Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories has a moral and ethical obligation to root out racism in our institutions. This obligation extends beyond the overt, visible, and obvious acts of hate and violence that we can easily see and condemn. It includes the subtle, hidden, systemic racism that persists in legislation, policies, and practices.
Systemic racism is real. It exists in the Northwest Territories, and it exists in our government. Some of our institutions, policies, and practices continue to disadvantage or discriminate against black, Indigenous, and people of colour. We continue to see examples of people facing discrimination based on their national origin, race, religion, ethnicity, and culture. It is an uncomfortable truth, but one that we must fearlessly acknowledge and confront if we want to change.
Mr. Speaker, the mandate of the Government of the Northwest Territories 2019-2023 identifies implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as one of our priorities. Done within the constitutional framework of Canada, this work will advance reconciliation, but it is not possible if we do not acknowledge and take tangible steps to eliminate systemic racism.
The United Nations' declaration sets the stage very clearly, "that all doctrines, policies and practices based on or advocating superiority of peoples or individuals on the basis of national origin or racial, religious, ethnic, or cultural differences are racist, scientifically false, legally invalid, morally condemnable, and socially unjust."
The Government of the Northwest Territories is taking steps to ingrain these principles into our legislation, policies, and institutions. In December, we announced the results of our work with the Intergovernmental Council: an innovative legislative development protocol, the first of its kind in Canada, that provides opportunities for the collaborative development of land and resource statutes and regulations for the Government of the Northwest Territories and Indigenous governments.
Mr. Speaker, the decisions we make as a government must reflect our commitment to reconciliation and the affirmation and advancement of Indigenous rights and self-determination. We must foster constructive and respectful government-to-government relationships with Indigenous partners and seek ways to advance reconciliation, recognize and affirm Indigenous rights, and support expanded program and service delivery. We also continue to respond to the calls for justice in the Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, and the calls to action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.
Mr. Speaker, we are firmly committed to addressing systemic racism in the Government of the Northwest Territories. We are committed to learning from the mistakes of the past, and moving on from colonial and outdated ways of thinking. We must embrace the principles of the United Nations declaration and the principles of anti-racism in the way that we approach all of our mandate commitments.
There are some instances where the path forward seems more obvious, like when we talk about settling and implementing treaty, land, resources, and self-government agreements or in our ongoing work with justice, education, and health; but we must also be vigilant in everything that we do, to ensure we do not inadvertently continue to perpetuate the past.
This Cabinet has and continues to update the way we review, discuss, and consider the items that come before us. Mr. Speaker, we have formalized and strengthened the presence of gender and diversity in our financial and policy decisions. I encourage every Minister and every Member of the Legislative Assembly to embrace the principles of the United Nations declaration and the principles of anti-racism in every decision that you make.
When I worked in social services, I could see the impact that systemic racism has, and eliminating it is a cause that I fully endorse. I do this knowing that the path ahead will be long and difficult. Undoing years of systemic racism against Black, Indigenous, and people of colour will take time. Change will be incremental, but I am determined.
I know there is a lot of great work happening across government, and I look forward to my colleagues sharing examples of the work they are doing to address systemic racism. I am encouraged and inspired by the progress being made, but I acknowledge there is much more to do. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Honourable Premier. Ministers' statements. Minister of Finance.
Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories is committed to providing a safe and inclusive workplace for all its employees. This includes educating our public servants on how racism can manifest itself in the workplace. Racism is a belief in a hierarchy of human value. It is a belief, conscious or unconscious, that some people are worth more than others. Racism is easy to see when it takes the form of specific acts of hate and violence, but systemic racism hides in plain sight. It is the kind of racism where the power of one racial group is exhibited and upheld over others in institutions, including schools, law enforcement, healthcare, and a workplace.
By contrast, anti-racism is about acknowledging the inherent privilege held by certain racial groups over others. Anti-racism is about speaking up when you see racism in action and educating those around you about the benefits of diversity within our communities and workplaces. It is about yielding positions of power to those who are otherwise marginalized, advocating for policies that break down systems of oppression, and promoting not only equality but equity. In addition to the work under way to implement mandatory cultural awareness training, the Department of Finance will launch an anti-racism campaign.
