EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
As well, in regards to the main estimates of the department, I feel that there should be more funding to do those kinds of things that I talked about.
There should be someone in Hansard that is writing down what is being said in the House as I speak in Inuktitut, to write it down in real Inuktitut literally so that the people of Nunavut out there can understand what we are discussing in the House.
And for those people that not have had any education, it would be a pleasure for them, both young and old, because the majority of our people have not had any formal education, because although they have learned how to speak English, they do not know enough to converse regarding complex issues in either language.
The people should be able to read what we debate in the House but it is very difficult when you don’t know how to speak English, to relay the message that you want to and you have no choice but to say it in Inuktitut.
And it’s very clear that we know what we are talking about.
I think these kinds of programs could be started and considered by the department.
We have done some training on some on a better way of life for Nunavummiut and it will be good now that this program has been ongoing in my community for quite some time by training the counselors and it should be done in all the Nunavut communities as well.
Although we are not talking about capital estimates I would like to say that the young people should be given access to better facilities in the communities and that should be considered a priority by the department.
Those are the things that I wanted to say at this time.
I will give Ms. Williams the opportunity to talk for ten minutes.
Just a short comment, I would also like to thank the minister in respect to his Minister’s Statement on Arctic Bay where the youth were given some funding from his department, to implement the creation of the three posters from the department that has a long name and I would like to thank the minister first of all for that.
I would also like to say that the Nunavut Government is a government for all people and I think sometimes people misunderstand that this department is the only one that deals with the Inuit of Nunavut but as a government, we are a government for all people not just for Inuit in this department.
Because this department has a name that has culture, language, elders and youth and when we first got our Nunavut Government, this department came into being and some people misunderstood that this is the only department that deals with the Inuit out there but as the Nunavut Government we’re a public government.
This department deals with all culture within Nunavut, not just the Inuit.
I also expect and hope that this department should encourage all the government departments in Nunavut that if they will be consulting with the elders and the Inuit people out there, that there should be a process that the departments of this government should follow so that ideas of the people and especially people’s knowledge should not be abused, and that the elders are not just questioned and left for pasture, but that they be included in policy and planning processes of the department.
Because they are the Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth, they should be working with all the departments of the government so that all the wishes of the Inuit using their culture is all dealt with in all the departments of the government.
I would like everybody to understand that I just want to find out whether this department is just for the Inuit people or is it for all the people of Nunavut.
It doesn’t necessarily have to be right now when we talk about the Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth, I just wondered whether this department is just directed to the aboriginal people or the Inuit people or is it for non-Inuit people as well.
There are all kinds of new things such as hunting equipment that we use today.
They’re not all Inuit made because there are new hunting tools and there are also traditional tools so when they are put together then they’re put to better use.
I can use an example. I have been a social worker and I have worked as a social worker for quite some time.
If I work with an elder and a younger person and counselling an elder and I could use my modern teachings and my traditional teachings to do counselling.
Today is not the same, because now there’s alcohol and drugs and other stuff out there that I have to counsel about today and years ago I didn’t have to do that because these things were not available then.
That’s the example that I have to find out, like this department is in the same kind of state that is to strengthen the Inuit way of doing things.
Those are things that I wanted to say.
Mr. Alakannuark is the next speaker.
Thank you, also to the Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth.
I have something to say which is not long.
According to the Inuit culture and traditions people need to learn the Inuit way of life because there are more and more terms being used that are no longer in use.
There are lots of different terms in different regions, in Baffin Island, Kitikmeot, and Kivalliq.
Wind direction names for example.
The terms are different in different regions, although they are all in Inuktitut.
Those are the things that we need to clarify according to the Inuit culture to teach them right from the people and also the sea, the land skills, how to survive if you’re drifting out on the ice while hunting.
You have to be able to know those kinds of life skills in traditional ways.
Today even myself when I’m rushing too much, if I didn’t stop to think I might run into danger.
We need to learn how to take time and be patient.
We should listen to the elders because they are the ones who know all about the Inuit way of life.
We need to be aware of the dangerous places out there in our environment.
Also the snow conditions, there are different kinds of conditions and climatic effects.
Snow conditions, some of the snow is good for igloos.
We need to know how to tell the snow conditions as the right snow is easier to mould than that wrong type of snow which can lead to more problems.
Sometimes, even myself I don’t know enough of the snow conditions and I’ve made mistakes in my younger days because I didn’t know any better.
It wouldn’t take long to learn these things if you take time to learn them.
For myself, it took me a long time to learn these things because I didn’t take the time to listen.
That is what I have experienced and can teach to younger Inuit.
Also, the women’s issues, the women also have to learn their responsibilities in traditional ways.
