Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee on Nov. 5th, 2009

[John Duncan, Conservative, Vancouver Island North, BC]

Thank you very much.

Good morning to you both.

The Inuit action plan has generated some comment this morning. I want to move toward discussion on education.

The action plan talked about trying to address some gaps in the education system for Inuit. Can you explain what those gaps are, particularly in Inuvialuit and in Nunavut, and also how the federal government might best address them? That would be my first question.

Also, could you give us an idea on connectivity and access to broadband? I think this is a really significant area, which makes a difference in education and in almost every other sphere of activity. It's not just social; it's also economic in every way.

If you could focus on those two areas, we'll see how the time goes.

[Belinda Webb]

I'll touch on the first one, and I'll pass the second one over to Gordon.

Currently, ITK is working with provinces and territories on education strategy. Recently there was an education accord signed between ITK and federal, provincial, and territorial governments. With the signing of that particular accord, this particular working group has one year to put together a national Inuit education strategy. They held their first meeting on that strategy last month, and they're moving forward on that.

On the ITK website, there is documentation that was done prior to a summit on education held in Inuvik. Those documents are available, and they clearly define what some of the gaps are in regard to Inuit education. Just to highlight a couple of basic gaps in education, one would certainly be being educated in one's mother tongue, in one's mother language. Across Inuit Nunangat we have numerous Inuit language dialects. To have children understanding and learning in their own language is a priority. That's one of the main areas.

As well, the education system as it is currently is a southern-based education system. For instance, in biology you might be learning about giraffes or frogs or something like that. To an Inuit person living in the north, not only do you have to explain the giraffe and the biology of it, you actually have to explain what a giraffe is and where it comes from. Having a southern-based education system in the north for Inuit who have not seen some of these realities is one of the other areas this particular committee is working on.

If you're interested in the developments of that working group, we can certainly keep you informed as to where they're headed.

[Gordon Miles]

I will add a couple of comments before I get to connectivity.

Education is hugely important and plays a major role, particularly in skills and employment training. There are seven community economic development organizations, CEDOs, and they are all AHRDA holders. They deliver the HRSDC programs within their regions, and that's one way--again I go back to co-management--of working together. The CEDOs, as AHRDA holders, are also delivering to communities the aboriginal economic development programs. So it becomes one window, and you can integrate between projects.

As an example, there is a mining trades skills strategy group operating within Nunavut that includes the mining companies, Government of Nunavut representatives, and the Inuit AHRDAs. Working together, they're trying to identify what the needs will be, and then they will put in place training programs to address them. From NEDCIN's point of view, that's more of what we need. It's taking the available resources and making sure we're not duplicating but are building on the institutions that are actually on the ground in Inuit Nunangat and ensuring that they can provide the best possible solutions for the people.

On connectivity, I think it varies across the four regions. I believe that Nunavut, for sure, has broadband within every community. I believe that Inuvialuit and Nunavik have it. I'm not sure about Nunatsiavut and where they stand. In all cases, the bandwidth is not sufficient to address the needs. As a result, for programs that could be quite helpful, whether it be distance education or interactive video, there is not enough bandwidth in most cases to allow those to happen. As we move forward, it will become increasingly important to address that deficit and ensure that the Inuit in the Arctic have access to the same broadband end speed that's available everywhere else in Canada.

[John Duncan, Conservative, Vancouver Island North, BC]

Thank you. That is quite comprehensive.

Has the ITK made a submission to the Dawson exercise that's looking at devolution in Nunavut, and if so, what was the main thrust of your submission?

[The Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Just give a brief response, if possible. We're a little over time there, I'm sorry.

[Belinda Webb]

That's no problem. It will be brief.

To my knowledge, we haven't provided any type of submission to that particular exercise.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

That's pretty brief. Thanks very much. That is in compliance, yes.

Let's go now to Mr. Bagnell, who will be followed by Mr. Dreeshen. We are on five-minute rounds at this point.

Mr. Bagnell, please proceed.

[Larry Bagnell, Liberal, Yukon, YT]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you both for coming. It's very helpful and very important for our study, obviously.

When you talk about the four regions, of course, I get your point. The present reality is that they are dealt with separately, as you know, which is why you made that point. I am curious, under the present circumstances, if you feel that Nunavik and Nunatsiavut perhaps get less favourable treatment. That is not on purpose, but it is sort of more forgotten that the territories are well treated historically by the federal government, and being in the northern parts of provinces, they may be a bit more forgotten and not get the same level of benefits and services.

Do you think that's the same, or are they roughly all at the same level in being served by government?

[Gordon Miles]

It varies, depending on what the land claims state, the obligations of the land claims, and the relationship and the agreements that are in place with the provincial governments within Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador. For instance, I mentioned that the CEDOs are AHRDA holders. In Quebec, the Province of Quebec has signed an agreement with Nunavik, and the CEDO in Nunavik is actually the Kativik Regional Government, so they signed an agreement whereby the federal funds for HRSDC, along with the provincial contributions, are all funnelled through the CEDO, so they actually have a one-window approach on that. They have a much better arrangement, because in Quebec they have the child care support that is the envy of the other three regions.

