This is page numbers 689 - 717 of the Hansard for the 12th Assembly, 5th Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was community.

James Arvaluk Aivilik

Thank you, Madam Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Safety and Public Services. Given that there are some instances of price gouging going on in the small communities, especially in those communities where there is no competition, people in the communities have no real idea what Consumer Affairs does. Can the Minister tell me what kind of advertising the department does to make sure people, particularly in the small communities, know what Consumer Affairs can do for them?

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Minister of Safety and Public Services, Mr. Nerysoo.

Richard Nerysoo Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I'm not totally aware of all the advertising that is being done, so I'll take the question as notice and report back all the advertising and information that we provide to our communities.

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Item 5, oral questions. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Antoine.

Jim Antoine Nahendeh

Mahsi, Madam Speaker. According to my statement today about March being Aboriginal Languages Month, I would like to ask the Minister responsible for languages, the Honourable Richard Nerysoo, does the Government of the Northwest Territories recognize that March is Aboriginal Languages Month? If they recognize that it is,

what has the government done to promote, support and enhance aboriginal languages for the month of March?

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Mr. Antoine, you have asked two questions of the Minister. Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment.

Richard Nerysoo Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I would ask that the question be deferred to the Premier, who is responsible for the matter of the aboriginal languages agreement.

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Madam Premier.

Return To Question 321-12(5): GNWT Publicity Of Aboriginal Languages Month
Question 321-12(5): GNWT Publicity Of Aboriginal Languages Month
Item 5: Oral Questions

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Nellie Cournoyea Nunakput

Madam Speaker, in this last week, the issue of setting Aboriginal Languages Month was discussed between myself and the department. There is an initiative to proclaim a week or day or something to recognize this very special month. The question I asked is what the program of activities is to recognize the very important matter. We didn't have a program. We didn't have a plan of events to enhance this notification so people will have aboriginal languages brought to their attention. We are fully informed that this special month has been proclaimed.

My suggestion to the department is that we plan for another time, maybe three months from now before school ends, to set aside our own week. It should be accompanied with proper advertising, proper input, with special activities around it. At this time, it would be very simple to go along with the flow and proclaim something, but I don't believe we should just proclaim a week or a month and do nothing about it.

We are planning some activities and we will be proclaiming, once we have those activities in place, activities with schools, adult education and we will put out posters at that time. Madam Speaker, I'm not suggesting that we are ignoring this special time, but I believe we have to do something more than just proclaim a month and not have a program and action behind it. Thank you.

Return To Question 321-12(5): GNWT Publicity Of Aboriginal Languages Month
Question 321-12(5): GNWT Publicity Of Aboriginal Languages Month
Item 5: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Antoine.

Supplementary To Question 321-12(5): GNWT Publicity Of Aboriginal Languages Month
Question 321-12(5): GNWT Publicity Of Aboriginal Languages Month
Item 5: Oral Questions

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Jim Antoine Nahendeh

Mahsi, Madam Speaker. As Dene, I started speaking my own language first and learning English later. I totally support this Aboriginal Languages Month. This was declared by the chiefs of the Assembly of First Nations on March 30, 1993. There has been sufficient time to plan, in coordination with other First Nations in Canada, to recognize aboriginal languages. Previously, there was just one day, March 31, that was recognized. It was recognized that one day a year was not sufficient time to raise awareness of the aboriginal languages. It was decided to set aside a month for this.

Letters went out to First Nations schools, so that schools could be involved in this. I would like to ask the Premier, if she is responsible for this, if anything has yet been done by the government to recognize March as Aboriginal Languages Month in the schools and communities. Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 321-12(5): GNWT Publicity Of Aboriginal Languages Month
Question 321-12(5): GNWT Publicity Of Aboriginal Languages Month
Item 5: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Madam Premier.

