I would like to call this meeting to order.
I welcome you all to the 48th meeting of the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs.
We acknowledge that we are meeting on the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinabe people.
Our meeting today will take place in a hybrid format.
For those participating virtually, I would like to outline a few rules to follow. You may speak in the official language of your choice. Interpretation services are available for this meeting in French, English and Inuktitut in the first hour, and Plains Cree in the second hour.
You have the choice at the bottom of your screen of using the globe icon for “floor”, “English” or “French”. Please select your language now, and if interpretation is lost, let us know and we'll try to get it back.
Before speaking, please wait until I recognize you by name. If you are on the video conference, please click on the microphone icon to unmute yourself. For those in the room, your microphone will be controlled as normal by the proceedings and verification officer.
Please address all comments to the chair.
When speaking, please speak slowly and clearly. When you are not speaking, your microphone should be on mute. With regard to a speaking list, the committee clerk and I will do our best to maintain a consolidated order of speaking for all members, although we have already pre-established that for today.
I have just one housekeeping matter before we start. The next study, as per the motion adopted on November 21, 2022, is the study of improving graduation rates and successful outcomes for indigenous students, also known as the education study. Please submit your witness lists, organized by priority and by party, to the clerk by February 8.
With that, pursuant to Standing Order 108(2) and the motion adopted by the committee on November 21, the committee is resuming its study of indigenous languages. This is our third meeting.
Today, for our first panel, I'd like to welcome R.J. Simpson, Government House Leader, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, and Minister of Justice for the Government of the Northwest Territories, appearing virtually.
We will also hear Dr. Megan Lukaniec, who is a linguist from the Huron‑Wendat National Council, via videoconference.
We also have Dr. Ida Bear of the University of Manitoba, also by video conference.
For our witnesses, you will have five minutes each to make an introductory set of comments, and then we will proceed with a first round of questions. Try to keep your speaking remarks to five minutes to allow the most time possible for questions.
With that, Minister Simpson, if you are ready, you have the floor for five minutes.
We're not hearing you, Minister.
We'll go to the second witness, and perhaps we can fix the problem in the meantime.
Dr. Lukaniec, you have the floor for five minutes.