Norman Yakeleya

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So if the citizens of the Sahtu region wish to change the dates of the spring break to take advantage of the traditional on-the-land spring hunt activities, they would then have to contact or lobby the Sahtu educational board. Is that correct? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in my Member’s statement today, I talked about the children, about needing them to go on a scheduled spring break and take advantage of our annual spring hunts on the land with their parents and elders. Can the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment tell me whether there is a requirement by the department to hold spring breaks at certain times of the year? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I was pleased to see part of our northern culture come into the Legislative Assembly, such as the feeding-the-fire ceremony and the drumming of the Inuvialuit people here.

Mr. Speaker, spring is outside, spring is in the air, and so are the geese and ducks. Many of the Sahtu people are still on their annual spring hunts while some of them are already out on the land and extending their time out there. It is a happy time out on the land, sharing nature’s beauty and annual renewal.

Last year, Mr. Speaker, we accounted for over 451 people who went out on...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the Minister’s efforts to see if we can get an agreement signed with the Sahtu people. I don’t know the details of how these agreements come about in terms of the Gwich’in situation. I’m asking if the Minister could commit, if this government could commit, to see if that within the five or six months that the agreement can be signed with this government and the Sahtu beneficiaries on chapter 12 of the Sahtu Dene/Metis Land Claim Agreement. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. For whatever reasons it’s taken us so long for the Sahtu, there was a letter sent to the Aboriginal Affairs department in terms of the Sahtu wanting to enter into an agreement with the Government of the Northwest Territories on the economic measures. I guess I would like to ask the Minister to advise us when this letter will be discussed, or if it will be discussed as a Cabinet decision or a Ministerial discussion in terms of when they see light at the end of the day in terms of signing something with the Sahtu beneficiaries. They’re very anxious to move on this and get...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would ask the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment if he would look into having children who may wish to go out on the land during the spring breaks as part of their educational curriculum so that they are not dinged for missing certain days of the school year, so that is maybe an educational social issue or health issue that is part of the curriculum. Would the Minister commit to look into some type of option that would support this initiative? Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Then can the Minister confirm for me that the education authorities can decide on their own when spring breaks will occur in the year?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to recognize also some of the distinguished members from the Northwest Territories who are here from outside of the capital. I’d also like to recognize constituent Ethel Blondin-Andrew and her husband Leon Andrew and the staff member Sarah Cleary to the House. Also, I would like to recognize Antoine Mountain from Fort Good Hope, a painter here in Yellowknife; and John B. Zoe from the Tlicho territory. Mahsi and welcome. Spring is out so it is hard to sit in here.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Minister. Mr. Speaker, will the Minister look into the possibilities of using GNWT’s additional resources? He made a commitment earlier to look at that to increase the capacity of the UCEP to make it more accessible to the NWT residents, especially through the student financial services in regard to the Metis people. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, last week, I raised the issue of access to federal funding for the University and College Entry Program, known as the UCEP program. The Minister of Education, Culture and Employment made a commitment to speak with the federal government about the discriminatory nature of the program towards individuals of Metis heritage. I have follow-up questions for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Given that there are more people, both status and non-status, to access the UCEP program than there is space and given that it may take some time before the...