I guess the article that the honourable Member read sounded like a teacher who had runout of work or something -- I am not sure if that was the case -- because the fact is that the article that the honourable Member read was actually an article that was written by a teacher in Hamilton, Ontario.

I just want to say to him that some of the issues are important to consider, but they have to be considered in the context of the people you are serving, because you have a situation where the community and the circumstances in which we work have changed so dramatically that some of the issues have to be dealt with, not only in terms of critical thinking but in the ability of young people to operate in the technology that is now available to us. It puts a lot more pressure, I think, on students today than was probably the case for us.

I appreciate the comments that the honourable Member has made. I just want to say a couple of things. I agree on the matter of the standards. Just so that the honourable Member and Members are aware, that is, I think, one of the reasons we had an opportunity, with the Ministers of Education, to review the whole matter of a consistent curriculum across the country. There is a real need for us to be able to allow our students to go from one jurisdiction to the other without necessarily hindering them. In other words, it should not be difficult for a student from the Northwest Territories to go to British Columbia, or for a student from British Columbia to go to Newfoundland. There have been so many inconsistencies across the country that it's caused more problems for our students in terms of trying to move back and forth.

The other important component with that particular review of curriculum is to ensure that we have high standards in this country. I think that one of the problems that we have had, and I think the honourable Member has again pointed out, is the whole issue of trying to ensure that the standards are high and will allow our students to be able to enter into universities and enter into training programs without necessarily losing time as a result of their quality of education. So I agree with the honourable Member on the concern with regard to standards. I think it's a concern across the country.

Just on a couple of issues, though. I do want to say that I think, despite the fact that we may want a consistent and standard curriculum across this country, communities also have differing requirements. All we have to do is look at the whole matter of the Dene Kede curriculum where, in a historical sense or a traditional sense, we, as aboriginal people, want our children to understand our educational system and those things we have learned as adults growing up in our communities; the kinds of interpretations we give to science, our relationships with each other and our spiritual nature.

Those have to be provided in the context of ensuring that those children have the capacity to operate in this modern world. In other words, there is no need for us to teach traditional education if they are unable to use a computer or unable to communicate with a community outside their own community.

So, in that context, there is a lot of work on our pad to bring together those two situations. My only view in that situation is that we, as a jurisdiction, probably lead most other provinces and territories in this area, and I think, from a quality perspective, we should be very proud of our own aboriginal people who are leading this area. I think the support that the honourable Member and Members in this House have given to the matter of more aboriginal teachers and more northern teachers who understand the north and the people, will only offer us a better and more optimistic future.

The honourable Member raised the issue of quality. I don't have a problem with it. I think that quality of education is necessary. The whole matter of excellence is always a matter of subjectivity. It is always a matter of measuring.

It also requires parents. If parents aren't interested in their children being part of the educational system and encourage them to go to school, then it makes it more difficult. I know the

Member, who has taken a serious interest in the education of his own children and takes seriously the issue of education generally, understands how important it is for parents to play an important role. That hasn't always been the case, but I think that raising the profile of education will help that.

One other last point, Mr. Chairman. I know it becomes very difficult to deal with the whole issue of treaty and aboriginal rights. There are two elements to the debate.

One, the argument that has been put forward by aboriginal and treaty people generally is that it is really none of the business of the territorial government to explicitly define their rights as they might exist, whether or not it's through claims agreements or the redefinition of treaties.

As an aboriginal person, my personal position, and it should be quite clear, is that I don't have a problem supporting the views of the aboriginal people in that context, but it can't be that, we define it and then are told that we are not a party to the agreement. The fact is, in my view, it really is an issue between the federal government and the aboriginal people. In the context of saying that they have rights, without question, this government has said that we support that. Our problem right now, it I could, Mr. Chairman, is that we have a very difficult time trying to be more explicit in what those rights are, but we do agree that they exist, and the issues should not only be contained in the legislation itself but also in the context of the policies that we develop.

The concern of the Member on post-secondary education, we have agreed and are obligated to live up to the general policies of Indian Affairs and have, in fact, exceeded that, but it's our belief that we must, at the very least, maintain our commitment to the students.

The other component that we still must have clarification on is on the role of the federal government providing additional resources, because we have been placed in a position where, as a result of federal policies, we now have to assume the responsibility of all status Indians and Inuit across the country who were originally from here. Previously, they assumed the responsibility in the provinces. So we are now being forced into assuming that responsibility without the necessary additional resources to implement that. But that was a matter of public policy and it makes it very difficult.

Just so that the honourable Member is aware of these factors, I think, in committing to the honourable Member and aboriginal people our support, these are factors that really have to be considered in the discussion. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.