Further Return To Question 321-12(5): GNWT Publicity Of Aboriginal Languages Month
Question 321-12(5): GNWT Publicity Of Aboriginal Languages Month
Item 5: Oral Questions

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Nellie Cournoyea Nunakput

Madam Speaker, I realize that this was proclaimed by the Assembly of First Nations. When we discussed this earlier this week, I did a bit of fact-finding to find out what the aboriginal nations had done about it themselves and what active programs were being developed. To this point, I see none. All I'm saying is that I believe it is important and it is being recognized. It is not that we are discarding it, but I feel we can proclaim a week, sometime in the future, to make sure that we do the action required to give it a little more support than just verbal acclamation. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 321-12(5): GNWT Publicity Of Aboriginal Languages Month
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Item 5: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Item 5, oral questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. Whitford.

Tony Whitford

Tony Whitford Yellowknife South

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I would like to direct a question to the Minister responsible for the Department of Transportation. I have in front of me an ad for a transportation planner that has been advertised in the Toronto Globe and Mail. As we all know, the Toronto Globe and Mail is a fairly broadly distributed newspaper. It is very expensive to advertise in it, something like $1,500 for an ad that we can get here in the Northwest Territories for something like $250.

The point of this whole thing, Madam Speaker, is why are we advertising in southern newspapers when we should be advertising in the north? I thought we had a buy north and hire north policy. What is the policy of the department when it comes to advertising, not senior positions, but positions like this in southern newspapers?

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you, Mr. Whitford. Your question should be posed to the Minister of Personnel, who is responsible for advertising. However, I do not see the Minister in the House. Madam Premier.

Nellie Cournoyea Nunakput

Madam Speaker, I just want to note that the Minister is out of the House because she had an urgent call that her daughter was ill. She should be back momentarily. So, if you want to pose that a little later, she will be back shortly.

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Item 5, oral questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Lewis.

Brian Lewis Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Madam Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Renewable Resources. I've heard some discussion about a fact-finding mission to some European countries in connection with the fur trade. I would like to ask

the Minister exactly what is the intention or the purpose of this visit.

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Minister of Renewable Resources, Mr. Kakfwi.

Return To Question 323-12(5): Purpose Of European Visit
Question 323-12(5): Purpose Of European Visit
Item 5: Oral Questions

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Stephen Kakfwi

Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu

Madam Speaker, the visit that we're planning to have in the next few weeks would be to make contact with the various governments of the European countries. For myself to meet with the Ministers of Environment in each respective country to convey to them the seriousness of the situation as we see it, regarding the implications of their regulations and the economic European community regarding import of wild furs after December 1994. To ask them specifically to intervene on our behalf, to recognize that people cannot forget that Canada has an abundance of wildlife, but also aboriginal people who are dependent and living in coexistence with that wildlife. European people should be equally if not more concerned about the survival of aboriginal people and not just the foxes, bears and seals that run around this country. Thank you.

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The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Lewis.

Supplementary To Question 323-12(5): Purpose Of European Visit
Question 323-12(5): Purpose Of European Visit
Item 5: Oral Questions

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Brian Lewis Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Madam Speaker. The Minister knows that the people who are concerned with animal welfare are a very tough bunch of people. I would like to ask the Minister what approach is he going to take on his visit in dealing with people who have forces that are pushing them very, very powerfully in the opposite direction?

Supplementary To Question 323-12(5): Purpose Of European Visit
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Item 5: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Minister of Renewable Resources, Mr. Kakfwi.

Further Return To Question 323-12(5): Purpose Of European Visit
Question 323-12(5): Purpose Of European Visit
Item 5: Oral Questions

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Stephen Kakfwi

Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu

Madam Speaker, the message to these governments will be that the Europeans may not think they are the only people in the world who are concerned about wildlife. We are concerned about our wildlife as well, and we will give them some examples of some of the work we do which is recognized internationally for the manner in which we will conduct ourselves in the management and the preservation of wildlife. And that they have a few things to learn from us, judging from the situation they have in Europe. There are some things we can work on together. There are some requirements for Europeans to recognize that beating up and wiping out the lifestyle of aboriginal people is about the worst thing they could do in their over-zealousness to protect wildlife. The best protection that wildlife has in the world are the aboriginal people who have lived, survived and depended on them for the thousands of years that we've existed. Thank you.