Richard Edjericon

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Minister commit to revising the honorarium policy for traditional knowledge by doubling the base rate in addition to increase the base on inflation? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Well, that's hard shoes to fill in. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Anyways, I just want to mention that in regards to my Member's statement earlier about honorariums, I'm just thinking back in 1999, when I was a chief for Yellowknives Dene First Nation and back then our band councils were given $250 a day. And since then, 24 years later, you know, I'm sure the rates have gone up. But anyway, the current rate of honorarium is set at $250 a day and was last updated in 2009. Inflation has increased by 32 percent since then, not to mention our economy's being hit with the global recession and global...

Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you, Minister, for that clarification. But we got 33 communities in the Northwest Territories, and we don't have a lot of government jobs in our communities. So, you know, I'm so it makes it really tough for constituent members in our communities that really need the care and services of the healthcare card that we have. But I just wanted to maybe let the Minister know that if I think you know, if there's a way we could take a look at the medical travel policy and maybe have a thorough review of this policy so that I know it's a tough job that...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I just want to talk a little bit about some of the issues I have in my riding. I've been as you know, I've been dealing with the majority of my calls are coming from my constituents are medical travel and housing. And this year has been overwhelming. I just wanted to share a story with you about a member a constituent member who went south from Fort Resolution to go visit family. And when he got south, they were there for a few days and then he had a massive heart attack. And he had to be hospitalized in Edmonton at the Royal Alex Hospital. And anyways, he got the...

Thank you, Madam Chairman. And thank you, Minister, for that clarification. So essentially, so the chairman for the Aurora College now will be communicating with you and the office vice versa so it's no different than the regional DEAs and chairmans etcetera. So having said that though, as you know, in the Northwest Territories and from our experience and it's coming up in a lot of meetings I attended, even when I was a chief and attending the Tlicho assemblies, the Dene Nation assemblies, the AFN assemblies, etcetera, even at the national level, there's always been a big gap in education...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am doing a eulogy for the late Carmelle Rose Landry from Fort Resolution.

Carmelle Rose Landry was born in Hay River on May 10th, 1975 to her parents Angelina and Howard. She grew up with her mom Angelina and dad Howard. Carmelle lived in various communities throughout her life until she decided to reside and build her home in Edmonton with her beautiful children Breanna Rose, Caitlin Dawn, and Shayden Lawrence Henry.

Carmelle was a homemaker. She loved her children dearly and ensured they had a happy life with her and strong traditional values. Carmelle...

Thank you for that, Madam Chairman. I guess the Minister maybe could convey my issue or concerns to the president of the Aurora College and let them know that if we could get this position filled right away, and it's important that and, again, the people in the community in my riding are saying that well, you know, geesh, we got issues in education, concerns, etcetera, but they don't know who to call. They're phoning me and saying well, when's the position going to be filled, etcetera. So if I could get you to maybe communicate that to the Department of Aurora College and their people and...

Thank you, Madam Chair. Anyways, I'm just in regards to Aurora College, I'm just looking under the organization structure. So under the structure, you have the Education Act that more or less created the Department of Education, Culture and Employment office. And then under that office, then you have regional DEAs and they have their own boards and there's agreements in place and they administer their own education at the local level, etcetera. So then in terms of communications, so mostly like the chairman of those DEAs will respond or report to the Minister or vice versa type of thing. So I...

Madam Chair, anyway thank you for your response Mr. Minister. I was going to also just say that I put out an invitation a few weeks ago in the House here, tabled it, and I just want to know if maybe you want to make a time I'd like to see if you could come along in maybe May or April, May sometime into our my riding just to meet with the chief and council and the Metis council just to meet and greet and maybe listen. And so I just want to put that out there. Mahsi.

I have one more question. And thank you for that. And I really appreciate that. And my last question would be is that I know coming in here a year in my term already and I'm trying to throw some luggage on the train, and I mentioned this to the Premier the train left the station back in 2019 and but anyway, it's something that when I go to the community of Dettah, one of my home communities, they always talk about a new school. And I was apprentice back in 1981. We were still doing the maintenance on that building. So I'm just wondering maybe it's something that we could probably get a...