There are ways to teach young women how to have a good life.
There are all kinds of things that young women can learn in the traditional ways.
Also, even the people who don’t speak the English language enough, they have skills in traditional ways.
As for myself, I don’t know enough Inuit traditions but I can help to work with the elders and young people.
This is something that I wanted to say.
I expect to work with you and we hope to work together with everybody here in relation to culture, language, elders and youth.
The next one is Mr. Tootoo.
Mr. Chairman, I just want to make brief comment on this.
I want to reiterate a comment that I seem to be making year after year.
That is, taking a look through this budget, there’s only I think 250 thousand dollars allocated towards youth in the whole department.
I could go on forever of all the different things I’ve said in the past and it appears that from in the past that that’s where a lot of the demands for programs and services have been.
We have a department that has youth in its name and I’d like to see a little bit more of an effort made to recognise the needs of our youth throughout Nunavut.
Not only in just the name, but also with some more backup than just 250 thousand dollars.
The interpreters and the Sergeant-At-Arms are invited to the Tuktu room for snacks and also the members and the clerk’s table are invited.
Thank you, we’ll take a thirty minute break.
>>Committee recessed at 6 p.m. and resumed at 6.30 p.m.
I don’t have any more names for continuation.
We are still waiting, however if you have any more concerns.
I want to go to page 8-6. Thank you.
Chairperson (interpretation): Going to page 8 – 6, Culture, Language, Elders and Youth. Branch Summary – Directorate: Total operations and maintenance, 2 million 622 thousand dollars.
Grants and Contributions are the same as last year.
Does that mean that this money has never really been used?
I forgot to mention that on that page please try to keep to the topic.
As I said before I will give the members each a chance.
Would the minister like to respond to Mr. Iqaqrialu’s question?
Hon. Jack Anawak (interpretation): Yes, Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Under Grants and Contributions, under 8 - 7, the Grants and Contributions figures that we are going to be expending have not changed, but like I said in my opening comments, there is some other funding available for the youth, such as the 125 thousand Youth Initiatives Fund.
But even though there is no difference in the Grants and Contributions from last year, there were 108 people that applied for Grants and Contributions.
We will be providing this further information shortly to the members, but even though the figures are the same in this part, under my opening comments there’s going to be more funding for youth and elders under these new initiatives. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Chairperson (interpretation): Are there any more questions on page 8 - 6.
Ms. Williams (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to ask a question about the Directorate where it has that Deputy Minister’s office provides management and planning direction to the department.
It also provides senior management advice to the Minister and Cabinet on matters that relate to culture, language, elders and youth.
I would like to ask a question in regards to culture.
When will this happen, when will the policy be in place whereby the elders would be consulted about these issues?
If you do not have the policy at this time when will the policy be put in effect?
What we are doing is, we are writing a policy at this time and we hope that in the short-term, within a couple of weeks or in the near future, we will have them done.
But I just want to make the members aware that some of the regulations or by-laws that we will be dealing with will have to be redrafted.
I’m sure, as soon as the Elder’s Councils are established, perhaps in the fall, then we will have to consult them on the policies.
We hope that the policies will be amended or perhaps they will be established in the fall.
As a department, we have a policy in place right now, but I have to say that in a few weeks or in a couple of months, policies will be established.
Any more questions?
I think 8-6 and 8-7 are together.
I have a question on 8-7 about Women’s Initiative Fund in the amount of 50 thousand dollars.
There have been some women’s committees that would like to establish some initiatives for young people such as the boys and the girls groups and whether there’s anything in place whereby the young people of both sexes could be given a grant for their own initiatives.
Can the minister enlighten us in regards to the types of initiatives his department has in mind?
You should note that there’s also some funding in place in the amount of 125 thousand dollars for the youth and another 125 thousand for the elders.
And those grants could be applied for by those various groups, there are no barriers stopping them from applying.
That’s why there’s been an increase in that funding.
It’ll be available for those youth if they want to apply for that grant. If there have to be changes to the policies, then they’d have to put the changes in place within the next few years.
The other question I have is at the bottom of the women’s initiative grants, regarding status of women and family violence, under contributions.
Does that have anything to do with social work under this family violence?
Do they work with the Department of Social Services when it comes to family violence?
We give the Status of Women’s Council contributions for their operations and what they do in turn is tell us what kinds of things they will be doing and perhaps inside of what they do, they can inform us if they have been working with the social workers.
It’s not slated for programs but perhaps when they have a meeting with the departmental representatives, then they would talk with the Department of Social Services.
I just want to get some clarification on the 50 thousand dollars and then 250 thousand, when you put them together there is 300 thousand dollars.
So I guess that is the amount of money that they get for the women’s initiatives fund in the communities?
