in schools. Our language has existed for thousands of years, although there are differences in dialect.
It has given us the authority and the usage of our language among the Inuit.
The Inuit language has to be protected.
First of all, I would like to congratulate the minister for bringing out Bill 6, Inuit Language Protection Act.
The Inuit language has to be stronger and we need to enhance and protect it.
I would like to thank the Ajauqtiit Committee for bringing this out.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to say again that if we’re going to hold on to the Inuit language, then the bill has to be amended to make it stronger and give it more power to protect our language.
Let’s just not work it in the Legislative Assembly but let us utilize it in the communities so that our children can utilize it and learn it in the school.
I want to say that the Ajauqtiit Committee, if we’re going to make the Inuktitut language stronger, we will have to go to the communities to do consultations. Even if that doesn’t happen, we have not heard anything from residents since we haven’t gone to the communities, or even going to Iqaluit, Rankin Inlet, and Cambridge Bay for meetings.
But, Mr. Speaker, if we’re going to be serious about our Inuit language, the Ajauqtiit Committee has to go all the communities in Nunavut.
Member’s Statement 199 – 2(4): Recognition of Late Lucien Ukaliannuk (Tapardjuk)
I would like to recognize and thank first of all, Levi Barnabas, when we were searching for Enoki from Igloolik.
As Inuit, we’ve been trying to be brought up as assimilated to the rest of the Western Society and up to now, we’re trying to get back to our cultures and languages after we established Nunavut.
Lucien Ukaliannuk passed away this past year, and I think we need to recognize him because he pushed hard not to lose our culture and language, and he needs to be recognized. The Inuit themselves have to stand up to pursue and not just wait around and do nothing, and not just to be serviced by others.
We have recognized that he has a honourary doctorate and he was recognized by the communities throughout Nunavut.
At the beginning of September he helped us and some other people have also helped us through this but these have come to pass, and I would like him to be recognized by this Legislative Assembly although he has passed on. The people that he left behind, we want to thank them for allowing him to help us throughout the years and up to now.
Member’s Statement 200 – 2(4): Domestic Violence (Peterson)
I rise today to tell the House about a courageous young mother in my community.  Mr. Speaker, the Members of the House have recognized that domestic violence is a serious issue in Nunavut that wreaks havoc on the women and children who are involved and threatens the social fabric of our communities.
Mr. Speaker, MLAs unanimously passed a motion in November 2005, condemning domestic violence in all its forms. Earlier this year, we approved the Family Abuse Intervention Act to help Nunavummiut who are victims of domestic violence.
Mr. Speaker, it is very difficult for victims of violence to speak publicly about the suffering that they have endured, often over decades. We have many statistics about domestic violence but we cannot see the human suffering that each statistic represents.
Mr. Speaker, at the Kitikmeot Inuit Association AGM last week, Ms. Wendy Avalak summoned her courage and spoke publicly about 14 years of domestic violence that she and her children faced daily. We were very proud of her for speaking out.
Mr. Speaker, when I spoke to Ms. Avalak later, she told me that she’s afraid that by speaking out that her life would be harder. She told me that she spoke out to help not only her family but other victims of domestic violence.
Mr. Speaker, I cannot imagine the tremendous pressure that Ms. Avalak was under when she made her decision to speak out.
I told her that as her friend and MLA that I fully support her courageous decision. I also reminded her that the Legislative Assembly stands with her and all the other victims of domestic violence.
Mr. Speaker, I ask that the members join me in congratulating Ms. Wendy Avalak for her stand on domestic violence, and that we re-affirm our support for all victims of domestic violence in Nunavut.
Member’s Statement 201 – 2(4): Gjoa Haven Youth Group (Aglukkaq)
I would like to also highlight the effort of a group of individuals in Gjoa Haven. I would like to highlight the efforts of the youth in Gjoa Haven. I refer to the Youth Committee and it’s led by my brother Kyle Aglukkaq and Jeremy Bergin.
This group is made up of seven individuals and is the Youth Leadership Association Group.
They not only work as a group of seven, but also have been consulting all the youth within their school, as well as in their community.