Debates of October 19, 2006 (day 11)

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 to the type of support he's giving the former students of residential school? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Dent.

Return To Question 138-15(5): Support For Residential School Survivors

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as the Members are aware, the Government of the Northwest Territories is working to make sure that we coordinate support services for residential school survivors. What we're hoping to do is provide a government-wide support system for emotional support, for financial counselling, for helping claimants fill out forms, if necessary. We want to be ready to respond to family violence, including elder financial abuse, and ensure that we're offering victim services. ECE has been assigned the lead and, at this point, a coordinating group has been formed which includes Education, Culture and Employment, Justice and Housing and Social Services. From that support group, we will be looking to branch out, to bring in other agencies, and develop an action plan. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 138-15(5): Support For Residential School Survivors

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 this is part of our history? So how is this going to be in the history in terms of our school now in terms of the real truth coming out for residential school experiences in the Northwest Territories? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 138-15(5): Support For Residential School Survivors

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm not positive, but I do believe that the issue of residential schools is dealt with in our curriculum in the Northwest Territories. I'll have to undertake to provide the Member with more details in writing as soon as I can. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 138-15(5): Support For Residential School Survivors

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 ask the Minister that. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 138-15(5): Support For Residential School Survivors

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We're hoping to bring in the federal government, RCMP, survivors' groups, to put together an interagency group that can develop the sort of action plan that the Member is talking about. I'd be very happy to, on a regular basis, make sure that all Members are kept up to date on the activities of this coordinating agency.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Final supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 138-15(5): Support For Residential School Survivors

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 with the national healing program in Ottawa? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 138-15(5): Support For Residential School Survivors

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'll put that on the agenda for our next meeting for discussion. But I want to assure the Members that the membership on this committee right now is at the most senior level. We're talking about deputy ministers and assistant deputy ministers who are actually involved in this now. I think that tells the Members the importance that this government puts on this sort of work, and I want to make sure that we're keeping it at the most senior level. So we will have the discussion, but I'm quite satisfied that right now this issue is being given the level of importance that it should see.