That 250 thousand dollars is a contribution for the Status of Women and Family Violence and the 50 thousand dollars is for Women’s Initiative Grants where they have a women’s committee in communities.
Those are the types of grants that we give to the committees within the communities.
It’s a community initiatives program.
That is what they do under grants.
The 50 thousand dollars is geared to the communities.
I would like to add that there are also some statutory requirements and they have to be tabled in the House such as the Terms of Reference of the Status of Women’s Council and an Annual Report which have to be tabled in the House, in the Legislative Assembly.
When will that Status of Women Council Annual Report be provided to the House?
Under the statutory requirements, when it comes to the Status of Women, they have to submit an Annual Report but our fiscal year starts on April 1st and they have to give them about 90 days to provide their Annual Report.
So we expect that the Annual Report will be provided in the near future to our department and tabled in the Legislative Assembly.
Chairperson (interpretation): I don’t have any more names on that page, 8-6.
Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth.
Total operations and maintenance, 2 million 622 thousand dollars.
Chairperson (interpretation): Page 8-8.
Branch Summary. Language and Communications Bureau.
Total operations and maintenance, 1 million 600 thousand dollars.
Mr. Nutarak (interpretation): Under 8-8 and 8-9, on the total grants and contributions of 300 thousand dollars.
There’s been a decrease in the figures and if you turn the page to 8-9 there’s an amount of 200 thousand dollars.
What is that for, that figure of 200 thousand dollars, under the line item contributions?
The reason behind the decrease in that amount is that even though the budget of the Nunavut Government has a decrease, the reason for that is because the funding from the Federal Government was not provided at the time we drafted the Main Estimates.
It is not a decrease but it is just that we are expecting some funding from the Federal Government to offset this decrease.
It is under 8-14.
You would find this decrease in 8-14 under the Official Languages Agreement.
Last year it was 596 thousand dollars, it seems like there is a decrease in there but the Canada-Nunavut Co-operation Agreement amount has not been put in here.
Mr. Nutarak (interpretation): Perhaps if I could, we are under 8-9 on Traditional Language Promotion and Protection, under Contributions.
What does it mean exactly?
Hon. Jack Anawak (interpretation): It means that contributions under 8- 9 are given to individuals and community groups to protect, preserve and enhance Inuit languages in Nunavut.
Chairperson (interpretation): Anything else Mr. Nutarak?
Mr. Nutarak (interpretation): On the line above, there is a figure of 100 thousand but there is 300 hundred thousand dollars that is divided in two.
One is for 100 thousand that was geared towards my question and it totals up to 200 thousand.
Under Grants again, we have 100 thousand dollars for the traditional language promotions and protection.
What is the difference between the one with the 200 and the line item with the 100 is that for publishing costs, or going on the radio to promote the languages?
The one above is a Grant, which means that as a government, we can make grants available to our people for things we are promoting within our particular departments.
For example, grants that are under 15 thousand dollars do not have reporting requirements.
If we give 15 thousand dollars or less it will come from the grants.
Underneath it is a Contribution.
For example, if an organization wanted over 15 thousand dollars, if it is over 15 thousand dollars, there would be a reporting requirement from our government and we would have to know from those committees what it was used for.
Mr. Iqaqrialu (interpretation): My questions have all been brought up again. I have no further questions.
Chairperson (interpretation): On page 8-8.
Culture, Language, Elders and Youth, as Ms. Williams was saying Culture, Language, Elders and Youth is a very long title.
Total operations and maintenance, 1 million, 600 thousand.
Chairperson (interpretation): Page 8-10. Culture, Language, Elders and Youth.
Culture, Elders and Youth, the total is, I did not see your hand.
On page 8-10, we have Culture, Elders and Youth.
And then on page 8-11, we have the breakdown of the grants and contributions.
Then page 8-11, Elders initiative, 125 thousand dollars, and then there’s the youth initiatives which again is for 125 thousand dollars.
Exactly what are these monies going to be used for and here I am referring to the lower item.
We haven’t finalized how the 125 thousand dollars for the elders’ initiatives and the youth initiatives will be used.
But what we have in mind is that we would like to give equal grants to all the communities.
But we haven’t finalized the details yet but if we’re going to be helping all Nunavummiut, we would look at equal shares among all communities.
For example, in the Department of Education, they give equal grants and contributions to the communities and we’re looking at the same thing.
Chairperson (interpretation): Page 8-10 to 8-13, all cover Culture, Elders and Youth.
If you want to have any questions on those pages the floor is open.
Mr. Nutarak (interpretation): It seems like there’s no policy in place for the Youth Initiatives and the Elders’ Initiatives and he’s also thinking about giving equal amounts of money to the communities.
