(Translation) How did they gain that understanding of snow and ice textures that my honourable colleague from Natilikmiot spoke about yesterday. I will guarantee that they did not learn these things by watching educational videos, or reading textbooks, or writing an essay about them, or going on a field trip. They learned them like I did, Mr. Speaker, from the elders and the hunters of our communities.

Mr. Speaker, aboriginal wisdom is best learned by becoming a part of our surroundings, and by relying on the uncles, parents, grandparents, or others, who know about our way of life. Mr. Speaker, I should oppose the assimilation of our traditional way of teaching youth within the educational system of another culture. I am also concerned about the possibility that the effectiveness of the standard curriculum, the math, the geography, and the spelling, is being diluted by the artificial focus our schools are putting on the notion of cultural education.

I would like to see the Northwest Territories educational system reflect the fact that we do have several cultures, each with different learning styles. Cultural values and knowledge should be taught to our youth by the leaders and elders in our communities, not by teachers and principals who look at them as just another element of the school curriculum.

That, Mr. Speaker, is the only way to ensure that we retain active living aboriginal cultures in the Northwest Territories. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.