The Department of Finance will launch this anti-racism campaign to run between March 16th and April 21st that will encourage all GNWT employees to challenge their beliefs and attitudes around racism. The goal of this campaign is to encourage employees to learn about anti-racism so they can take steps to stand against systemic racism and stand up for marginalized persons within our communities. We recognize that, in order to eliminate systemic racism in the NWT, we must build a culture of anti-racism within the public service.
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Thank you, Minister. Ministers' statements. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to voice my commitment as Minister of Health and Social Services, as a Member of this Legislative Assembly, and as a resident of the Northwest Territories to address racism in all its forms in the NWT Health and Social Services system. Throughout the Northwest Territories, the Health and Social Services system works to provide quality services for all NWT residents: care that is respectful, responsive, and accessible. However, research shows that Indigenous peoples experience a disproportionate amount of negative health and social outcomes in comparison to non-Indigenous people. It is our responsibility as a government to address this inequity directly by making sure that all aspects of the Health and Social Services system are culturally respectful and safe for Indigenous peoples. This also includes respecting Indigenous understandings of health and wellness and finding ways to accommodate traditional healing in our system.
Mr. Speaker, leadership at all levels is critical in taking the steps necessary to address racism in the Health and Social Services system and is essential to sustain it. The need for coordinated leadership is one reason I appreciated the opportunity to participate in recent national dialogues to address Anti-Indigenous Racism in Canada's Health Care Systems. The meeting included 500 people from across the country and offered a powerful opportunity for governments and organizations to listen, reflect, and consider ways to advance this work at the national, provincial, and territorial level.
Mr. Speaker, the Department of Health and Social Services established a division dedicated to addressing Indigenous health disparities and included a priority focus on cultural safety eight years ago. Staff conducted research and worked collaboratively with Indigenous residents, knowledge holders, and leaders to set our strategic vision to meet our overall goal of ensuring that clients and their families feel safe, respected, and free from racism and discrimination when they access our Health and Social Services system.
Mr. Speaker, in 2019, the department advanced this work with the release of the Cultural Safety Action Plan. Grounded in community voices, the action plan took a "nothing about us without us" approach. Over 30 meetings were held across the NWT over about nine months. The action plan includes 27 actions organized under four key themes:
create an organizational culture of cultural safety;
strengthen staff capacity to deliver culturally safe care;
honour traditional knowledge and healing approaches in care; and
improve client and community experience.
Mr. Speaker, since the release of the action plan, the department has worked to pilot 13 cultural safety training sessions. The pilots included content on Indigenous medicine teachings, Indigenous experiences of residential schools and inter-generational impacts, and understanding racism at interpersonal and systemic levels. Approximately 225 Health and Social Services system employees participated in these pilots.
The department is now developing an NWT cultural safety framework, which will be reviewed by the Indigenous Advisory Board and Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Leadership Council. Once finalized, I will share it with Members.
As a final point, Mr. Speaker, we've heard that cultural safety and anti-racism work must be led by Indigenous people. Much of the work that I have just outlined will be led by a new cultural safety and anti-racism unit dedicated to leading our system's efforts to embed cultural safety and anti-racism into the fabric of our Health and Social Services system. The existing team is comprised almost entirely of Indigenous staff from multiple nations and regions in the NWT. As the team expands, we are committed to ensuring that positions are open to applicants from any community in the NWT and that the senior positions are all filled by Indigenous staff who have been mentored and supported to take on leadership roles to advance this work.
Mr. Speaker, we have done the research and the collaborative development with Indigenous peoples and communities in the territory to set our strategic vision and the action plans to guide this work. Now, the focus is on embedding cultural safety and anti-racism in a meaningful and sustainable way to achieve our vision of a territory where Indigenous peoples, families, and communities enjoy physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health and wellness. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We only have to watch the news; it is often charged with stories of racism. The last four years of government in the United States has shown us the reality of racism when it is allowed to rear its ugly head from the shadows without consequence. It showed us what happens when those inner feelings and beliefs that one is superior are allowed to surface and be liberated. People are now finding racism acceptable, and some are wearing it as a badge of honour.
