Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

WHEREAS custom adoption has been a fact of life for aboriginal people in the Northwest Territories for hundreds of years;

AND WHEREAS the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms recognizes existing aboriginal rights;

AND WHEREAS case law in the Northwest Territories has recognized the validity of custom adoption;

AND WHEREAS the laws that govern the Northwest Territories should provide the same rights and protection afforded parents and children of legal adoption to parents and children adopted by custom;

NOW THEREFORE, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for High Arctic, that this Legislative Assembly requests the Minister of Justice to undertake a review of all territorial statutes to ensure that, where appropriate, the definition of "parents" and "children" will include custom adoptive parents and custom adopted children, so as to ensure that the parents and children of custom adoption will be afforded the same legal rights as currently exist between biological parents, parents by legal adoption and their children.

Thank you.