Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With many Aboriginal languages on the decline and with five Aboriginal languages today with less than 500 residents who can speak it, as I said today in my Member’s statement, now, more than ever, if we are not careful these cultures will be lost.
As I referenced on February 24, 2015, with over six competing language directives, plans and strategies, ECE is, “riddled with a crisis of governance, saddled with a lack of coordination and plagued with bureaucracy.” My questions today are for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Mr. Speaker, the Minister has gone on record indicating that his department is undertaking a monitoring, evaluating and accountability plan for Aboriginal languages and culture-based education, or ALCBE, and he’s doing this later this spring. As comforting as it sounds, the Minister has had ample time to evaluate where the over $15 million is distributed annually via his department.
Can the Minister provide reference if there are indeed signed contribution agreements and performance agreements in place for competing Aboriginal language boards and will he table them in the House? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. We as the Department of Education, Culture and Employment shifted our contribution agreement to Aboriginal language organizations through their cultural funding previously administered by my department. It’s going directly to the regional Aboriginal governments so they can administer these programs.
This funding agreement also allows Aboriginal governments some flexibility, Mr. Speaker, a greater flexibility, accountability and decision-making authority for their revitalization. They are the grassroots people. They know where the solutions live.
The Member is asking if there were any agreements that were signed. There are signed contribution agreements with all Aboriginal governments for the support of the regional language plans. We have five-year plans that are in play now with all the regional groups. We will continue to push that forward. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
As you may hear, I’m trying to find some accountability and transparency for the $15 million that is distributed annually. That is the reason for my question. As I said earlier, redundancy is the Achilles heel of language preservation and revitalization. Interestingly, the Department of ECE is blinded by the obvious and we now wait for a pending MEA review.
Can the Minister confirm if his department has done any evidence-based research on redundancy since implementing the over six levels of governance? If he has, why is he so reluctant to share that with the House? Thank you.
The fact is there are many players and it is a very complex situation because we are dealing with 11 official languages, nine Aboriginal languages and numerous regional organizations, all of whom are key players when it comes to language revitalization. If he’s referring to GNWT doing the same as Aboriginal governments, I can advise the Member that this is not the case. Aboriginal governments, as I stated before, are implementing their five-year regional language plan and we are helping along the way. We are not implementing their plan, they are.
When it comes to dealing with Aboriginal governments in the process itself, this government broke down the bureaucracy by ensuring that increases in funding went directly to Aboriginal governments and other partners delivering programs and services. That’s what we’re doing. I believe in empowerment, so that’s where it’s headed. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
I also believe in empowerment. But with over six levels of bureaucracy and governance for these NWT languages for preservation, I am looking for accountability and transparency. One must assume that a large portion of this $15 million budget is potentially eaten up in wages, honorariums, per diems and travel.
Can the Minister indicate, the $15 million budget, how much money actually goes into program dollars at the community level for preserving Aboriginal language and culture? Thank you.
The Member is quite correct in saying this government invests well over $15 million a year in support of Aboriginal language and culture preservation. That is our overall target. The GNWT and the federal government invest over $15 million annually through various programs and grants along the way and also support our goals and objectives.
I’m extremely proud to say that our government has empowered Aboriginal governments and educational authorities. I can highlight some of the key initiatives of the money that we have allocated directly to the communities: $8.4 million towards the educational authority for K to 12 Aboriginal language culture-based education; $6.2 million administered by the Aboriginal Secretariat; $3.5 million directly distributed to Aboriginal governments to support their language plan; $450,000 for teaching and learning centres; $621,000 for Aboriginal Language and Culture Instructor Program; $422,000 for Aboriginal language broadcasting; and $125,000 for Aboriginal language terminology contribution. These are just some of the key initiatives, key investments that we’ve come into and will continue to support them. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Dolynny.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I said earlier, this is public money. All I’m looking for is some accountability and transparency. With some of the quick numbers we just heard from the Minister, that totalled well over $18 million. So we are already adding more money to this pot than we are talking about here today.
Speaking about money, under the old Canada-Northwest Territories Cooperation Agreement for French and Aboriginal Languages in the NWT, the federal government invested $1.9 million to fund nine official Aboriginal languages in the Northwest Territories. This number has been static for many years.
Can the Minister indicate what initiatives, if any, are there to renew this federal investment and bring this amount in line with our current needs? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
We are currently in negotiations with the federal government on French language and Aboriginal language contribution agreements. We are in the final stages of signing. I am hoping by this summer. It all depends on how the federal government plays. I have met with the Minister of Canadian Heritage and also Official Languages. I met with her in December and also in January during the Ottawa Days. I stressed to her that it’s important to sign off another four- or five-year agreement. So, the message is clear to the federal Minister that we need to have a new agreement with an increase in funding. So, that’s what I’ve been pushing for and I’ll continue to do so. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Moses.
