Thank you. Member for Monfwi, did you have any follow-up questions?

No. So I'm just wondering because we heard from educators many times too that in order to maintain your language, you have to start at the lower level and like right now, with the daycare, can they access this money as well, this funds, the daycare or Indigenous daycare that -- or in the outlying communities or a daycare here, can they -- are they -- are they eligible to access?

Thank you. Minister of ECE.

Thank you. I will hand it to the deputy minister, but first I will say that, you know, we are embarking down a path towards universal child care, and part of that includes ensuring that we have a proper framework to guide us. And one of the pillars of that framework is going to be ensuring that all childcare is culturally appropriate. And so that is going to be one of our focuses. In terms of the funding available, I can ask the deputy minister for some more information. Thank you.

Thank you. Deputy minister MacDonald.

Thank you. Are there any further questions under culture, heritage and language? Member for Hay River South.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm just looking at these numbers, and I notice that if you add up the arts council support to northern performers, arts organization operating fund, and there's one more in there. But anyways, they come out to about $1.6 million. And then we have heritage centres. Like, I understand, you know, putting a lot of money to the -- a lot of funding to the art councils and to the performers and organizations. I think it is very important. But just as important as well is heritage centres.

You know, we have in heritage centres throughout the territories, we have, you know, artwork; we have carvings; we have all kinds of exhibits and artifacts that are not being looked after properly because of lack of funding. They're there sitting there and, you know, it's cold out and the heat's turned off. So we've got to put more money into it. And I heard the Minister say as well that, you know, it's just not that easy to get money for the heritage centres and, you know, one thing I'd like to see is that we look at that number and in this budget here, we should see it -- like, I would like to see an increase anyway in that area and also maybe a one time -- a one-time shot to some of them just so that they could hire more people and maybe look at sourcing other funds.

So there any -- I just ask the Minister if there's anything that could be done in that area? Thank you.

Thank you, Member. Minister of ECE.

Thank you. So the numbers in the budget are what's in the budget so there are no increases this year. That being said, the numbers in here don't represent the totality of the funding that heritage centres receive from the GNWT. ITI also provides funding to heritage centres. It's not specific for heritage centres but they can and have accessed to ITI funding a number of times to undertake capital upgrades to their facilities and whatnot. But the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre also provides in-kind support. So, you know, we have staff from the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre that will go to heritage centres and help them with their -- you know, ensure that the way they are handling, displaying, storing their collections, is appropriate.

But that being said, this number, this $491,000, hasn't increased in a number of years, and I don't think I've met anyone who knows how many years since it's increased. So it's in the double digits for sure, over ten years. So I think at some point in the near future it is probably due for an increase. Thank you.

Thank you. Member for Hay River South.

Thank you, Madam Chair. You know, I know that, you know, we've got artists out there, you know, and some of them have passed on, like Don Cardinal; we have, you know, other ones there as well, like, Antoine Mountain, Archie Beaulieu; we got Colinda Cardinal; we've got, you know, Sonny MacDonald, and, you know, they've got -- you know, they've got -- well, we see his work sitting here near the Speaker's chair. And I think that it's -- you know, we could -- we talk about that, you know, that -- you know, the -- the museum can provide supports but we've talked about that for a couple years, and I still see the artifacts of these -- I still see the objects and that's -- exhibits sitting there in Hay River in the cold and it's deteriorating, and I don't think -- and I don't think we're -- we're really serious about it.

I look around this -- around this building here. The artwork that's in here, like it's -- like, it's magnificent. And, like, we should be showing, and it should be out there. And I know the Minister and I had a discussion about, you know, hopefully sourcing funding to put up a -- to put a -- building up possibly in Hay River to showcase this, and -- for the Northwest Territories. And I think the Premier might have been in on that one. But it's something that -- it's something that, you know, we have to really take serious because we have -- we have a lot here, and I just don't want to see it lost because it is our history. You know, we have artists who are passed. We have artists who are still alive and still producing, and we have emerging artists. And we have to make sure that we -- you know, we preserve what they create. So I just ask the -- ask the Minister to keep that in mind as well.

I just want to talk about Indigenous languages and revitalization. And I see there's $200,000 there. I guess I'd ask with that, has any of that money gone to supporting any revitalization of Michif language in the Northwest Territories? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Member. Minister of ECE.

Thank you. So the $200,000 specifically is for development of an Indigenous languages diploma program. But we do have a much larger pot of money for Indigenous languages. Perhaps I can ask -- no. So the answer would be no. Thank you.

Thank you. Member for Hay River South.

Thank you, Madam Chair. And has there ever been any interest shown from any of the Indigenous organizations with respect to looking for funding for the Michif language? Thank you.

Thank you. Minister of ECE.

Thank you. I don't have that level of detail with me.

Thank you. Member for Hay River South.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I guess I'll just have to I guess work with my colleague from the Deh Cho and we'll have to push that, and also colleague from Thebacha. Can't forget her. And try and get some of the Metis organizations to maybe access some of that funding. Thank you. That's just a comment. Thank you. That's all.

Thank you, Member. Are there any further questions under culture, heritage and language? Member for Deh Cho.

Yeah, I don't have too many questions here. I'm just struck by when they mentioned the MAP program, the mentor apprenticeship on that. We don't have a line item for it in here. So is there any specific budget going to this and how does that program work? If I could get some clarification. And mahsi.

Thank you, Member. Minister of ECE.

Thank you. And yes, we don't have all of the programs broken out in here. But it does have funding associated with it. Perhaps I can ask Mr. MacDonald for the details on exactly how that funding is distributed and how the program works. Thank you.