Mr. Speaker, the enthusiasm of the racial divide in the United States spilled over into Canada and charged both sides of the debate. We as Canadians, although more accepting, continue to have a facet of the population that believes racism in Canada is exaggerated and that everyone has the same opportunity and is treated equally. In the NWT, we as Indigenous people know this, in fact, is not reality.
The NWT is predominantly Indigenous peoples. We have a government that is predominantly Indigenous, and we still fall short in the make-up of our workforce, in our education levels, in our access to business opportunities, and treatment when seeking medical and other services. This shortfall can be attributed to a number of reasons, with racism being one of them.
For some of us who have been in the North longer than others, we have seen and experienced the effects of what racism can do, both subtly and in its extreme form. When we look at the statistics related to the number of Indigenous children going into foster care, the number of Indigenous people being incarcerated, the number of Indigenous people who are victims of violent crimes, the number of missing and murdered Indigenous women, we see a pattern that proves our system continues to fail Indigenous people. This failure commenced years ago through racist government policy.
Mr. Speaker, how do we eliminate racism? Realistically, it will never be resolved, but it does not mean we give up the fight to lessen the harm it causes to those on the receiving end. As individuals and as a collective, we need to speak up against racism when we see or hear it, listen to others if we are to understand their pain, be respectful to others as one day it may be you looking for the same respect, be accepting, and, most importantly, be willing to help others. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Members' statements. Member for Kam Lake.
Mr. Speaker, employment opportunities, programs and services, and education and training are concentrated in regional centres in Yellowknife. In short, we are an economically and socially uneven territory. To access healthcare, social supports, training, education, and employment opportunities or to flee living arrangements that risk safety or sobriety or to move home to reconnect with family, we first ask Northerners to commit to homelessness. The Northwest Territories Housing Corporation community residency policy requires people to live in a community for varying lengths of time up to one year before adding their names to the community's housing wait list. It can then take years to get to the top of the list and some might say a lifetime. The Housing Corporation stipulates that no local housing authority or organization shall set a community residency requirement that exceeds one year, that the policy must be applied to all applications, and that it is not fair to apply a policy to only some applicants and not others.
When we talk about migration to and from small remote northern communities, we are almost exclusively talking about Indigenous people and their ability to move within the territory for access to healthcare, education, family reunification, and home. Putting your name on a housing wait list could mean a path to safety, a road to opportunity, connection to children in care, or a journey home, and the cost of putting your name on a housing wait list should be an NWT healthcare card. This policy drives the demand for shelters, overcrowding in public housing, forces people to remain in unsafe living arrangements, risks child apprehension, holds people back from accessing education, prevents family reunification; the list goes on, Mr. Speaker.
Twenty-eight of our 33 communities are considered non-market-rent and are dominated by public housing, so if you want to live in a community, your housing option really is public housing. If you want to move to a market-rent community and do not have the financial means to access market rent, the options are couch surfing or a shelter. This means families cannot stay together and boys over 15 stand to be separated from their parents. There comes a time in the life of a policy where we need to cut our ties. That time has come, Mr. Speaker. It is time to cut ties with this policy that inadvertently does more harm than good and time to prioritize the opportunity, health, and safety of all Northerners. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Members' statements. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. One of the priorities for the 19th Legislative Assembly is to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. This declaration establishes a framework of standards for survival, dignity, and the well-being of Indigenous people around the world. In the colonial state of Canada, systems were put in place during the formation of the country that mainly benefit the European or white settler. When a process or organization has racism embedded in its very structure, this is known as systemic or institutional racism. Systemic racism is often found in large institutional settings such as schools, healthcare, and the judicial and policing systems. It is different than individual acts of racism. Systemic racism puts Black, Indigenous, and people of colour at a disadvantage before they even start by rigging the system against them.
People of colour are underrepresented in the public service in Canada, and according to Statistics Canada, 23.9 percent of Black Canadians fall below the poverty line and are considered low-income. This is twice the rate when compared to white Canadians, at 12.2 percent. Indigenous people have a higher rate of incarceration in Canada, representing around 26 percent of inmates in correctional facilities, but only 3 percent of Canada's total population.
