Merci, Monsieur le President. There are some issues that I would like to follow up on from the recent royal visit. My colleague from Yellowknife North started to raise some of these issues earlier in this sitting.
The first issue is the need for a new name for the territorial heritage centre and museum. I have raised this issue repeatedly, as has the Member for Yellowknife North in this sitting. I was very pleased to hear the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment say basically, on May 27th, that the only obstacle to renaming the museum is political inertia as there is no requirement or need for royal approval.
Here's a concrete step that our government can easily take towards reconciliation rename our territorial museum.
The Member for Yellowknife North has also raised the need to rename some other places in the Northwest Territories to stop commemorating our colonial and racist roots. I support that call, which is also consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Article 13 says that Indigenous peoples have the right to "designate and retain their own names for communities, places and persons" and "states shall take effective measures to ensure that this right is protected."
Clearly GNWT has some unfulfilled obligations in this regard, and I will ask the Minister how this right will be implemented here. I am hoping that the Special Committee on Reconciliation and Indigenous Affairs will also take note of this issue and address it in their final report.
The other museum issue that I want to raise is permitted uses of the museum.
During the recent royal visit to the museum, there was a display of some Inuit traditional heritage items, including a stone lamp, or qulliq. Unfortunately, a current direction from the museum appears to preclude the lighting of the lamp. It's my understanding that a lighted qulliq has been allowed before within the museum without any adverse impacts so it's not clear why there is a new policy or direction.
I will have questions later today for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment on how we can fulfill our UNDRIP obligations with regard to place naming and also ensure that the museum supports culturally significant practices. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Members' statements. Member for Great Slave.
