This is page numbers 6089 - 6140 of the Hansard for the 19th Assembly, 2nd Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was know.

Topics

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Abstentions? The motion is carried.

---Carried

Member for Yellowknife North.

Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Madam Chair, I move that this committee recommends that each department and agency be required to create an individual language training account for each person;

And further, the account should guarantee each Indigenous employee a minimum number of hours of language training in any Indigenous official language, as a first or second language. Thank you, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. The motion is in order. To the motion. Member for Yellowknife North.

Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Madam Chair. This is something that the federal government does for French. And I've actually had a job for the federal government where they would pay me for four hours on Fridays to take French lessons. And I think it would be great to see us doing the same thing for our Indigenous language speakers in the GNWT. Thank you, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. To the motion.

Some Hon. Members

Question.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Abstentions? The motion is carried.

---Carried

Member for Yellowknife North.

Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Madam Chair, I move that this committee recommends that the Department of Finance set up an Indigenous Languages Revitalization Fund in order to support Indigenous employees in the effort to reclaim, revitalize, and maintain and strengthen their languages. Thank you, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. The motion is in order. To the motion.

Some Hon. Members

Question.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Abstentions? The motion is carried.

---Carried

Member for Yellowknife North.

Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Madam Chair, I move that this committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories restore Indigenous language terms and spellings to refer to languages and communities;

And further, that the GNWT should update all legislation, regulations, policies, guidelines, standards, and communications within the life of the 20th Assembly;

And furthermore, the GNWT should also consult Indigenous communities on the changes. Thank you, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. The motion is in order. To the motion. Member for Monfwi.

Jane Weyallon Armstrong

Jane Weyallon Armstrong Monfwi

Thank you. I know that to revive our language, it is important for all of us in small communities and I know that there's great effort made in, like in Yellowknife. But I'm not too sure about -- I know all of the -- all of our language are in danger, according to the report that I heard. So I'm just wondering, like, if communities like Hay River, I just want to know and ask whether the -- I think there's the Dene Zhatie and Denesoline. There's a lot of, you know, people living in that area speaking those language. So I just want to know how effective is the school promoting these language? I'm not too sure. So I'm just asking that question. But this is very important. So I'm just -- I'm just asking that because it is important because in our school, we do the same, and -- but I know more needs to be done in this area. So I'm just asking. It's just more of a comment but it will be nice if we can see some kind of a report so that way we can build on it to revive to, you know -- like for our language to survive for long into the future. Thank you.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. To the motion. Question has been called.

Some Hon. Members

Question.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

All those in favour? All those opposed? Abstentions? The motion is carried. And I'm sure the Minister heard and could consider the question in their report.

---Carried

Member for Yellowknife North.

Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that this committee recommends that the Department of Education, Culture and Employment help ensure Indigenous-language early childhood education is available in each community;

And further, to achieve this vision, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment should provide additional and sufficient funding to program operators that use Indigenous languages. Thank you, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. The motion is in order. To the motion. And just, the motion that's in your package is actually out of order. So the one that was next should be at the end. So the motion is in order. To the motion. Member for Yellowknife North.

Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Yeah, thank you, Madam Chair. You know, the most inspiring things we heard from committee were those cases where there were language nests for preschool children. Their brains are sponges. That's where we were learning. That's where we heard cases where you have young children talking to elders, and they are learning the language. And I think we have fortuitous timing that we are rolling out universal child care in this next few years and we are spending, you know, unprecedented dollars on child care and building spaces. And so I think it's important that we should try and prioritize a lot of those spaces to be using Indigenous languages and when they are, they should get extra funding so that they can do that. So I think it's just a unique opportunity to make sure we have those language nests as we build more early learning child care centres. Thank you, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. To the motion.

Some Hon. Members

Question.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Abstentions in the motion is carried.

---Carried

Member for Yellowknife North.

Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that this committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories recognize the right of each resident to receive services in the official language of their choice;

And further, this right should go beyond the concepts of "significant demand" and "nature of the office," and follow the principle of substantive equality.

And furthermore, as such the Government of the Northwest Territories should consider quantitative and qualitative characteristics when determining service levels to each official language community;

And furthermore, this right should also be remedial in nature, designed to counter the gradual decline of Indigenous official language speakers. Thank you, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. The motion is in order. To the motion. Member for Yellowknife North.