Oral questions. Ms. Mike.

Thank you Mr. Speaker. I have a question to the Minister of Culture and Communications. Mr. Speaker, in 1989, an agreement was signed by several southern Canadian museums, the Inuit Cultural Institute, the GNWT and DIAND. Under the terms of this agreement, DIAND has transferred ownership of 1668 pieces of fine Inuit art to ICI to be held and cared for by the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre. Mr. Speaker, I have strong concern for the way these items from our cultural history have been treated since they came into the hands of the Northwest Territories. My question is, will the Minister of Culture and Communications confirm that none of the records of the ICI collection have been entered into the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre's computer data base?

Mr. Allooloo.

Thank you Mr. Speaker. I know that these pieces that our government was able to negotiate with the federal government to take, these artifacts, from Ottawa to the Northwest Territories, because of the lack of space that we have in the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre, are housed in the trailer. Subsequently, after the artifacts arrived at the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre, the catalogue was taken, and it was documented in the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre for those pieces.

I asked my department, about two years ago, to see if they could plan to properly house these artifacts. As a result, the department came back with the proposal to put some resources into the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre to properly house the artifacts. As the Member knows, this Legislature did not agree with the department, and it was ultimately voted down. At this moment, Mr. Speaker, I do not know where these artifacts could properly be housed in the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre. I have asked my department what we should do with these artifacts that are currently housed in the trailer beside the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre, and they are reviewing what we should do with them. There is no adequate housing available, either in the ICI region or any other region at this moment, but my department is looking into it to see what we should do with them. Thank you.

Supplementary, Ms. Mike.

Mr. Speaker, he did not answer the question I asked. My question was, the records that ICI has on the Inuit art collection that was acquired from DIAND - are they entered into computer data base at Northern Heritage Centre?

Mr. Allooloo.

Thank you Mr. Speaker. That information is available. I do not know if they are entered into the main computer of the government or of the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre, but we have a list of artifacts that were given to us at the Northern Heritage Centre. We

have that information. Thank you.

Supplementary, Ms. Mike.

Mr. Speaker, I have other supplementaries on this same question. I am not talking about artifacts. Artifacts are the ones that are dug up from historic sites. I am talking about the Inuit art collection that was acquired from the federal government in 1987. My supplementary, Mr. Speaker, to the Minister of Culture and Communications, is that I understand that a small selection of ICI collection sculptures is currently on exhibit at the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre in Yellowknife. But there is neither a plan nor the money to produce other exhibits of this collection in the future. Can the Minister tell the House, what is the benefit of this government's acquisition of these materials, since most are locked away where no one can see them and research activities are hampered by the absence of a computerized data base?

Mr. Allooloo.

As the Minister responsible for Culture and Communications, I am questioning that myself. As you know, we had plans to properly house these carvings and artifacts that we got from the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs. This Legislature did not see fit to spend the money to properly house these artifacts and carvings that we got from the Government of Canada. Mr. Speaker, as I said, I have asked my department what we should do with this artifacts and carvings that are historically important to the Inuit. It was an initiative of this government and the ICI people and the former Deputy Commissioner to get the artifacts and the carvings from the Government of Canada, to properly put them into the hands of the NWT people.

My department will come back, hopefully in the near future, to give me a plan as to what we should do with these carvings. Thank you.

Your last supplementary, Ms. Mike.

I did not realize I have used up my supps on the same question, Mr. Speaker. I am not talking about housing these Inuit art collections. I am asking the Minister if the records kept by the Inuit Cultural Institute on this Inuit art collection that was acquired from the federal government -- is he aware whether or not they are entered into computer data base at the Northern Heritage Centre?

Mr. Allooloo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I said, Mr. Speaker, I do not know if that information is entered into the main computer, but we have the information as to what kinds of artifacts and carvings we got from the government; we have a list. Thank you.

Oral questions. Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In followup to the question by my colleague from Pangnirtung, I would like to ask the Minister of Culture and Communications an additional question. I believe my colleague is indicating a concern of what the Minister is going to be doing with respect to the artifacts. The Minister indicates that he would like to see what the department decides. I believe the Minister should make' a decision as to what should be done. Recognizing the concern of my colleague, that this collection not only represents an asset of approximately five million dollars, but that these pieces have been crafted by Inuit people and that they are an important part of your Inuit history, will the Minister advise this House and undertake a comprehensive review of all aspects of storage, security, research and exhibit practices relative to this collection that is done at the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre?

Mr. Allooloo.

Thank you. Yes.

I would like to recognize in the gallery, Mr. Gary Bohnet, the president of the Metis Nation, and a former colleague and former Member of Parliament and the present chairman of the NWT Water Board, Mr. Dave Nickerson.

--- Applause

Oral questions. Mr. Dent.

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes.