Evidence of meeting #14 for Indigenous and Northern Affairs in the 39th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was funding.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Legal Counsel, Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated
Thank you.
Very briefly, to add to the answer to Mr. Lemay's question, Mr. Berger has stated that the only solution is to provide a bilingual system that works, and that would require bilingual education starting in pre-school and going through grade 12, with Inuktitut still being the principal language of instruction from kindergarten through the early grades, but then having English added gradually until you're at about a 50-50 level through grade 12.
Just quickly in terms of what has happened since the Berger report came out, NTI has made a number of efforts in terms of approaching the government. Our president has a letter dated March 7, 2006, to Mr. Prentice asking for support from the government for the establishment of a strong bilingual system, and we've had no response.
NDP
Jean Crowder NDP Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC
Really quickly, because I know we're almost out of time, I want to come back to a couple of remarks you made around both the ARDA agreements and the language initiatives and youth initiatives out of Heritage Canada. There are certainly a number of rumours that the language initiatives are under review, and we're not certain whether the cultural and language initiatives out of the heritage department are going to continue to be funded. I wonder if you could talk about the importance of those programs and the impact if that funding, which is insufficient as it is, is cut.
Director of Department of Social and Cultural Development, Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated
In regard to the aboriginal languages initiative, there are so many things that representational Inuit organizations can do that other jurisdictions cannot. Representational organizations such as the regional Inuit organizations in Nunavut can decide what programs they run with aboriginal languages initiative funding as long as they fit within the funding criteria.
A perfect example is the Qikiqtani Inuit Association's little scientists project, where the regional Inuit organization has used funding from the aboriginal languages initiative to create a curriculum that in Inuktitut describes scientific terms to elementary school students. It introduces the outside world in Inuktitut into the north, ideas about what is an Inuktitut name for alligator, or snake, and things like that. Applying dollars that come from federal funds to enhance and improve our society and our language is immeasurable.
We were hoping that the aboriginal languages initiative would be replaced by an ambitious $140 million project that was originally titled the first nations and Inuit language initiative, or FNILI, but because of the change of government, the implementation of that initiative has been put on hold. Unfortunately, the money for that initiative has been in place since 2003, but it just never got implemented.
With the urban multipurpose aboriginal youth centre funding--which is a very strange title for the project considering that an urban centre is considered anything over, I believe, 1,500 or 2,000 people--we received a 30% cut for the Inuit projects without any sort of notice until we were actually into the fiscal year of 2006-07. That fund is mostly used for getting youth involved in cultural and linguistic experiences outside of their communities that they would not otherwise get a chance to do. Not everybody in Nunavut has access to the land. Because of the social problems, because of the reality of broken homes and difficult situations, many young people can only access the land and their traditions through projects like the ones that are funded through the UMAYC program.
So taking away funding from those sorts of initiatives cuts off a social support network in their own culture, in their own territory, that they don't have otherwise. These programs are of immense benefit to the young people and to the traditions, culture, and language of the Inuit of Nunavut.
Coordinator, Nunavut Sivuniksavut Program
I'd like to add to that, because I think it would be appropriate to see how it applies specifically here.
In terms of funding that we now receive from three regional organizations, those are devolved Human Resources dollars, and if there's a policy shift within Human Resources Canada, we would immediately be out 60% of our funding that we currently strive for each year.
In another sense, in terms of government programs that exist, there are in existence programs within Indian Affairs that have been in existence for many years now for supporting post-secondary in a variety of ways. One of them that I mentioned earlier was the university and college entrance program, UCEP. That is one from which, through Nunavut, we receive some of our funding. But also, there is a program within Indian and Northern Affairs called the Indian studies support program. We did a request for information search back about three years ago, and in 2001 there was $17 million spent on Indian studies support programs, which is very good, but there is no equivalent for Inuit studies support programs.
Coordinator, Nunavut Sivuniksavut Program
So we would highly support the recommendation from Mr. Obed here about reviewing the program delivery.
Conservative
Conservative
Harold Albrecht Conservative Kitchener—Conestoga, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I want to thank all of the witnesses and all of the students for being here today as well.
It's amazing to look at the results of your program, especially as it relates to NS, and see the high number of graduates who are successful, first of all, in graduating, and then who return and are productive members of society there.
It seems as though there's a common theme coming through today, from my understanding, and that is the problem at the K to 12 level. I think it has been addressed in two ways. For one thing, I heard something about the problem of the sudden flip in the language from grade 4 to 5.
I need to ask a question. Are there school boards or groups of parents who have any input at all into those kinds of decisions? I think the Berger report is probably wise in its recommendation of bilingual education from kindergarten on. Have parents had any input into this process in any of your communities, or is it something that's mandated from the top down? I served on a school board for a number of years, and I know that parental involvement and expertise are helpful in creating the kinds of programs that are most beneficial in educating our young people.
Director of Department of Social and Cultural Development, Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated
Right now, there are district education authorities in Nunavut that are closest to communities and community-level decisions. That wasn't always the case, but that's how it functions now.
In our discussions leading up to the tabling of a new education act for Nunavut, this idea of community control has been a huge issue. The Inuit in communities want and are demanding more control over the education of their children, and the territorial government is pulling in the opposite direction to have more control over the education in communities at the territorial and regional levels.
Because Laurie Pelly has done more work on this than I have, I'll pass it to her for further comment.
Legal Counsel, Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated
Thank you.
The district education authorities are very active and engaged, for the most part, in the communities. Their capacity to act and influence the education system varies greatly, as you can imagine, from community to community. But the most severe issue is the shortage of teachers who are in a position to teach in Inuktituk to children from K to 12. Currently, they're all really in the lower grade levels. The Government of Nunavut is currently spending $7.5 million a year on teacher education and Inuktituk curriculum development. That's primarily where more resources are needed.
Conservative
Harold Albrecht Conservative Kitchener—Conestoga, ON
It's a matter of resources more than of policy that dictates that this will happen at grade 4. It's just that there aren't enough teachers for it to happen prior to that.
Conservative
Legal Counsel, Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated
Primarily, yes. The Government of Nunavut has adopted a bilingual education strategy, which follows on the Berger report. They did this before the Berger report came out, but there hasn't been the money to implement it.
Thank you.
September 19th, 2006 / 10:35 a.m.
Conservative
Steven Blaney Conservative Lévis—Bellechasse, QC
I'd like to welcome you and the students as well. Your organization seems to be a very positive one. Basically, Ms. Lindell has introduced to us this morning a northern diamond in the rough, namely qualified young students with very high self-esteem. In my view, that's extremely important.
The education system appears to be an obstacle course of sorts. As my colleague Mr. Albrecht was saying, at the primary level, language seems to be a barrier. That explains why 75 per cent of students, an unacceptably high number, drop out. The committee needs to look at this situation which affects students from grades one through twelve. We need to put our heads together and look at ways of lowering the dropout rate.
You've made it clear that what you want is stable funding for your institution. The committee will probably be making a recommendation to that effect.
Do you see any other obstacles in your path? Aside from language, why do you think the dropout rate is 75 per cent? How do you explain this state of affairs, Mr. Obed? What steps can be taken to lower the dropout rate and to encourage more people to enrol in programs such as yours? The question is for anyone who would care to venture an answer.
Director of Department of Social and Cultural Development, Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated
I'll start.
The very idea of the importance of education is a new one to Inuit. I'll point out Tommy, and he'll probably be shy about this. Tommy is from Pangnirtung. His family didn't move into Pangnirtung until he was 12. We're talking about a transformation of societal values and the idea of how you live your life.
Elders talk about education. When they talk about education, they talk about skills that are useful to life. I was just able to have discussions with somebody who was talking about people dying from exposure in Nunavut and of that being such a strange, new concept and that it never happened before, and the idea that children are having children when they can't provide for them, especially by hunting and that sort of nutritional support. These are fundamental issues of a society that's going through immense change. That's why I think we're not yet getting the parents to fully understand the importance of a southern-based education system for their children.
The buy-in of communities will take time, but I think that as the development of Nunavut proceeds, that understanding will grow and the support for southern-based learning will grow. But that support will only grow if the southern-based learning is relevant to the society in which it is delivered. That goes back to how you educate your children. That goes back to what sort of fundamental priorities you want to put within a K through 12 education system.