Systemic racism in our healthcare system creates a dangerous situation for Black, Indigenous, and people of colour when trying to receive treatment or care. It is well documented that health outcomes differ for non-white populations. A tragic situation highlighted lately by the numerous cases in the media of people dying due to being turned away by the system or from having their illness overlooked based on their race. In October, nothing spoke more to the horror of that racism than the video recorded by Joyce Echaquan, a 37-year-old Indigenous mother of seven in Quebec. Joyce's last moments on earth were spent listening to the nurses who were charged with her care, who had sworn an oath to help her, disparage her with racist comments about her worth and intelligence.
It is crucial that the GNWT adopt a culture of continuously reviewing and analyzing its policies and practices for racial bias, in all departments. This is not just an issue that can be dealt with by human resources or the Affirmative Action Policy alone. It must be a whole-of-government approach with education at its core. The GNWT needs to update its hiring policies to include tangible targets and realistic action plans that will lead to actual change and not just lip service. Accountability must be part of this policy, or we will never see a GNWT that is reflective of the people it serves. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Great Slave. Members' statements. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. What is systemic racism? All I could find as a definition was that it is also known as institutional racism, a form of racism that is embedded and is normal practice within society or an organization. It can lead to discrimination in criminal justice, employment, housing, healthcare, political power, and education, among many other issues. It is an unconscious bias. We have the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action and the MMIWG National Inquiry Calls for Justice that are all evidence of Canada's systemic racism on Indigenous people of this land.
We cannot deny that Indigenous people in this territory have been victim of this, Mr. Speaker. Over the past year and a half, since being elected to this House, my colleagues as well as Cabinet colleagues are challenged with changing the way we do business and ensuring that policies are made to reflect the people we serve, but it's very hard, Mr. Speaker, steering this ship in a new direction with the obstacles that we have. We have not enough money from our federal government to correct the past policies that were created to try to eradicate or assimilate Indigenous people that caused more damage.
Mr. Speaker, I will give credit where it's due. I'm glad that this government, at least so far in the Beaufort-Delta, is hearing the people and now has created the position of a regional Indigenous wellness coordinator. This position will assist in educating staff on cultural safety programs, oversee elders and residents, and lead the organization in incorporating Indigenous culture throughout. I am very happy to hear this, but again, this is just a start. There is much more that needs to be done to correct the damage history has caused to the Indigenous people of this territory. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Members' statements. Member for Thebacha.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have spoken before about systemic racism existing within government policies and laws, police departments, and other public institutions. However, today, I would like to discuss systemic racism in a slightly different but equally significant context.
Mr. Speaker, I recently had a personal experience of systemic racism in Yellowknife, which occurred last month on February 1st at the NWT SPCA. I had been searching for a puppy for a number of months at that point and decided to stop at the SPCA to see some new puppies that had just arrived the day before. When I entered the building, the staff I initially interacted with were great. They treated me very well. They gave me a small tour of the dogs, and even introduced me to a puppy, which I was very interested in adopting. I asked the staff if this puppy was still available, and they said, as far as they knew, she was, since she just arrived less than 24 hours prior.
However, the mood and attitude of this situation came to an abrupt halt when an individual in upper management at the SPCA entered the room. I turned to her, told her my name, and asked if the puppy was still available for adoption. Then, without any introduction on her part or any greeting at all, she pointed and quickly and coldly said, "That dog is already spoken for." Then, without another word, she immediately turned around, left the room, and never came back. Right away, I felt very odd about that interaction. It was a very unfriendly and micro-aggressive response. I considered going to the board of directors, but felt it wouldn't change much. As a Dene woman, I know what racism looks like and feels like, and in that moment, I strongly feel that I experienced systemic racism.
I've shared this story with a few people already, and the response has been mixed. Some believe me, but some are skeptical. Some people seem completely unconvinced that any racism occurred, and they would rather find excuses on behalf of the individual in question. Maybe she was having a bad day, they say. Maybe she was busy in that moment, they say. I'm sure that most Black, brown, or Indigenous folks who hear this story will know the feeling I'm describing. Not all racism or racist behaviour is the same. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
Mr. Speaker, not all racism or racist behaviour is the same. Some moments are more overt and obvious, while others, it's more subtle and covert.
In closing, I must state that I have nothing against the SPCA as an organization. I recognize the good work they do to help animals. In fact, I donate to the Fort Smith animal shelter regularly, and I am an avid dog lover. I am speaking about this because systemic racism takes many forms and can and does take place anywhere. Mr. Speaker, Black lives matter and Indigenous lives matter. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Members' statements. Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Dental services in the small communities: nobody likes having a toothache, Mr. Speaker, but many people across the NWT are having that because there are no dental teams coming into our communities such as Ulukhaktok, Sachs Harbour, and Paulatuk. Residents from my riding tell me that they haven't seen a dentist in the community since COVID-19 started last year. Measures are basically preventing dentists from travel into the communities.
In March of last year, we heard the dentists who are also not sure if they would be able to visit the communities because of the problem they may have with the time it takes the airborne contaminants to dissipate in the air with air exchangers in the health centres. In October, the government released COVID-19 standards for managing the infection risks to providing in-person dental care. Last year, we learned from the Minister of Health and Social Services that the department has been working on air exchanger requirements and infection control standards to resume dental services in the small communities. In December, the Chief Public Health Officer approved facilities to reopen in six communities to resume dental services, since we are waiting for the facility upgrades for COVID-19 safety protocols that are met in the communities.
Mr. Speaker, there are 27 communities in the NWT that do not have dental services right now, and teams that are unable to provide services, essential dental services. I come from a small community, very little space in our health centres, and the communities have a single room for centres that dentists can work in with patients with proper air handling units. Let's be clear, I appreciate the work of the front-line staff and Health and Social Services who work every day, and those who need emergency dental care, the travel that would work much, be appreciated.
Mr. Speaker, building upgrades and installing air exchangers, quality measurement of tools, it's not a 10-year project. It also costs less than flying people out of the community for emergency procedures. There must be portable units that we could look at. I'd like a commitment from the Minister to make a targeted effort to improve facilities immediately so that our communities, our small communities in the territory could have dental teams visiting and doing dental work and procedures in the community instead of flying them out. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Nunakput. Members' statements. Member for Deh Cho.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Systemic racism is alive and well within our society. It may not be physically prevalent but does hide behind closed doors and closed minds. Systemic racism is an action that is common to a system such as racism in society. As Indigenous people, we face systemic racism on a daily basis. Just the colour of your skin, the fact that you have a treaty number, the community you live in, the crowd that you hang around with, the people who you represent as a leader, those contribute to the harsh realities of systemic racism. This can happen at schools, stores, hockey rinks, even offices and other places we thought would care for our people. Sadly, this is failing on a daily basis.
Indigenous peoples are treated as second-class citizens in their own communities and on their own homeland. It contributes to the unjust, economic, and resource inequalities as seen for centuries and is still alive today. We are not to thrive but kept at bay with promises and more promises of a better tomorrow. Promises. United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, also known by its acronym, UNDRIP, seeks to recognize the right to self-determination, the right to self-government, freedom from discrimination, a stronger, more equitable future for Indigenous peoples. Are these actions able to wipe out systemic racism?
I would think not but, perhaps, to stem the divide. They could be incremental steps to recognizing that the Indigenous people do have a place in society. Mr. Speaker, these are important steps to curbing and destroying systemic racism in our society. Mahsi.
Thank you, Member for Deh Cho. Members' statements. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Just listening to some of the comments of some of my colleagues, that feeling of exclusion, I could go on and on about my numerous encounters, those feelings that I have had throughout my working career and childhood. I will share you one of my first encounters.
Mr. Speaker, when I was about seven or eight years old, I visited relatives in Pine Point when it used to exist. My great-great-grandparents were busy with my relatives, and I was instructed to go to the nearby playground. I didn't think too much of it at the time, but I was so excited to jump on the monkey bars and play. That was until I was approached by two youth in their early teens. It was here I was given a hard dose of reality and my first real encounter with racism.