Having said that, in some of the aboriginal programming they are limited to a one-year agreement. In Nunavut, for example, we had a five-year renewable arrangement for core funding. In Quebec they are only allowed to do that on a one-year basis. In the Northwest Territories it's on a one-year basis.

So there are different problems across the four regions. I wouldn't say any of them are better treated. It comes as a result of the governance structures that are in place and the length of time since the land claims were settled and how much progress has been made on implementation.

[Larry Bagnell, Liberal, Yukon, YT]

As you mentioned, the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs is primarily Indian, but we did put in the small Inuit section recently. Is that sufficient? Is it effective? My guess is that it's small and not big enough.

[Gordon Miles]

Are you referring to the Inuit Relations Secretariat? That has been a help. More needs to be done. I believe that the understanding and the purpose of NEDCIN was to bring together.... I will try to keep it brief. NEDCIN is a huge committee. There are 19 members. It's made up of the four Inuit leaders, five CEDO chief executive officers, the four regional directors from the INAC regions, two headquarters personnel, the assistant deputy minister and the director general of policy and strategy—I hope I have these titles right—and ex officio is the president of ITK, the president of Pauktuutit Inuit Women's Association of Canada, and the executive director of the secretariat. It brings together the regional people, the Inuit organizations, and the Inuit CEDOs to work on common problems, to find those barriers you people are looking for, and to find a way to get a solution.

[Larry Bagnell, Liberal, Yukon, YT]

Roughly how many people do you have on staff in Ottawa and in other areas?

[Gordon Miles]

Is that for NEDCIN?

[Larry Bagnell, Liberal, Yukon, YT]

No, for the ITK.

[Belinda Webb]

Currently we have approximately 44 staff in the Ottawa region and that's made up of the department of health and environment, my department, the finance department, the communications department, and then executive services. We are stationed in Ottawa. We do not have staff in the regions. However, we deal with a lot of committees for specific files. Within those committees we have representatives from each of the four land claim regions. Normally they're under the land claim organization. That's how we are connected with our regions. As well, our board of directors, as previously mentioned, is made up of the presidents of those land claim organizations. ITK is basically in Ottawa with 44 staff.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Thank you very much, Mr. Bagnell.

We'll now go to Mr. Dreeshen for five minutes. He will be followed by Monsieur Lemay.

[Earl Dreeshen, Conservative, Red Deer, AB]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

I thank the witnesses very much for being here today.

I want to touch on some of the things that at least I see from the National Committee on Inuit Education. I understand the national committee is made up of representatives from ITK, its member organizations, the federal government partners, and government in the four Inuit regions. They were tasked with developing a strategy on Inuit education, with the objective of improving access and obviously improving the outcomes for the Inuit.

Is that a start of this collaboration in trying to pull the four regions together? Do you see that as a model that might work in other areas as well?

[Belinda Webb]

In this regard, where it is specific to education, we happen to deal with the provincial-territorial counterparts. It's in the early stages, as previously mentioned. They've just had one particular meeting so far, but in observing that particular meeting, I think it's a great approach when you're looking at collaborative management, because in numerous cases you have to deal with the territorial, provincial, federal, as well as the land claim organizations. So I think it could be a good model, but it's one we'll have to watch to see how it develops and what outcomes come out of that particular working group.

In addition to that particular working group, as Gordon mentioned, I sit on the NEDCIN committee. I think that's also another best practice model in regards to co-management. As of right now, it's working quite well.

There are other co-management groups, for instance with the Nunatsiavut and Nunavik. They have a co-management board for their parks, and I understand that's working very well also.

I think there are a few out there that we can certainly use as a best practice to see how it's working or not working, but yes, the education working group seems to be very well....

[Earl Dreeshen, Conservative, Red Deer, AB]

That's good.

I'm a former educator. I taught school for 34 years and so I have some experience with some of the difficulties that exist in those areas.

One of the questions I have is this. Quebec and Labrador are in your region. Are there more difficulties when you have to deal with provincial governments and their expectations versus what there would be in the other territories?

[Belinda Webb]

I don't have a lot of background in that particular area, but I can certainly look further into that question for you and get back to you on that specifically.

[Earl Dreeshen, Conservative, Red Deer, AB]

The other question I have is on the University of the Arctic. I was trying to take a look at what that is. It's a virtual university, and of course, when you look at where the communities are located, it's extremely important that you do have this broadband capability and so on.

If this is for the circumpolar countries, I'm curious as to how you deal with this and what the thoughts are as far as common language goes. You spoke about the different dialects that there would be. Are there any insights that you can give us in that regard?

[Belinda Webb]

That's another area that I don't work specifically on. I could follow up on that as well. Within our particular department, we do have a national Inuit language committee. One of the items on their work plan is looking at groups like the Maori and how they've managed to sustain their language.

I know that particular group has been looking at the different dialects across the four regions and how we can start incorporating things to have perhaps one main dialect or written process so we can ensure the language stays alive.

With regard to the Arctic university, I can certainly follow up on that question as well.

[Earl Dreeshen, Conservative, Red Deer, AB]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Thank you, Mr. Dreeshen.

Mr. Lemay, you have five minutes.

[Marc Lemay, Bloc, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

Then Mr. Bevington gets the floor.