There is leverage on how you develop and deliver curriculum. If we send our children out to the ice floe to count seals as they're passing by and that's how they learn about counting seals, and we can do it within the same sorts of funding requirements that are given to us, then.... All that matters is that they attain the educational requirement that is needed to become productive members of Canadian society.
I wanted to linger on the idea of the importance of education in Nunavut in the minds of Nunavummiut, the people of Nunavut, and how this is an emerging concept, that southern-based education is relevant to their lives. The only way to make it more relevant is to, one, to show the direct correlation between education and employment, and two, have an education system that meets the cultural, linguistic, and societal needs of the territory in which it is delivered.
Alumni, Nunavut Sivuniksavut Program
I think it's important to say, from my own school experience in going from kindergarten up to grade 12 in an Inuit community, that what I've noticed down here is that lots of students get support from their parents. Their parents can help them out with their homework and help them study in English. When I went home after school, there was no one to help me at home, because both of my parents are unilingual Inuktitut-speaking and they grew up on the land. So it's a huge shift for me, going to my parents. If I ask for help, I can't really get any help. So I think it's even more important that there's a program in Inuktitut from kindergarten to grade 12 where we could at least talk to our parents about the subjects that we are studying in school. I didn't get that much opportunity. All I got was from my older sisters and my older brothers.
I used to be part of the district education council in the community. I was the student representative for a year, and from that I got to see the real problems that an education board in a community deals with. A lot of our time was spent trying to raise funds for our own education association in the community. Sure, maybe half of the time we actually dealt with policy stuff around dealing with the school and trying to help out students. As for what I learned from that, I think I learned more about how to make money in a community than how to deal with education policies.
I always think about this too: how can Inuit parents support us so much, trying to make us go through high school like that, and then when we go home they're saying, “You don't speak enough Inuktitut when you get home.” I always question my parents about why they support us so much in learning English and learning science, while at the very same time as we're learning that, I'm forgetting how to speak my language like my father does, or I'm forgetting how to hunt like he used to, or my little sisters are forgetting how to prepare seal skins and animals like my mom has been doing for so many years. I always question why they're supporting this when they're losing their actual way of being themselves.
I think education can answer both lifestyles. Look at all these students you have right here. They can speak Inuktitut and English, so there is something there that is working and making us proud of who we are. But we're all out of high school, and how about the young kids--10-year-olds up to 18-year-olds--who aren't really proud of who they are in high school? They're not very confident about getting out of their own communities. Most of my friends have been to one community in Nunavut, and that's only Iqaluit. They've never lived anywhere else.
I think education plays a huge part in how we go into the future as Nunavummiut. You'll see caps and jackets of Nunavut all over the community, and we are really proud of who we are, even if we don't know much of what is happening around this kind of stuff.
I just wanted to say that. Thanks.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Colin Mayes
I think it has been just great to have you here for our first meeting. I really want to thank the witnesses for being here, with the short notice that you were given to make this presentation.
I think the support of the young people is such an encouragement, and what you have said, Tommy, with regards to your experience puts a real personal touch on it. We can have a better understanding of the issues that we face as a committee as we move on.
On behalf of the committee, I want to thank each one of the witnesses. It is the effort of all of us here--it doesn't matter which party you're speaking to--to resolve this issue and to make sure you can go forward and that we have the support from the Government of Canada to go forward and meet those challenges you have in the north with your people.
Again, thank you very much for being here.
Mr. Angus.
Instructor, Nunavut Sivuniksavut Program
Thank you too.
We would like to reiterate that we are extending a serious invitation to all members of the committee to merely come down the street in order to have a real experience, right here in Ottawa, of education in Nunavut. We would welcome that opportunity whenever it can be arranged.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Colin Mayes
Thank you for that invitation.
I have been very generous with the questions and the time. I would ask the committee to adjourn now.
We're going to deal with the planning of future meetings and where we want to focus our attention as a committee. Would it be acceptable to the committee to wait until the next meeting to discuss the planning issues?
Thank you very much.
The meeting is adjourned.