Mr. Speaker, I still remember as if this happened yesterday. I was told by these children: "You're from res, aren't you? You people are stupid. You should go shopping at the dump. You even know what two times two is? You can't play here." I didn't understand what "you people" meant at the time. I was very confused, hurt, and didn't get to play on those monkey bars because I was afraid. As always, Mr. Speaker, I went to my great grandparents who gave me this advice. They said: "My boy, you will run into hate, jealousy, and people who will judge you because of the colour of your skin and where you come from. You might not understand now, but when you get older, just be kind to everyone you encounter and speak straight with them. You don't have to trust them, but always be kind when you can, and do your best to get along with others. That is our way."
They also said, as I grow older, that I will no doubt encounter many people from all walks of life, and they were right. I was always told sternly before I left the house and flew the coop; they said, "Always be respectful and never ever make fun of other cultures." Mr. Speaker, I admit I don't always get this right, but I try to remember this and practice it as best I can in my day-to-day life. I try to instill these values to my daughters whom I hope will pass it on to their loved ones in the future.
Mr. Speaker, the point I'm trying to make is, the best way to deal with this scourge of racism is to meet head-on with respect, love, and education. Since then, up until this point in my working career, I've had countless racist encounters as I mentioned against both myself and towards my children, but I try to teach them as best I can. I can share countless other memories, but I won't. I would rather eschew these unpleasant memories to die with me, and all we can do from hereon in is to influence each other and treat each other with respect and kindness and be good role models and persevere through it. Mr. Speaker, how do we pass down these values onto our government? Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent from my colleagues? Thank you.
---Unanimous consent granted
Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker, colleagues. My constituent I spoke with recently, Ms. Laney Beaulieu of Deninu Kue, reached out to me in light of recent events in one of our communities. She's currently a student at the Western University in Ontario, and she pointed out a really powerful quote to me from Ibram X. Kendi, an American author and an anti-racist activist. "A policy is either actively trying to minimize the gap in the quality of life between marginalized people and the general public, or is it actively contributing to these disparities." This is a powerful statement, and I'm hoping that it sits with us for a while.
Mr. Speaker, I mentioned in my budget address that I firmly believe in policy reforms, that they need to be fair and they need to be easily delivered to our public service. The goal here being is that our directives are clear and all are as loophole-resistant as possible. This will be needed to dribble down from each of our department heads to ensure that the residents of the NWT get the very best out of our government.
Mr. Speaker, I'd like to finish off with this powerful quote by Chief Dan George. "The heart never knows the colour of the skin." I believe this, and I really hope this resonates with us all. Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. I will have no questions. I think for the most part, and for most of us, it will be a day of reflection, and I think only a few of my colleagues will have questions. Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. The problems with sterilization of instruments and equipment at Stanton Territorial Hospital appear to be over based on a January 14, 2021, update posted on the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority website. The issues began last July 23 when the hospital's three sterilizer units simultaneously started producing instruments contaminated by moisture. This means the instruments couldn't be considered sterile because moisture can attract bacteria. A series of eight public updates were issued beginning on July 24 and became much more regular and consistent after I pressured the current Minister. The health authority described efforts taken with the facility operator, Dexterra, Boreal Health Partnership, the Department of Infrastructure, and the sterilization equipment manufacturer. The number of sterile instrument packs produced has been increased, but there is no guarantee the packs are reliably sterile.
The authority reported that elective surgeries were cancelled, which caused enormous anxiety and sometimes physical suffering for many residents who were left waiting. The latest report indicates that all surgeries, including total joint replacements, are being allowed again although there continues to be some staining of towels used in the sterilization process. I will have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services about the cause of the sterilization problems, whether the backlog of surgeries has been cleared, and whether we can prevent this happening again. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife North.
Mr. Speaker, I am afraid of where our implementation of the Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls is heading. I am afraid it is heading down a road where far too many GNWT action plans end up, a road where some of the low-hanging fruit is picked off, but the larger systemic problems are left unaddressed, caught in an endless cycle of planning and consultation with no meaningful action. Systemic problems can't be solved with a series of minor tweaks to the systems that perpetuate the problems in the first place. Systemic racism is no different, Mr. Speaker. I question whether the GNWT, a government that has had an Affirmative Action Policy in place for over 30 years with little results, is even capable of making the changes needed most.