What basis is he going to use, as I’m sure there has to be a policy in place before any monies are given out?
At this time, the grants that we talked about earlier have policies and that is for all the proposals that are made.
In regards to this 125 thousand dollars for Youth and Elders’ initiatives, what we’d like to do is possibly combine some of these monies if it’s a combined effort between the elders and the youth.
Thank you.  Chairperson (interpretation): Thank you.
Mr. Nutarak (interpretation): On the next page, 100 thousand dollars, again we have youth initiatives, what’s the difference between the initiatives on page 8- 11 and 12?
The question that he is referring to is on page 8-12.
These could be utilized by the youth and again there are the elders’ initiatives for 100 thousand dollars.
And like I said earlier, it’s for the promotion of the Inuktitut languages and any proposal outlining promotion and protection will be considered.
It could also be used for other youth initiatives that they want to start.
Mr. Nutarak (interpretation): This 100 thousand dollars, for example, if I made a proposal to access the funding, is there a ceiling to the amount of money that I can access through this?
Hon. Jack Anawak (interpretation): For example if you want to access over 15 thousand dollars it would go through this process and this fund.
On the first page of 8-10, the compensation and benefits, there has been a significant increase in the amount slotted for this item.
Is it because there has been an increase in the number of employees or are you going to be filling all the positions that are currently vacant in your department?
Hon. Jack Anawak (interpretation): We are looking at positions to assist the communities in areas such as toponomy, filling the positions in that area and an Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Co-ordinator and also if the youth or elders have a council or would like to have a meeting, they could apply for this money to pay for the compensation and benefits of these co-ordinators.
Or if they employed people to work on toponomy for example or gathering traditional names of the land from the communities they could use the monies for offsetting this compensation and benefits item and it would follow with the government salaries and benefits structure.
Chairperson (interpretation): I have no other names on my list.
Page 8-10.
Culture, Language, Elders and Youth it’s a very, very long title.
Total operations and maintenance, 4 million 500 thousand.
Chairperson (interpretation): Page 8-14 is an information item.
Mr. Nutarak (interpretation): Under the Official Languages Agreement, it is the Canada-Nunavut Co-operation Agreement for French and Inuktitut languages in the territory.
How much money, how much of this amount is allotted for the provision of French language services and how much is allotted for the Inuit language services?
Hon. Jack Anawak (interpretation): This money accessed through the Canada-Nunavut Co-operation Agreement.
It’s currently under re-negotiation.
One million 450 thousand is for French and 1 million 100 thousand is for Inuit languages.
We are currently negotiating with the Minister Sheila Copps on increasing the amount that’s allotted for the Inuit languages.
The agreement is still in place so we currently have 1.45 million dollars for French and 1.1 million dollars for Inuit Language Services as agreed to between the Federal and Nunavut Governments.
There is 1 million 100 thousand dollars for Inuit languages and 1 million 450 thousand for French.
Mr. Nutarak (interpretation): In Canada, we have two official languages which are French and English.
And in Nunavut we also recognize the aboriginal languages.
The Federal Government gives us 2 million 550 thousand dollars and there’s currently an agreement in place that we have to follow.
Can we make changes to the numbers divided or the ratio between the two languages funded under the current agreement?
Hon. Jack Anawak (interpretation): I met with Sheila Copps but according to this agreement we cannot increase the way that it’s divvied up for the Inuit or the French languages.
This 1.1 million dollars is slated for the Inuit languages and it needs to be increased but we have to understand that since the creation of the Nunavut Government the monies that have been slated for the Inuktitut languages has been too small.
This division of this money was in place for the last two years, primarily because it was grandfathered in with the GNWT legislation.
It lapsed last year but it has to be negotiated again if we’re going to be changing the numbers that are slated for French and Inuktitut.
We will return to page 8-5.
Culture, Language, Elders and Youth.
Total operations and maintenance, 8 million, 722 thousand dollars.
I would like to thank the minister and officials of the Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth.
As one of the members said, your department’s title is extremely long but I would like to thank the minister and his officials.
Mr. Minister, do you have any closing remarks?
Hon. Jack Anawak (interpretation): I would like to say thank you and I would also like to inform the members that of course, as a government we’re going to keep looking for external funds that could be used for the promotion and preservation of languages and culture within Nunavut.
We’ll be trying to access additional funds from the Federal Government and other external sources.
There are people out there who would like to do additional activities and as the Member for High Arctic mentioned, the government is using outside culture to function.
This department is for all the people of Nunavut.
We know that especially for the youth, we have to promote and preserve and also produce Inuktitut materials for the benefit of our youth.
This might be a little bit off track but this department is for all of Nunavut.