Norman Yakeleya

Thank you, Mr. Speaker,

Whereas caribou have been a source of food and a means of survival for aboriginal people of the NWT since time immemorial;

And Whereas caribou herds migrate across jurisdictions and across international boundaries;

And Whereas the Government of the Northwest Territories has scientific studies that show a decline in caribou herds and deem it an emergency measure under the conservation process to ban all hunting of the Bathurst caribou herd within a specified geographical area;

And Whereas Dene Nation Resolutions #10/11-003 and #09/010-014 propose a means by which all parties...

The motion speaks to a long-term plan with the GNWT on a government-to-government basis in terms of the basis to recognize the inherent right to hunt and the authority in terms of this issue here. Has this government here sat down with the Dene Nation leadership and talked about this issue as the motion dictated in terms of our saying this is what they wanted to do? Has this government done this in terms of answering to this motion that was passed on October 19th to 23rd, 2009?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs, Mr. Roland. In terms of meaningful consultation and with the very important government that we have with the aboriginal governments, in terms of this issue going forward and a nation-to-nation-to-nation trust building relationship, from October 19th to 23rd there was a Dene leadership meeting here in Dettah. A motion was moved by Chief Edward Sangris of the Yellowknives Dene and seconded by the grand chief, Joe Rabesca, of the Tlicho Government, talked about the importance of this issue of the caribou here. They...

So in terms of nation-to-nation building with the governments here that we in our own, I say in our own definition within this government here in terms of the circumstances, the compressed time, that we will ultimately make a decision no matter what the governments will say in terms of their feedback. That we will make decisions in terms of the definition that I’m getting from the Minister on meaningful consultation. I would ask the Minister if he is coming out with a policy in terms of this type of definition with the government.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of ENR regarding consultation on the issue of the caribou. I wanted to ask the Minister, the Minister provided me and some other Members with a list of meetings that happened over this issue here. I wanted to ask what his department means in terms of meaningful consultation with the users of the caribou.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The comments I have is something that the Minister and I have been working on for some time. I am going to ask the Minister: how do we solidify elders into our education system? I know the Minister has been contemplating about the different systems that support this and systems that don’t support the elders in our schools. The Minister has been at it for a long time, but I think it is time now that he comes and tells us this is how we are going to do it. We have to have some action here. He held this for almost two years, trying to get elders into our schools. As we...

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to go to item 5 on the orders of the day.

---Unanimous consent granted.

The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Mr. Speaker, I raise this issue due to the number of people I’ve been talking to in my region around this area here in terms of the importance of aboriginal people having access to their food such as caribou.

Mr. Speaker, I’ve talked to many people who know why it’s very important for us to have this food for our survival. People have said that we’ve been surviving for thousands and thousands of years. Mr. Speaker, actually, I read in a book called “The Alpine Hunters.” There was an ice patch study done in the Mackenzie Mountains that showed evidence from our elders and from scientific data...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, based on the government’s list in terms of consultation, he listed off a bunch of meetings. Mr. Speaker, the Minister has certainly done a lot of meetings. He’s shown me a very impressive list in terms of meetings. However, I believe that, Mr. Speaker, this will not stand up in the Supreme Court of Canada in terms of meaningful consultation. There is one process of doing meaningful consultation. The others tell him this is what we’re going to do and leave it at that. So, again, I ask the Minister in terms of building a relationship with the aboriginal...

Again I would ask the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs, in regard to the Dene Nation leadership motion that was passed, did the Minister act on this motion as the leadership wanted some work to be done in regard to the caribou?