Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Abstentions? The motion is carried.
---Carried
Member for Yellowknife North.
Debates of March 30th, 2023
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
Committee Motion 441-19(2): Committee Report 49-19(2): Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the 2021-22 Review of the Official Languages Act - Annual Official Languages Action Plan, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 6108
Committee Motion 442-19(2): Committee Report 49-19(2): Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the 2021-22 Review of the Official Languages Act - Individual Language Training Account, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 6108
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.
Committee Motion 442-19(2): Committee Report 49-19(2): Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the 2021-22 Review of the Official Languages Act - Individual Language Training Account, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 6108
The Chair Lesa Semmler
Thank you. The motion is in order. To the motion. Member for Yellowknife North.
Committee Motion 442-19(2): Committee Report 49-19(2): Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the 2021-22 Review of the Official Languages Act - Individual Language Training Account, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 6108
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.
Committee Motion 442-19(2): Committee Report 49-19(2): Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the 2021-22 Review of the Official Languages Act - Individual Language Training Account, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 6108
Committee Motion 442-19(2): Committee Report 49-19(2): Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the 2021-22 Review of the Official Languages Act - Individual Language Training Account, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 6108
Some Hon. Members
Question.
Committee Motion 442-19(2): Committee Report 49-19(2): Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the 2021-22 Review of the Official Languages Act - Individual Language Training Account, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 6108
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.
Committee Motion 443-19(2): Committee Report 49-19(2): Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the 2021-22 Review of the Official Languages Act - Indigenous Languages Revitalization Fund, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 6108
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.
Committee Motion 443-19(2): Committee Report 49-19(2): Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the 2021-22 Review of the Official Languages Act - Indigenous Languages Revitalization Fund, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 6108
Committee Motion 443-19(2): Committee Report 49-19(2): Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the 2021-22 Review of the Official Languages Act - Indigenous Languages Revitalization Fund, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 6108
Some Hon. Members
Question.
Committee Motion 443-19(2): Committee Report 49-19(2): Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the 2021-22 Review of the Official Languages Act - Indigenous Languages Revitalization Fund, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 6108
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.
Committee Motion 444-19(2): Committee Report 49-19(2): Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the 2021-22 Review of the Official Languages Act - Indigenous Language Terms and Spellings for Languages and Communities, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
March 30th, 2023
Page 6109
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.
Committee Motion 444-19(2): Committee Report 49-19(2): Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the 2021-22 Review of the Official Languages Act - Indigenous Language Terms and Spellings for Languages and Communities, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 6109
Committee Motion 444-19(2): Committee Report 49-19(2): Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the 2021-22 Review of the Official Languages Act - Indigenous Language Terms and Spellings for Languages and Communities, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 6109
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.
Committee Motion 444-19(2): Committee Report 49-19(2): Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the 2021-22 Review of the Official Languages Act - Indigenous Language Terms and Spellings for Languages and Communities, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 6109
Committee Motion 444-19(2): Committee Report 49-19(2): Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the 2021-22 Review of the Official Languages Act - Indigenous Language Terms and Spellings for Languages and Communities, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 6109
Some Hon. Members
Question.
Committee Motion 444-19(2): Committee Report 49-19(2): Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the 2021-22 Review of the Official Languages Act - Indigenous Language Terms and Spellings for Languages and Communities, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 6109
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.
Committee Motion 445-19(2): Committee Report 49-19(2): Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the 2021-22 Review of the Official Languages Act - Indigenous-Language Early Childhood Education, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 6109
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.
Committee Motion 445-19(2): Committee Report 49-19(2): Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the 2021-22 Review of the Official Languages Act - Indigenous-Language Early Childhood Education, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 6109
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.
Committee Motion 445-19(2): Committee Report 49-19(2): Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the 2021-22 Review of the Official Languages Act - Indigenous-Language Early Childhood Education, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
March 30th
Page 6109
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.
Committee Motion 445-19(2): Committee Report 49-19(2): Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the 2021-22 Review of the Official Languages Act - Indigenous-Language Early Childhood Education, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
March 30th
Page 6109
Committee Motion 445-19(2): Committee Report 49-19(2): Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the 2021-22 Review of the Official Languages Act - Indigenous-Language Early Childhood Education, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
March 30th
Page 6109
Some Hon. Members
Question.
Committee Motion 445-19(2): Committee Report 49-19(2): Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the 2021-22 Review of the Official Languages Act - Indigenous-Language Early Childhood Education, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
March 30th
Page 6109
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.
Committee Motion 446-19(2): Committee Report 49-19(2): Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the 2021-22 Review of the Official Languages Act - Right to Receive Language Services, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
March 30th
Page 6109
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.
Committee Motion 446-19(2): Committee Report 49-19(2): Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the 2021-22 Review of the Official Languages Act - Right to Receive Language Services, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
March 30th
Page 6109
The Chair Lesa Semmler
Thank you. The motion is in order. To the motion. Member for Yellowknife North.