Michael Nadli

Just for the record, First Nations have to be recognized is to have a settled land claim. Is that how it will be recognized? Yet, at the same time, we don't recognize treaty areas?

Just for the record, if maybe the law clerk could clarify for me that point, I think that it is a legal question. In my own mind, I want to understand the certainty of the language. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I would like to seek clarity from the law clerk as well. Just an observation, fundamentally, I think it goes to the heart of this proposed legislation that there is distinction between settlement areas and areas that don't have a land claim that could be perhaps referred to as regions or treaty areas. My question is: would settlement areas also mean treaty areas? Thank you.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Three couples of the Deh Cho riding celebrated long-term anniversaries with family get-togethers, dinners, and dances. The loving couples were treated like royalty by their families and created lots of love and happiness in their community.

The union of two people in love and major is a special moment in life. Living and building a life together commonly brings the joy of children and family. Of course, there are the low points and the challenges, but working through those moments together only make you stronger. I am happy to recognize the following married couples who...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. That's all, thank you.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Most of the communities in the Northwest Territories are in locations that have been long used by Dene, in key locations on rivers and waterways. Fur traders and priests later built permanent settlements around the trading posts and churches, and our traditional gathering places have now become our permanent homes.

Mr. Speaker, [translation] if we do that, it would be good for us. We need to do that with Fort Providence. People, we still remember where the gathering is. That is why we need to protect those areas, and sometimes we need to protect the water. Sometimes, it's...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The motion before us, I support the idea because I think, as Northerners, sometimes we are given what we receive and sometimes we do not have a choice. What we are facing is an imposition of a tax, and, seeing people struggling in small communities, you know, a further tax on their household income is crazy, I mean, if I could just put it bluntly, especially at this point, as we kind of move towards the idea of an election. People will gauge your performance on whether you support a tax or not, and that is what we are facing at this point. Besides that, I serve on the...

I was trying to highlight the Small Community Employment Support Program that has been in existence for some time. It is available for small communities to try to create employment projects in their communities. I am supposing that the Minister is quite familiar with that. I wanted to ask her: what are some of the successful projects that have been carried out so far with this program?

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. In Fort Providence, there is an interest in terms of establishing a trail from perhaps the base of the Deh Cho bridge all the way to Fort Providence, and the community wants to create a project to draw in more tourists at the same time as trying to create a decent option up there for people who drive long ways up north, to give them an opportunity to walk the historical trail along the Deh Cho. My question is to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment: is there a program or funding available to create historical or interpretative signs for trails? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister has touched on some key points in terms of, perhaps, long-term views of the Small Community Employment Support Program. Will the program continue, and what are the future plans for this program? Mahsi.