Jackson Lafferty

Masi, Mr. Speaker. The teachers recognized today all have a unique skill set: their language. Their skills cannot be imported from the South. Many of these teachers will be retiring in the near future, and unfortunately, there are fewer and fewer fluent speakers to take their spots.

Mr. Speaker, the first question is to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. How does the department plan to support schools in language programming as these teachers retire? Masi.

Masi, Mr. Speaker.

[Translation] Mr. Speaker, February is Indigenous Languages month. The NWT is unique in that we have 11 official languages – nine of which are Indigenous. I am proud to be a fluent speaker of one of these languages.

Today I would like to acknowledge the Indigenous language teachers in our communities. In the Tlicho region there are currently 17 Tlicho language teachers in our schools with a wealth of knowledge and experience. According the TCSA,

In WhaTi: Marie Nitsiza, 23 years teaching; Diane Romie, 22 years as a Tlicho language specialist.

In Wekweeti: Ceci Judas, 6...

Masi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my final question is: currently, there are many of our young people who have some knowledge of the language, are either latent speakers; they understand but do not speak or need to develop their language skills even further. We know that an immersion program is the best way to learn a language. Do we currently have an immersion program for young adults or adults to learn a language so they can pursue these careers and fill these positions?

Mr. Speaker, what measures has the department taken to build capacity to develop fluent speakers who can become language teachers?

It's great that the Minister made a statement on the current situation, but I don't really see any capacity-building happening in Behchoko. Yes, we do have an assistant superintendent, but most senior staff are in Yellowknife headquarters making decisions for the community of Behchoko. Where is the empowerment? It's a top-down approach. It should be at the grassroots level.

Mr. Speaker, I disagree with what the Minister is saying today. I am a firm believer that we should have capacity-building in place, and I will be pushing that, not only today, but going forward. If I don't get answers today...

Masi, Mr. Speaker. [Translation] I previously made a statement regarding this. The government that works in our communities, when we look in the offices, there are a lot of employees. Looking at the Behchoko offices, I want to ask a MACA question. I have three questions for the Minister of MACA. [Translation ends]

To the Minister of MACA, Municipal and Community Affairs, as compared to other communities, as well, comparable to probably the size of the population as well, if she could provide a breakdown of the number of positions, whether it be in Hay River or Inuvik, in comparison to those...

Masi, Mr. Speaker. Obviously, this is an area of interest for the community of Behchoko. There have been certain requests from community members, as well; seeing as the superintendent in the past hasn't really set foot in the community, it is a challenge in the community. Now, we have a new superintendent; I'm not sure if she's been in the community yet, but obviously I'd like to see more of that. Part of that would be community relations through Municipal and Community Affairs, working with the community government of Behchoko, so I'm glad the Minister is willing to work with me on this. I'd...

That is another issue that stands on its own in Behchoko: Rae and Edzo. It's a separate community, but we provide funding to one community. That will be addressed in this House as well. It is a real challenge for the community of Behchoko, but that is another story that we'll talk about later on.

Mr. Speaker, I understand that accessing housing in Behchoko could be a challenge for staff coming from Yellowknife. It is great that I am talking to the Minister of Housing as well. There are a number of professions who commute to and from Behchoko every day. Carpooling is another option.

In the...

Masi, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to focus on how we should empower our communities and our people. This is part of the discussion we had on our priorities and mandates of the Northwest Territories. We need to allow communities to build capacities and start making their own decisions.

Mr. Speaker, I represent the largest Indigenous community in the NWT. The population of Behchoko is around 2,500. Over 90 percent are Tlicho citizens. Behchoko is a fast-growing community, with highly educated community members. More than 200 individuals have post-secondary education. These statistics show...

Masi, Mr. Speaker. [Translation] Yesterday I spoke in my language. We had difficulties with equipment yesterday, and there is a lot of complaint in the communities regarding this little mishap yesterday. Also, I'd like to make a comment... [End of translation] ... conversation about housing. There are a lot of issues and challenges with housing in the Northwest Territories. The policy simply is not meeting the needs of our people.

In my community of Behchoko there are more than 40 units that are boarded up. Some are ready for demolition, some are burnt, and some need major renovations. None of...