Hon. David Newman (Minister responsible for Native Affairs): Madam Speaker, I would like to make a ministerial statement. Although many of the traditions of the cultures--
Madam Speaker: Order, please. Does the honourable minister have copies for--
Mr. Newman: Madam Speaker, although many of the traditions of the cultures of nonaboriginal Canadians are much different from those of aboriginal peoples, we share to a varying degree the custom of looking on the summer solstice as a period of new life and renewal. For aboriginal peoples, the summer solstice has a very special place in their cultures and religious traditions. This fact should be very easy for Manitobans to appreciate with our deep historical and demographic links to the aboriginal peoples, our long winters and short growing season.
In addition, for the second year across Canada June 21 has been proclaimed as National Aboriginal Day. It has been designated as a special day to celebrate the contributions of aboriginal peoples to Canadian society as Canada's first peoples and to recognize their rich cultures and traditions.
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Madam Speaker, we, as Manitobans, will remember the joyous outpouring of celebration that accompanied National Aboriginal Day last year. This year, another tremendous array of events has been scheduled for The Forks in Winnipeg, starting with a sunrise ceremony and continuing all day and well into the night. Together, with the aboriginal ceremonies and events of the summer solstice, we all have much to celebrate: the arrival of the warm summer, the end of a difficult winter, the departure of a slow spring and our record floods, and the promise of new life and renewal of growth.
Madam Speaker, the government of Manitoba is committed to working with aboriginal peoples to increase their independence and the range of opportunities for social and economic development at the community and provincial level. We also enthusiastically support the idea of celebrating the priceless contributions of aboriginal peoples to the development of Manitoba, which is unique among the provinces in the way aboriginal and other peoples have interacted in producing the society of today.
This is why Manitoba is not only joining in the spirit and substance of the federal proclamation of National Aboriginal Day issued by Governor General Romeo LeBlanc but is independently declaring June 21 as Aboriginal Day in Manitoba. With your permission and that of the House, Madam Speaker, I would like to read the Manitoba proclamation:
WHEREAS the government of Manitoba recognizes, honours and celebrates the contributions of aboriginal peoples to their communities and to the province; and
WHEREAS the government of Manitoba has declared its intention to create awareness of aboriginal culture and strengthen aboriginal participation in community life in Manitoba; and
WHEREAS the development of healthy, vibrant aboriginal communities will benefit all of Manitoba; and
WHEREAS aboriginal peoples traditionally gathered at this time of the year to celebrate the new season associated with a new cycle of renewal; and
WHEREAS Manitoba's aboriginal peoples will celebrate their culture, communities and the traditions of the summer solstice on June 21, 1997; and
WHEREAS many events have been scheduled for that day to enable all Manitobans to join in the celebrations,
NOW, THEREFORE I, David Newman, Minister of Northern Affairs and Minister responsible for Native Affairs, do hereby proclaim June 21, 1997, as Aboriginal Day in Manitoba and commend its celebration to all citizens.
Madam Speaker, through this proclamation, as Minister responsible for Native Affairs, I invite all Manitobans to celebrate National Aboriginal Day by joining in the many events scheduled for June 21 or by devising their own ways to observe this historic event. Thank you.
Mr. Gary Doer (Leader of the Opposition): I wish to rise today on the statement of the minister proclaiming June 21 as National Aboriginal Day. I believe it was two years ago that members of this side, First Nations people, aboriginal people on this side proposed a private member's bill to proclaim June 21 as National Aboriginal Day.
Rather than it being the minister--I, the minister, do proclaim this day--we felt as a community, as a Legislature, as a people, that we, collectively, should have proclaimed together with our First Nations people in this Legislature the legislation that we had put forward for June 21. That would be to us a preferable way of recognizing this very, very important day. This is a small step forward, but it is not the step forward we thought we should have taken. We thought we should have taken that step forward together with the bill that was proposed by the member for Rupertsland (Mr. Robinson), and seconded by the member for The Pas (Mr. Lathlin).
