Norman Yakeleya

Would the Minister, then, inform the House and people of the Northwest Territories that he would seriously consider this position is not in the territorial government and is something he would seriously look at in terms of helping healing and reconciliation of residential school survivors and the parents of these children that were taken to these schools?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question today is to the Minister of Department of Executive regarding residential school survivors, more specifically to the parents who went to the school. Mr. Speaker, I have asked the Minister what type of programs this government is doing to support the residential schools survivors.

On the outfitters in terms of the ownership, can the Minister confirm if there have been no changes to the ownership of the Arctic Red Outfitters and that there’s no licence that needs to be changed in terms of this issue? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to continue on my questions to the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources in regard to outfitter activities in the Mackenzie Mountains. Mr. Speaker, the magnitude of this issue is that there are eight outfitters licensed by the GNWT that cover 51,000 square miles in the Mackenzie Mountains. Mr. Speaker, I want to ask the Minister, in terms of the outfitters’ activity there, does his department monitor the agreements between the GNWT and the groups there in terms of an outfitter’s agreement, in terms of employment or in terms of agreed things that should be...

When I was with the Sahtu Tribal Council as chief negotiator and negotiated these agreements in good faith with Canada, the GNWT, and certainly we fought hard with the outfitters in terms of these rights here. So, Mr. Speaker, I look forward to discussion with the Minister on how to resolve this particular legal issue here.

I would ask the Minister, can he confirm that any changes to the ownership by an outfitter requires that a new outfitter’s licence be applied for?

Thank you. Just on the question in terms of the amount we’re spending and the magnitude of this conference, I guess I want to ask the Minister what are we going to get in terms of this budget item here, participating at the conference.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, in terms of the questions that Mr. Krutko, the Mackenzie Delta MLA, has been asking in regard to the outfitters. The bigger picture here that I want to ask this Minister is confirming that the government is taking all the appropriate steps to ensure that full legal compliance with the Sahtu Dene and Metis Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement in regard to this issue and probably to other issues that are going to be looked at.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the Member for Mackenzie Delta has stated, the owners of this sale are mostly the foreign people, Americans, in terms of this new outfitting business. Now I want to ask the Minister in terms of the licensing of the outfitter areas, we have a percentage in the Sahtu. Again, does that automatically make a new licence or amend the licence so this new outfitter can operate in our region without getting the proper consent from the Sahtu people under our land claim that is constitutionally protected?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This government has an obligation to respect the rights given to the people in the Sahtu and their claim. The honour of the Crown demands no less. Mr. Speaker, at the appropriate time I will be asking the Minister questions about this matter. Thank you.

Certainly as I stand here with my friend from the Mackenzie Delta in terms of this issue, I want to again say when this issue came up...Has the Minister considered going to an arbitration panel in terms of this important issue? It’s very important in my region. Has the Minister thought to look at a process through an arbitration panel?