Masi, Speaker-elect. [Translation] Our language and culture is very important to us. It identifies who we are. The question that is posed to us, if we were to look at our languages, we talked about this as one of the priorities of the 19th Assembly, the 19 Members. We need to put that forward and make it stronger. We have all departments, and, if we take a look at our languages, it seems like it is under education but at the bottom of the list. I think it should be a different department for language, culture, and heritage. There are a lot of people who are advocating for that, and they are saying that we should make this as a priority and create its own department. Even our elders are in support of this. If we were to create a different department, I think it would be very important. If we had that as a separate portfolio of the government, the federal government would take us more seriously. We have all these official languages, and the more we use our language, they would listen. When they look at us, they look at the Department of Education, and language doesn't seem to be a priority in Department of Education. I think we have to have our people use the language and to practise their culture. I think it's important that maybe we create our own portfolio. I think it will get stronger once we do that. As Dene people, Dene leadership would be very happy if we did that. It is their priority that we want to push forward. That's what they want us to do. Masi [translation ends].
Jackson Lafferty on Election Of Premier
On October 24th, 2019. See this statement in context.
Questions by Members
Election Of Premier
Election Of Premier
October 23rd, 2019
Page 65
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