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So, in recognition of June 21 in this Chamber being proclaimed by the government, let us look at the issues and challenges that we have to truly celebrate June 21 in a meaningful way, not just in words in this Chamber but in the communities across this province that are so directly affected and impacted with many people, First Nations and aboriginal people that are located in them.
Let us start with recommendation No. 1 of the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry, calling on a joint commission between government and First Nations people to meet together to implement the AJI, a report that was issued and released with great fanfare five or six years ago but is gathering dust, Madam Speaker, rather than enacting action. Let us do that on June 21, on behalf of First Nations people.
Let us reinstate the cutbacks that have been made by the provincial Conservative government on Access programs on June 21, 1997, cuts that affected the training programs for aboriginal people who were in nursing, social work, education, lawyering, doctoring. Let us do that on June 21, along with this proclamation.
Let us join with the NDP private member's resolution to proclaim November 8 as Aboriginal Veterans Day. Let us do that on June 21.
Let us truly have an aboriginal urban strategy rather than money going to consultants. Let us look at building bridges for opportunities in our communities that allow us to have decent jobs, decent education and decent opportunities. Let us do that on June 21.
Let us pass the resolution that has been forwarded by the member for The Pas (Mr. Lathlin), dealing with aboriginal people and the great numbers of people that have diabetes in our Manitoba communities. Let us not speak out that resolution in this Chamber; let us proclaim that resolution on June 21, in terms of First Nations people.
Madam Speaker, let us look at the northern regional health board, when it represents close to 50 percent of First Nations people in northern Manitoba but I believe only has one, maybe two members of that northern regional board from First Nations communities. Let us have developed true partnership in our regional health boards by inviting more First Nations and aboriginal people to that board on June 21.
We could go on. The Metis people are very concerned about some of the economic development. They have had to lay off people in their communities.
I thank the minister for a statement that I know celebrates the summer solstice and aboriginal people, but I ask him to join with us, and I am not sure whether he was elected when this bill was in the Chamber, but let him join with us and let us have every member of this Chamber, all 57 members, proclaim together unity and solidarity with aboriginal people by passing a private member's bill that I think is worthy of merit in this Chamber. Thank you very, very much, Madam Speaker.
Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Inkster): I would ask for leave.
Madam Speaker: Does the honourable member have leave to respond to the ministerial statement? [agreed]
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Mr. Lamoureux: I did want to participate in this particular ministerial statement because, from our perspective, I think that it is something that is long overdue, and we in fact applaud the government on its actions with respect to acknowledging the importance of June 21 as being the National Aboriginal Day. Throughout the year, we will get plenty of opportunity to hold the government accountable for some of the things that it is doing within the aboriginal community, no doubt about that, and one should not question.
But what is significant here is that something that has been long overdue is in fact being acknowledged. What we have to do is get a better appreciation of the aboriginal community and what, through the aboriginal community, we have today and to be very proud of that. I have, in the past, Madam Speaker, had celebrations within my own riding, and in particular on Canada Day, where aboriginal members of the community have put forward a powwow and individuals from all of the different ethnic groups, if you like, participated first-hand. There is a lot that the aboriginal community has brought and given to Canada. They are our first people. Education is very important, and I think the celebration of June 21 can be one of those days in which we can talk about the positives within the aboriginal community. Hopefully, it will raise a higher sense of awareness to look at individuals, for example, like Louis Riel as an aboriginal person being one of the fathers of Confederation, many in this Chamber would argue. They have contributed since the beginnings of Canada; they will contribute well into the future. We applaud this government and the national government for recognizing the importance of the aboriginal day and designating it being June 21.
With those few words, we just commend the government's actions.
Hon. Harold Gilleshammer (Minister charged with the administration of The Civil Service Superannuation Act): Madam Speaker, I am pleased to table the 1996 Annual Report for the Manitoba Civil Service Superannuation Board.