Jackson Lafferty

I would like to recognize the second-year Aurora College social work students coming in for a tour. Recognizing them and welcoming them to the gallery, to the Assembly. Amanda Anthony from Yellowknife; Stefany Bulmer from Yellowknife; Billi-Rai Driscoll from Yellowknife; Fay Erasmus from Behchoko; Stephanie Hiedl from Yellowknife, and Inuvik, I believe; Christine King from Yellowknife; Bianca Kotchea from Fort Liard; Melissa McDonald from Inuvik; Savanna McKay-Larocque from Hay River; Julia Naedzo from Behchoko; Jaleesa Paulette from Fort Smith; Elizabeth Purchase from Yellowknife; Pamela...

Mahsi. I did receive an invitation from the Akaitcho Government and I’d be more than glad to meet with the leadership, along with the Member, to discuss the process of initiating this process. Mahsi.

Mr. Speaker, I did meet with the Member on identifying the funds that are being distributed through teaching and learning centres. There have been some concerns in that respect. We are currently rolling out the Aboriginal Languages Plan. It will be tabled in the House today. From there, that does cover the aspects of what the Member is referring to. It is broad. It is just not one region, Mr. Speaker. So I am glad that the Member is referring to that, because it is an important piece of work that we need to start talking and making those changes.

We currently provide this approximately $12...

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the Member for that particular question, because I am very much in support of community-based training programs that take place close to the Members’ homes and also to the Northerners’. The communities have the best understanding of their core needs and the priorities of their communities. I am committed to having my department work closely with the community and work closely with the Member to make this an effective and successful training program. That is part of that package. That is part of the strategy. Mahsi.

Mr. Speaker, the GNWT spends on an annual basis approximately $12 million on the aboriginal languages support, including $1.9 million received from federal funding.

I do recognize that we always need more resources and support to support the grassroots people in the communities. Those are the areas that we are working towards in improving those resources at the community level. Mahsi.

Mr. Speaker, I’ve always respected working closely with the education councils and I will continue to do so. We cannot do this alone, implement this strategy. Definitely I will be seeking some guidance and support from the education councils and the Members as well. Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. It gives me great pleasure to recognize an old colleague of mine as well, Mr. Harley Crowshoe. He’s the regional director for aboriginal policing from Edmonton, Alberta. Also Julie Day, policy analyst with aboriginal policing from Ottawa, Ontario. Both of these individuals are here as part of the federal aboriginal policing directorate and participating in self-government meetings. Welcome to the Assembly.

Mr. Speaker, I think we need to focus on what we have before us today. It is part of the package and we are going to start implementing that. The language immersion in all schools, that is also our vision, starting from early childhood. Not only that, but we’ve heard over and over, even in the Sahtu region, the Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative, that there was a language that was spoken that we need to start from home. Parents need to talk to their kids at home. The teachers are there as a resource tool, but at the same time some teachers don’t speak the language. So it has to come...

I’d like to focus on what we are going to be doing with the new package. We had the Language Institute here this past summer. That’s part of the strategy that’s been highlighted, that we need to deliver more language programming into the region and the communities to the people. That’s what we’re doing. Not only that, but it also captures Dene fonts onto our computers throughout the system, integrated language curriculum and immersion programming. Those are the key factors that are within the package.

I think, as we move forward, most of the concerns and discussions that were brought forward...

The aboriginal languages will likely see some shift, because we want this to work. At the same time, we need to gather the information. We have done that along with the package that we have before us. Mr. Krutko did mention numbers as well that are out there that we have used so far. We will be monitoring that and collecting more data over the next two or three years. We need the committees, the language specialists, committee experts, the community members to provide that information as well. We will be working closely with the community. My department will be working with the Members as well...