Norman Yakeleya

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would ask the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment if he would consider passing along with his other Ministers in terms of setting up a specific unit, maybe using existing resources to set up a specific unit within the Government of the Northwest Territories a residential school unit that's solely responsible for addressing certain issues by our people, by the elders, be it young people, be it education or health. Would the Minister consider taking that to his colleagues in terms of having a specific residential school unit that would work also...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think the residential school survivors in the Northwest Territories will be very happy to hear what the Minister has to say in terms of support. Again, this government, slow it may be, however, it's doing the right thing for our people in the communities. We are giving the support to the survivors. I would ask the Minister, would he look at more specific areas in terms of helping the survivors, because there are generations of survivors, in terms of the education system, in terms of curriculum, and informing our school children, our children, that...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, honourable colleagues. …faced with various attitudes by people that want to keep our hearts buried and so in sufferance, Mr. Speaker, I am proud of this government to fully support May 26th as the national healing and reconciliation day. I am one of the residential school survivors. Hundreds of them are in the Sahtu region and I will not go back to the dark places of don’t talk, don’t feel, don’t trust. We need to free our people, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, last year this Assembly was the first government in Canada to fully support May 26th each year as a National Day of Healing and Reconciliation for residential school survivors and impacted communities. Mr. Speaker, I was very proud of the honourable Members and this government to demonstrate to all of Canada and, more importantly, to the residential school survivors in the Northwest Territories, that we believe that the message was that we believe in them and we offer our support to them in their healing and their forgiveness.

Mr. Speaker, the devastating...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

Can the Minister provide a territorial interagency framework for survivors of residential schools in the Northwest Territories?

Can the Minister provide an outline through an action plan that will see and establish a territorial residential schools interagency committee?

Will the Minister provide the MLAs the mandate, roles and responsibilities of the territorial residential schools interagency committee?

Will the Minister explain how the region in the North will be an active...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister provide Members across the House here, because they all have survivors in their own communities, in terms of an action plan, a coordinated plan, so they can give the people back home in their communities that this is what the government's doing, this is what we expect to see by February or next January in terms of what type of support and who they can call within the Northwest Territories, say the government is taking the lead role in terms of supporting our people in this issue because this is not going to go away as we think it's going to. So I'll...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in my statement this afternoon I talked about the residential school support and residential school in the Northwest Territories and of the impacts. I'd like to talk more about the issue with the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, in terms of what type of support his department or the Government of the Northwest Territories is doing in terms of supporting the people who are dealing with the residential school issues, whether it be on a national front, or territorial level, or just through the ADR process. Can the Minister advise the people as...

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Legislative Assembly is highly regarded as a very respectful place with the people of my own region. They expect a high degree of integrity standards from me as an MLA representing my people. It's an institution that's revered by many people in my region; sometimes not so revered because of the way sometimes we come across in the media and how we say things or do things, or not quite understanding the process of the bureaucracy or the management of certain programs and services. Somewhat, Mr. Speaker, we have a role model. We're playing a role model for people...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I spoke earlier on this issue and am waiting for some feedback from the leadership in the Sahtu region in terms of deciding on a vote here,. I am going to be in the same shoes as my colleague from Range Lake when it comes to a position. It’s on the principle of integrity for the House and I am going to leave it at that. This type of issue brings back a lot of other issues we’ve dealt with previously. I am going to decide when you call for a vote.