Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. [Translation] The knowledge of the elders is very important. [Translation ends]
[English translation not provided.]
Mr. Speaker, I would just like to thank the Member for putting this motion forward. As I stated in my language, it is because of the elders of the past and the elders of the present that I still speak my language. I would like to thank them for that. I am a firm believer in having elders in school as well. We do have elders in schools and we’ll continue to provide those services.
I think this motion basically provides us more strength to move forward on what we have done in the past and where we are now. As we move forward, we need to strengthen our stand as the GNWT as the Department of Education, along with the Members, along with the communities, the leadership, the educators in the communities, because it has to start from home, as well, at the community level. We’ve heard over and over at the Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiatives, regions that we visited, that elders should be in schools. They carry the tradition. They carry the stories. We’re firm believers in that and we want to carry that message forward. We need to revive the stories of the past, Mr. Speaker.
The Member alluded to the Government of Nunavut, the elders handbook to support their
elders certification initiatives. This is an area that we are exploring and work is underway. Mr. Speaker, this is an initiative that’s before us in various aspects of the work that we do and it’s just giving us more to strengthen our role as a department.
Mr. Speaker, this motion is instruction to government, Cabinet, so we will be abstaining from the vote. Mahsi.