Norman Yakeleya

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. The federal government signed a Water Stewardship Strategy that includes action items to include water quality monitoring in the Northwest Territories. The federal government signed land claims agreements that committed to sustainable, unaltered water quality. The federal government signed a Devolution Agreement-in-Principle that was based on 23 active water quality stations in the Northwest Territories.

This is sad conduct on the government’s commitment to clean, abundant water. It’s an insult to the people of the Northwest Territories and all...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. From time immemorial our elders were taught by their elders, just as I was taught by my elders. Mr. Speaker, the basics to me that was taught by the elders is that our land is alive, powerful and even holy.

Mr. Speaker, part of our understanding is about the value of our land, which also means the water; they are both the same. We understand the importance of clean water, the source of all life. Without it, surely we will all perish.

That’s why I am very concerned about the future of the Northwest Territories water quality. Two weeks ago the federal government suspended...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation.

How many lots owned by the NWT Housing Corporation were previously owned by community members?

How many grievances were filed with the NWTHC regarding lots previously owned by community members?

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Shame on this federal government for scaling back on such an essential part of our life: the water.

I want to ask the Minister, the water quality monitoring in our national parks has been suspended, leaving our parks really vulnerable. I want to ask the Minister, in his Water Strategy with the federal government, now, I’m not too sure how good that document is, but I believe the Minister is working very hard and it’s a fine document. What will it take the federal government to know that these responsibilities, the core of our people, and leaving national parks in as...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to ask the Minister further questions on the issue I just spoke about. Mr. Speaker, I live on the Mackenzie River. A lot of my people also live on the river and live in areas where water is their source of life. The Auditor General report from 2010 states that water quality monitoring in the North is not adequate. The federal government signed a Water Stewardship Strategy with the GNWT that talks about improving the water quality monitoring in the Northwest Territories. In closing, Mr. Speaker, the federal government signed a land claim agreement within the...

The Government of the Northwest Territories is actively engaged in negotiations with the Devolution Agreement-in-Principle. In there it states 23 monitoring stations. Right now we’re reduced to two. What is it going to cost us? Even in the list here, there are parks in the Northwest Territories that are not going to have any type of monitoring station there. What is it going to cost our government if we want to continue with all these 23 that the federal government is only going to fund two stations? The federal government totally disrespects the people of the North and the land claims...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of ENR. We heard through the grapevine and have been notified that the federal government, through Environment Canada, has suspended 21 of the 23 water quality monitoring stations in the Northwest Territories. I want to ask the Minister what his assessment is of how long Environment Canada would be suspending these operations, and does the federal government acknowledge their signed commitments under the Water Strategy agreements with our government.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When the federal government began to establish itself in our communities and to assume the responsibilities of our lives and to govern all aspects of our lifestyle by first signing the treaties and the Metis script, then to work with the missionaries to convert our people into civilized people, and furthermore, to support the trading companies to begin the first economic development programs with fur trading, slowly over the years more and more established structures began to be part of our present life today. One of the biggest single established infrastructures that...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The way I understood and the way I’ve seen devolution unfold, it’s like the birthing of a new nation. Any transition to a new form of life, there’s growing pains. The birthing of a new nation is through the devolution process.

When there are time constraints put on negotiations or time pressures, decisions have to be made. I agree that decisions possibly had to be made. I’m not too aware of what type of decisions that needed to be made because we weren’t part to the actual negotiations or the meetings with the federal government. I understand that some of the Aboriginal...