This budget itself doesn’t represent an increase for core funding. As it is, it’s a small amount, the Member is correct, when it comes to operations in any community in the Northwest Territories. Again, this is an example of how we do things different as the federal government doesn’t have any core funding for Metis, which they do for bands across this country.

I would be prepared, if Members of this Assembly want to take a serious look at this level for the next business planning cycle. If Members are interested

in this area, I would be prepared to sit down with Members to see if we can incorporate any possible changes as we go forward. Thank you.

From this side here, I certainly appreciate the Minister’s willingness to look at this. There are certainly no guarantees in any type of reallocation or jigging of the numbers here or even to increase it. So I do appreciate his openness to see if we can get some support to have a look at it and maybe come back in the coming year to see if we can do something with this.

I do want to talk to the Minister regarding the special event funding for aboriginal organizations. Is it okay for the Minister to provide us with a list of the type of organizations and funding we can have? I know some of the groups I have in the Sahtu want to have access to this funding. This is very popular funding because there’s not much money here, but it’s a good thing. More of a request of information from the Minister and then I’m done, Mr. Chair. Thank you.

I will provide a note to Members about both the special events funding. It’s $75,000 a year; $5,000 per application for each regional aboriginal government organization to help offset costs for holding special events such as general assemblies or special assemblies and celebrations that mark milestone anniversaries of settled agreements, for example.

Also part of that fund is $1,000 in support to community-based aboriginal organizations and that’s band councils, Metis locals, community corporations, Native Women’s Association, to help celebrate National Aboriginal Day. We have a list of how that funding has been allocated in the past and we’ll get that provided to Members. Thank you.

I’m good for that page.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Questions on page 4-11?

Mr. Beaulieu.

Just one question on the special events funding to aboriginal organizations. Mr. Chairman, I wonder if the Minister could advise me if this budget is fully taken at the end of the fiscal year each year.

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the funding is usually fully subscribed; in fact, oversubscribed. It is not a large amount. For example, with the Dene Nation, there is more than one assembly they’ve had and they’ve qualified a number of times for that. So we go up to what we can. If there is any possible funding we have in other areas of the department, sometimes we top it up. But that information will show, as it

goes around to Members, the previous years’ allocations. Thank you.

One more comment on that page. I would also support to see core funding increased to Metis locals. I have one Metis local in Tu Nedhe, so they are always finding ways to get funding to do various initiatives in the community. They are fairly active and so on. That is something I would support as well. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. I didn’t hear a question there. Committee, we are on page 4-11, Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations, activity summary, corporate management, operations expenditure summary, $2.421 million. Agreed?

Page 4-12, activity summary, corporate management, grants and contributions, grants, total grants, $300,000.

Page 4-13, information item, corporate management, active positions.

Questions?

Page 4-15, activity summary, Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations, negotiations, operations expenditure summary, Mr. Yakeleya... Mr. Beaulieu, excuse me.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am wondering if this section of the department is responsible for the land use plans from the various self-government organizations.

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Minister Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, in the negotiations section we would be involved, for example, when it comes to the negotiation time of it and what’s being negotiated, but for actual land use framework plans, I believe it is within the Department of Environment and Natural Resources that deals with that area specifically. Again, this area of negotiations, we’d be involved with at the negotiation process and then the further section on implementation, we would have some involvement on that side of it too. Thank you.

I’m wondering if the Minister could advise me if there’s any involvement at all such as taking the position in how the land use plans are laid out from the various aboriginal organizations, like any position at all in the area of land use plans. Thank you.