Norman Yakeleya

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the people of the Sahtu for standing up and telling the government when we’re ready to sign the devolution AIP we will decide as a people to move on this agreement. More importantly, we will decide how we want to work and live with each other in the future.

Mr. Speaker, the Sahtu people from Deline, Tulita and Norman Wells met a few days ago in Deline to talk about the devolution table. Actually, Mr. Speaker, a leader and elder from one of our communities made a statement saying that will this be our Custer’s last stand with the governments. Only time...

Mr. Chair, with today’s technology and the younger generation and the learning that’s been more and more advanced in terms of the technology out there and we’re now asking our students to participate in the world of information and knowledge and work, especially in our smaller communities where the numbers of 150 computers jumped from 2005-06 to 2010-11 to 450 computers in our schools and there’s really no dedicated IT support for our children or our schools and we are struggling, the communities are struggling, the schools are struggling to find the funding to support the children in their...

Is that also the same type of support he’ll give for the other programs we offer at Aurora College? We are looking for a social worker in our community. I’ve already talked to the Minister about this. We’ve been waiting to get a social worker in one of my communities in the Sahtu. Is this the same type of support you’re going to give to the social workers in Aurora College?

I look forward to that discussion. I’m not too sure if we’ll be around to see how it goes, so I look forward to the Minister’s remarks and that to see how far it carries.

I want to ask the Minister, in terms of the education authority contributions, on the O and M to the education authorities, Mr. Chair, the Minister alluded to stating that a number of computers have come into the different authorities and are greatly appreciated by the authorities. I’ve also noted that in the Sahtu in 2005-2006 I think we had about 150 computers in our schools. In 2010-11 that number bumped up to 450 or so in...

Mr. Chair, I want to ask the Minister through working with the Board of Governors if they would work with high schools in small communities to implement a trade program in the school. I know the school in Tulita is working hard to see if they can get some funding. It’s over $100,000 to do a small trades program in Chief Albert Wright School. They are having a hard time to fundraise. Aurora College has a trades program. I wonder if that’s something that the Board of Governors and this Minister could look at creatively in conjunction with high schools that want to have trade programs in their...

Mr. Chair, I want to ask the Minister, on page 10-19 again, on the NWT Teachers’ Association Professional Development Fund. When is the government set to have another Collective Agreement negotiation with them?

It’s very disturbing to know that two communities in my riding have to look for alternative funding for what Tulita, Deline and Fort Good Hope receive base funding for. Two other communities that operate Arctic College programs have to look at alternative funding. Why can’t they receive base funding like any other community that receives base funding? Why the special treatment for the two communities?

Thank you. No argument from me to see the importance of this orientation for the teachers coming to the Northwest Territories. My point is that the NWTTA, I’m thinking why take money out of the Aboriginal pot? I think that should be done under the Collective Agreement in their professional development, because it’s just as important as some of the programs they have to take throughout the year to increase their skill or their ability to teach and using the computers or writing or reading or anything. You don’t see them taking money elsewhere. So I think we could have been stronger with the...

Okay. Thank you.

So where do we find the funds so all the teachers in the North can take a few days to learn about the specific cultures in that specific community so they get a better sense of who the children are in the community, where they are working and who the people are? Shouldn’t this be part of their Collective Agreement? Where is the money coming from?