Mr. Speaker, our government's current work plan goes through each of the calls to justice and is going to assign them into three categories: those that can be implemented immediately, those that can be implemented within one year, and those that require long-term planning. I am afraid that the systemic changes we need most, the calls to justice that we need to address systemic racism, will fall into that third category of long-term planning.
There are a multitude of reasons for this. One, and probably the most significant, being money. All of us in this House know how tight government budgets are, and there is endless need when it comes to government dollars. We in this House could probably spend a billion dollars tomorrow and still find want for $10 billion more. Mr. Speaker, this is why, first and foremost, any action plan developed must be costed. If we don't head down the road of figuring out how much we can reasonably afford, it does not matter how great the action plan is how much long-term planning we do if we don't put the money behind our words.
Mr. Speaker, I know that planning work has to be done, but more importantly, work also has to be done that dismantles the systems and barriers that will get in our way. The inquiry interviewed thousands of people, spent thousands of hours already planning, and it gave us in this House direction in the form of 231 calls to justice. In order to honour the work they did, we must not shy away from the most difficult of those calls to justice. I will have questions for the Minister responsible for the Status of Women. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Members' statements. Member for Monfwi.
Masi, Mr. Speaker. It's only logical that Northerners undergoing addictions treatment do better when their treatment takes place here in the Northwest Territories. Regrettably, the government fails to understand this fact. That failure shows in the amount of money spent on southern-based treatment. I am talking about payments totaling as much as $2.3 million a year to six southern providers, which the North does without. Regrettably, that is not the only case of the government's failure on the addictions treatment front. Where the Department of Health and Social Services provides for on-the-land healing, it is also falling on its face. Let me explain, Mr. Speaker. At the urging of Northerners, the department has made $1.8 million available to Indigenous organizations wishing to offer on-the-land healing treatment. It's called the On the Land Healing Contribution Fund. Sadly, as of October 2020, only a couple of applicants have pursued this funding.
Mr. Speaker, it's not that communities aren't interested in on-the-land healing. It's that the department isn't bothering to promote this particular funding. It's that eligible groups aren't being properly encouraged. As a result, Mr. Speaker, Northerners are indeed missing out. It is so sad that this government is not being proactive on this particular, very important funding. These are just some of the words from the organizations that I represent, as well. Masi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, I brought up dental care in the small communities, especially in the community of Ulukhaktok. This past week, I have been getting calls at 4:30 in the morning and text messages on Messenger. People are needing dental assistance, and there's nothing happening. They go to the health centre. They are given Tylenol and penicillin to help them with the pain, but, Mr. Speaker, we need to get this sorted out. We haven't seen a dentist in the community since last year. When are we starting a start-up plan for the small community dental teams to come into the communities? When is that going to happen? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Nunakput. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just to begin, I would like to say that it's the Non-Insured Health Benefits program that offers dental services. The NIHB program uses facilities that belong to NTHSSA. Really, the responsibility here is with Indigenous Services Canada. They were the ones who suspended dental treatment service last March when the COVID pandemic lockdown began. What happened after that is that the Health and Social Services authorities, supported by the leadership council, requested that dental services not be resumed in health centres until a number of issues, including safety concerns that went beyond COVID-19, were resolved and there was an establishment of clear roles and responsibilities for the delivery of this service.
All of this inevitably led to a working group. The working group did its job and came up with a resumption of services plan. There are now six communities that are receiving dental services because they have newer health facilities that meet current air exchange and infection control requirements. Those communities, unfortunately, are not in the Member's riding, but work has not finished on this front. We are calling that Phase 1. In Phase 2, a working group has identified seven more communities where resumption of services might happen, depending on the assessment of the facilities in which those services would be offered. In this case, it is more promising for the Member's riding because it includes both Paulatuk and Ulukhaktok. Once again, the department will be doing facility assessments prior to the end of June and will then be developing a plan to resume services. Thank you.
