Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, that's a huge question. Historically, I would say that the Health and Social Services Department in the Northwest Territories has not made responding to Indigenous healing practice a priority, but since becoming the Minister of Health and Social Services I've clearly heard from Indigenous leaders and residents across the Northwest Territories that we need to find ways to support traditional healing in our health and social services system. Mr. Speaker, that's why in November 2016 I tabled a commitment to action document titled "Building a Culturally Respectful Health and Social Services System."
Mr. Speaker, one of the key commitments in this document includes understanding and respecting traditional healing and finding ways to incorporate it within our system. Staff are currently working towards developing an action plan with traditional healing as one of the action pillars.
Mr. Speaker, in addition, when I met with Indigenous leaders from across the Northwest Territories over the past several years I've heard that we need to work in partnership to ensure that Indigenous traditions and practices are reflected and honoured in the delivery of a health and social services system.
Last year, Mr. Speaker, the department invited Indigenous governments from across the Northwest Territories to participate in a working group to consider how we together might structure an Indigenous advisory body that can help inform and shape our program and policies in this area. Over the past year departmental staff have collaborated with representatives from seven NWT Indigenous governments to develop the terms of reference for this group, and that draft is currently out for review by the Indigenous leaders from across the Northwest Territories.
Mr. Speaker, I had intended and still intend to make a Minister's statement on this exact topic later this week.
These are important steps, Mr. Speaker. However, as the Member has clearly outlined there are many challenges to this work that stem from the long history of colonization. For these reasons I think we all must take great care in the way that we approach these discussions and rely on partners and knowledge of experts in the field, such as the Arctic Indigenous Wellness Foundation and the advisory group that I just mentioned, to help guide our appropriate discussions and direction in this area.
Once the action plan is tabled in the new year, engagement with our partners will be critical to further identify our actions around traditional healing and wellness throughout the entire Northwest Territories.