Norman Yakeleya

When you have 30 leaders, 30 chiefs sitting down, it’s just obvious that this government should send one or two Ministers to a meeting out of courtesy to listen to the chiefs. Sometimes we don’t go by an agenda. Sometimes the issues come outside the agenda. It’s just obvious that this government, as leaders, attend a national territorial leadership meeting. Again, I want to ask the Premier in terms of not a process, but is there some type of policy that in the future that Ministers would be attending the Dene national chiefs meeting.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the last couple of days I have been working with the Sahtu elders at a conference here. Mr. Speaker, just sitting with the elders for the last couple of days really opened my eyes in terms of the type of support our elders are asking us people here in the Assembly, our communities, in the Government of Canada.

The elders feel that they have lost their status and their role in the community governments and structures and the teachers of our way of life. They saw that a new way of life has moved them away from this family structure that is so critical to the aboriginal...

Mr. Speaker, I have a document that I want to table. It is the company service of the Arctic Red Outfitters Ltd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources.

As originators of traditional knowledge, only indigenous peoples, the original stewards of our land, can regulate, make priorities and set standards for traditional knowledge. How will the Government of the Northwest Territories ensure that indigenous peoples are part of research processes?

The government plans to make large investments within the science agenda framework over the coming years. Have any organizations such as universities or institutes made financial commitments to do research in the...

Mr. Speaker, can the Minister commit to me also to work with the Department of Health and Social Services with people with disabilities in terms of them clearly understanding their responsibility when they have a housing unit, that there is support there for people with disabilities in terms of having their living conditions in the communities?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. It has to do with the Income Support Program and the client with a disability, people who apply under this program. My understanding is there was an issue that was dealt with in Deline and as a result of that, there are other issues that have come forward in terms of the disability aspect of this program. Right now, Mr. Speaker, I understand there’s a family that has some issues that deal with a disability and this family with small children is living in a warehouse behind some sister’s place and is...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

What are the true academic levels of students graduating from high school in Sahtu communities, based on Alberta education standards?

What is being done to monitor Sahtu students’ levels of academic achievement, particularly in grades 9 through 12, so that there are no unfortunate surprises when a high school graduate attempts to access post-secondary education?

What is being done to communicate students’ levels of academic achievement to students, parents, teachers and the Sahtu Board of Education?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, I would ask the Minister if he would work closely with the Minister of the NWT Housing Corporation in terms of this issue, in terms of the issue with this family here with small children that are living in the warehouses or somewhere else in Deline, that this family here gets the shelter that they need to have.

Mr. Speaker, certainly the government does provide support to persons with disabilities; however, somewhere there appears to be a disconnect between the local housing authority and the Income Support Program, because the local housing authority was going to evict this person with disabilities. It wasn’t until the department stepped in and made the arrangements so that person can stay in their unit. However, there is a family right now with children who are not in a public unit, because of some of the housing policies, that this family here is living in a warehouse, have no running water...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Transportation.

Can the Minister provide me the status of the proposed Bear River bridge?

Can the Minister provide me with the GNWT options that can be examined to financially back step the construction of the Bear River bridge?

Will the Minister provide a breakdown of the cost of construction on the Bear River bridge?