I call the meeting to order.
Good afternoon. Welcome, everyone.
Welcome to meeting number 47 of the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs.
Like previous meetings, today's meeting will take place in a hybrid format.
For those participating virtually, I would like to outline a few rules to follow, since this is the first meeting of 2023.
You may speak in the official language of your choice. Interpretation services are available for this meeting in French, English, and Inuktitut.
You have the choice at the bottom of your screen of either floor, Inuktitut, English, or French. Please select your language now so that you'll be ready. If interpretation is lost, please inform me immediately, and we'll stop the process until we fix the problem.
Before speaking, please wait until I recognize you by name, or if you are in the video conference, please click on the microphone icon to unmute yourself. For those in the room, your mike will be controlled as normal by the proceedings and verification officer.
Please address your comments through the chair.
When speaking, please speak slowly and clearly. When you're not speaking, your mike should be on mute.
With regard to the speaking list, the committee clerk and I will do our best to respect the order in which people will be speaking.
I would like to ask the committee to consider the adoption of the budget for the indigenous languages study. You've all received this by email. It covers costs related to our meetings, including witness expenses, meals and telephone lines.
Do I have the committee's agreement?
The agreement is unanimous.
Lastly, I would like the committee to adopt the work plan that was circulated in December. It lays out the road map for the next three meetings of this study. Granted, the work plan is subject to change based on the availability of the witnesses, but do I have the committee's agreement?
There is agreement. Thank you.
With that, we'll begin our study.
Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2) and the motion adopted by the committee on November 21, 2022, the committee is resuming its study of indigenous languages.
Today, for our first panel, we welcome Ms. Karliin Aariak, who is the Languages Commissioner of Nunavut. She is here in person today. From the office of the president of Makivik Corporation, we have Ms. Kitty Gordon, who is also with us in person today. From the Little Salmon/Carmacks First Nation, we have Mr. Mark Nelson and Mr. Ed Schultz. They are representing 25 self-governing indigenous governments.
For the benefit of our witnesses, we provide you with five minutes to make some introductory remarks. Mr. Nelson and Mr. Schultz, you'll share your five minutes. We will then go to questions from the committee members.
With that, I would like to invite Ms. Karliin Aariak to begin the proceedings today with a five-minute introductory opening.