Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s certainly a pleasure to be able to ask some questions today, and I want to focus in on my Member’s statement. The Minister’s Forum on Addictions and Community Wellness Healing Voices report was tabled almost two full years ago, and it had 67 recommendations in it. Some of them I thought were good. Some of them I thought were fantastic. But the point was about doing business differently. That’s what the key to me certainly was.
Recommendations one to four I will not read, but certainly the first four recommendations were based on community-based community goal setting, on-the-land programming, engaging traditional knowledge. It speaks and screams volumes about engaging the community.
Recently a program called Tulita On-the-Land Healing Program had asked for money and there was no money given to them by our territorial government. They got financing and funding from the federal government and Movember Foundation.
Why has our government not stepped up to support our organization that is doing healing that is necessary in the Northwest Territories? Thank you.
The Member has indicated that that particular organization asked us for money and I have checked with the Sahtu Health and Social Services Authority and they indicated that they never had a request and I’ve never had a request to my office asking for money for this particular program. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
They told me even today they had applied, and I looked towards my good colleague, Mr. Yakeleya, Member for Sahtu, who has even signed support letters for this organization to get help. Maybe the Minister can answer how many organizations have applied for community-based funding such as on-the-land programing that engages traditional knowledge and experience. Are we ignoring elders who can bring great things? How many have asked or money and how many have we supported? Thank you.
Earlier in the Member’s statement, he talked about communities and working together and that everybody needs to work together to solve this problem. We have the Aboriginal health and community wellness division of the Department of Health and Social Services who’s worked with every community in the Northwest Territories to develop a comprehensive community wellness plan. These community wellness plans do have some common themes. Housing is often one, mental health and addictions is often another. We have given money to every community in the Northwest Territories to pursue these initiatives, including activities such as this particular program where they wish to have community-based, community-designed or community-driven opportunities.
Also, we have provided significant money to the Sahtu for development of on-the-land programs and the Sahtu Dene Council will be offering two 10-day camps near Deline for families from across the region, including Tulita.
I don’t recall seeing the request the Member is talking about. I understand that the Sahtu Health and Social Services Authority also has not seen the application or the proposal the Member is talking about. I will, once again, ask the department to confirm. I will ask the department to get in touch with Tulita to see where this application is. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I consider it a shame that the government isn’t playing a role in this and is not a partner. We have the Tulita On-the-Land Healing Program, headed by Bessa Blondin, Lawrence Neyelle, Dean Green and Margaret McDonald doing things, connecting with the youth, connecting with the elders and making programs on the land and connecting with the people who need help.
What is this Minister willing to do today, knowing that we have had the federal government and the Movember Foundation come forward to help? Where is our own government in our own backyard helping on this one? Is the Minister willing to roll out the red carpet and show them that they matter? Thank you.
I have had a conversation with a couple of the individuals that the Member just indicated and I do remember some conversations around some interest in getting a program they would like to propose. We are looking at applications from a number of those individuals. I don’t recall the title or the name, the Tulita On-the-Land Healing Program, but as I’ve indicated, we will look at our files and look for this application and give it due consideration. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Final, short supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The name is irrelevant. The fact is people need to be helped. That’s what matters most, Mr. Speaker. How we get there, what vehicle we use, it doesn’t matter. How many on-the-land programs have been applied for and how many have been funded? The Minister was very articulate explaining how many divisions have been set up and how many people have probably been hired and how many organizations such as regions have been set out money, but I want to hear how many applications have been received and how many have been funded. Thank you.
I don’t have that information at my fingertips, but I will commit to getting that information to the Member. I will remind the Member that there is community wellness money available to all the communities and Tulita, by way of example, did receive $156,880 to run programs that are designed for the people of Tulita by the people of Tulita. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Nadli.
