(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In regard to this bill, I would like to thank the committee. They have been very busy and have done a good job. I know that because I was adopted by grandparents. I also believe that we should not proceed with this bill until we find out who we are. Some of us are Inuit, white and some of us are Dene. We all have different cultures. When we are talking about the Nunavut government, we also want to deal with the adoption policy because we are different in each community. I know we will never have the same tradition and culture. I do not really know what kind of amendment we are talking about, but I would also like to receive more information from NTI. I agree as well with the comments that were made this morning. All adoptions are different. It was mentioned that when a child is adopted, the child has to be told who their real parents are and who the adoptive parents are. I did not find out until later on when I was older that I was adopted. I thought my father was my older brother, until I reached adulthood. It is Inuit tradition to let the adoptive children know who their parents are. The elders usually say because there is no law in Inuit tradition, but I do not know anything about white society. Some adoptive parents, some of us who have adopted children, we usually tell our adopted children, when I pass away, you will go back to your natural parents. I am saying that perhaps in the future, if the children are not treated properly from adoptive parents, they will be taken away and perhaps the adoptive parents will have to pay fines or perhaps they could end up in jail for at least six months. This is not the Inuit way of life. We do not deal with money when we are talking about adoption. I would like to make a comment that I think we should delay this bill until we have a Nunavut government because the adoption law will be dealing with the Inuits from Nunavut. We have different cultures. Some of us will not agree with the law. Perhaps even if we do pass the bill right now, amendments will have to be made in the future. Thank you. (Translation ends)

--Applause

(Translation) Mr. Speaker, I would like to present a petition dealing with the matter of pay equity and the collective bargaining process and the outstanding pay equity complaint from the current collective bargaining process. Mr. Speaker, the petition contains 16 signatures of residents of Pond Inlet and, Mr. Speaker, the petitioners request that the Government of the Northwest Territories separate the outstanding pay equity complaint from the current collective bargaining process that is being negotiated at this time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (Translation ends)

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am not reading from written material, but I would just like to say today in my Member's statement that the Baffin leaders will be having a summit July 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th for all of the mayors and other leaders in the Baffin and Keewatin region. Perhaps, if the Ministers have been invited, maybe even the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs would like to attend the meeting. Any other Ministers who would like to attend the meeting to speak to the leadership could perhaps attend. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (Translation ends)

--Applause

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Supplementary to my question. Could the Premier commit to find funding in his department to provide for the making of this Inuit film? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (Translation ends)

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is directed to the Premier, in the absence of the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Mr. Speaker, earlier today, I spoke about the problems of the Isuma Production Company. Because culture is a very important issue, I support the project that Isuma Production is trying to complete. I think their film will be beneficial to many people and this is why I raised my concern for its funding, which has since been cut off.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment if he would write a letter to Telefilm Canada to continue funding for the Atanajua film, in order for them to complete their project in a timely manner? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (Translation ends)

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would also like to recognize someone in the gallery that is from my constituency, David Kunuk, he is also a relative of mine. It is very nice to see him appearing on TV. I would also like to recognize Levi Barnabas' wife, and in the Inuit tradition, she is named after the person who was a very good friend of mine and she is called Qulaut. I would also like to recognize the people of the Keewatin region, John Kaunak, as well as his companions. Thank you. (Translation ends)

--Applause

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about Igloolik Isuma Production Inc. Zacharias Kunuk, Paul Apak, Pauloosie Qulitalik and Norman Cohn founded this production company in 1998. Isuma is best known for its widely seen TV drama series, Nunavut, programs, recreating traditional life on the land in 1945. In 1996 Isuma was chosen Nunavut Business of the Year.

This Isuma Production Company was working on an important film called Atanajua, which is Canada's first movie produced, written, directed and acting done by Inuit, before they were forced to shut down due to lack of funds. Mr. Speaker, this year, sixty members of the Inuit cast and crew was laid off due to Telefilm's disregard for this film. The production has ended. I feel that this film would be beneficial to many people. This film portrays the way life was for the Inuit, telling our stories in our own voices for the first time on national TV, as told by Mr. Kunuk. Through the entire duration of this film, they have motivated young people to respect their culture and their elders preserving Inuit culture for future generations. Mr. Speaker, I will be asking questions to the Minister for Education, Culture and Employment about this at the appropriate time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (Translation ends)

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to update my fellow colleagues about the trends that have been occurring in our community this past week. First, a member of the Pond Inlet community, Nellie Sangoya, passed away in the hospital in Edmonton. Her relatives, husband, children, brothers and sisters, I feel for all of them, but it cannot be helped. The other announcement I have is in my own community of Igloolik, a young man named Joda Ukaliannuk had committed suicide just this morning. This young man was my nephew. I would like to pass this information on to my fellow MLAs and I ask that we pray and send our condolences to the families involved. Thank you. (Translation ends)

(Translation) Thank you, Madam Chairperson. I would like to make a short comment. I would like to thank the Minister of Education and his assistant. I know it is very hard work to deal with education and also the teachers. I know for a fact that the teachers are working very hard to educate our children. I know it is very hard being a teacher, especially when there are so many students in some communities. We have to recognize that the teachers are working very hard. I know there is not enough money in the Department of Education and I know there is a need for more schools and for more teachers. I know it must be very hard to deal with the money, especially with all the cutbacks and every year inflation is going up. I think we all know that.

There are some other programs that we have to deal with in each community and we need all those existing programs. For example, municipal services are very important in communities. This is an ongoing program. I would like to see them continued.

I never want to cut money for education. We have to spend money on education. There is a policy in place that we have to teach the children. The children have to be at school. This is a law. The children have to attend school. Back in the 1970s we tried to deal with the policy in the communities, but looking at the smaller communities, what they were saying was, if your child does not attend school, the parents will have to go to court. I know it is very hard to deal with education. There is a policy in place, why cannot we put some more money into the Department of Education? We have to work with the teachers and sometimes the teachers have to resign from their positions because they are not making enough money. They cannot keep up with inflation. They have to pay for rent and groceries. That is why I have to say that teachers are working very hard to educate our children. Therefore, I do not want to see any more cutbacks. Today we all have to make money. That is all I have to say for now. Thank you, Madam Chairperson. (Translation ends)