Member Monfwi

Jane Weyallon Armstrong was elected to the 20th Assembly to represent the constituency of Monfwi. Ms. Armstrong was elected to the 19th Assembly during a by-election to represent the constituency of Monfwi.

Ms. Weyallon Armstrong was born in Fort Rae, Northwest Territories. Currently residing in Behchoko, Northwest Territories, her impactful journey has left a lasting mark on her community.

Having served as President of the Native Women’s Association from 2019 to 2021, Ms. Weyallon Armstrong collaborated with board members on the National Inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls final report. Her commitment to the cause has been a driving force in addressing crucial issues.

Ms. Weyallon Armstrong’s extensive involvement in community governance includes roles such as a Community Government of Behchoko Councillor (2009–2013, 2017–2021, June 2021 to July 2021) and Tlicho Government Assembly Member (Consensus Government) from 2009 to 2013. Additionally, she contributed by being on the Mackenzie Valley Impact Review Board from 2020 to 2021.

With a career spanning over 25 years at the Dogrib Divisional Board of Education (now Tlicho Community Services Agency), Ms. Weyallon Armstrong’s impact reached the lives of high school students from various communities. Her roles as Residence Manager and later as Coordinator, Community Liaison, and Student Transition Support Services showcased her dedication to education and community development.

Ms. Weyallon Armstrong’s educational journey includes graduating from Sir John Franklin Territorial High School in Yellowknife, where she resided at Akaitcho Hall. She earned a Bachelor of Arts with a Major in Politics and a Minor in Native Studies from the University of Saskatchewan. In 1994, she obtained her Social Work Diploma from Aurora College, Thebacha Campus, and in 1992, she earned her Child and Youth Care Worker Diploma from Mount Royal College.

Ms. Weyallon Armstrong, in partnership with her spouse, have raised their daughter, and now revel in the role of proud grandparents to a grandson. Ms. Weyallon Armstrong possesses a range of interests that extend to sewing, reading, and engaging in various cultural activities. Her longstanding commitment to volunteering for fundraising events and field trips underscores her dedication to community well-being.

Monfwi Electoral District

Committees

Jane Weyallon Armstrong
Monfwi
Member's Office

Yellowknife NT X1A 2L9
Canada

P.O. Box
1320

Statements in Debates

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 60)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when people leak confidential information, there should be consequences, but our ability to express is another issue. From Indigenous perspective, as an Indigenous person, a woman, we finally got our voice. As a result of the colonization, it destroyed our language, culture, and way of life. For so long, the racist Indian Act had power and control over our life. Not only that, it discriminated more against the Indigenous women. With this in mind, Mr. Speaker, I do not support this motion. Thank you.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 60)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, given the closure of community learning centres and the limited upgrading options available, how does the department plan to ensure that Indigenous students from small communities can meet post-secondary admission requirements without being forced to leave home or return to institutions they are not comfortable attending? Thank you.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 60)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, will the Minister commit to reviewing the current student financial assistance policy to allow students to receive funding for academic upgrading at institutions outside of Aurora College, either online or outside of the territory, so that our students with -- our students with financial assistance needs have a greater choice and access to quality education?

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 59)

Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's my understanding that some small communities do not have regular in-person access to counsellors who provide mental health supports. What steps is the department taking to address these gaps and ensure equitable access to this free service to all small communities across the Northwest Territories? Thank you.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 59)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we need strong wellness supports in the Northwest Territories, specifically Indigenous and elder led counselling in the community counselling program. Mr. Speaker, our elders have knowledge, strength, and teaching that have sustained our communities through the trauma of colonizations, colonization and the loss of language and culture. Yet too often, elders are left out of discussions when the government is putting systems in place to support our people.

Mr. Speaker, many Indigenous people are struggling with intergenerational trauma and the ongoing impacts...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 59)

She touched base on some of them, but I will ask this question. What is the GNWT doing to work with small communities that are currently without a counsellor to address these vacancies? Thank you.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 59)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Indigenous elder-led counselling; it's not just a service, it is a lifeline. If we require every mental health worker to have a clinical degree, then we may be regulating some of the elders out of a job. With that in mind, Mr. Speaker, how many elders or Indigenous counsellors are employed as part of the community counselling program? Thank you.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 59)

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'll do it in my language. [Translation] Mr. Speaker, I am thankful for this bill that is in front of us, and I support it. In today's society, there's so many changes in our lives.  With this Act, I am amazed at what the nurses go through.  I didn't realize they didn't have their own Act, and everyone else has their own collective agreement except for them.  So the MLA from Yellowknife North has presented this bill.  I support her.  

Mr. Speaker, we been aware of this situation for a long time in the North.  Some of us don't have doctors living in our...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 58)

Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I understand there is an elder in the classroom, in-classroom component. Can the Minister explain whether the elders are teaching as part of this program and how the program works. Thank you.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 58)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to talk about how we work in collaboration for the people of the Northwest Territories. The nature of our job as elected officials is to be a strong voice for the people we represent.

Mr. Speaker, the interpreters behind us are elders, and they watch over us when we are in this House. Also, the elders from our home communities are also watching us. Mr. Speaker, I can tell you our elders may not be registered psychologists or psychiatrists or psychoanalysts, but our elders have the knowledge and life experience to lead our communities in good times and...