Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The other night I was watching the news and I was watching Mr. Harper’s visit to China. When he was talking to the head of state in China, I noticed that behind him and the Chinese head of state they had translators and they were conversing, but the translators were helping them understand the two different worlds and what they were talking about. I thought that the Northwest Territories needs to have a good look at how we support our Aboriginal languages in our communities. The government needs to look at sort of an Aboriginal translation agency or secretariat.
When we have Ministers come into our communities where the Aboriginal language is the first language, that’s where you get the best of the best to speak about their issue and their world view. Sometimes we have difficulty, and when I say we, in my region we have to run and look for the appropriate translator because health is a different issue, justice is a different terminology, and the same with ENR. We have different terminology that we use, and the community people do their best when they provide these services and sometimes they’re unable to because for some reason, they are not available, or on medical leave, or in the bush or, really, they’re trying to do their best to translate that terminology for the proper meaning. The government asks us, as MLAs, who need to have translators at their public meetings, to get their message across and sometimes we do our best to provide that. However, sometimes our people say well, they’re not saying it right, get this translator.
I think it’s the government’s onus and responsibility if they could look at setting up an Aboriginal languages secretariat so then they could put their money where their words are and say yes, we will provide the translators for you. It is our responsibility that every agency and department has that service so people can speak and understand what’s been told to them and they can communicate that to that person in that department.
I ask the government if they would look at this agency and I will ask the Minister responsible at the appropriate time.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Moses.
