Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have just returned from Inuvik, where I participated in celebrations recognizing international literacy day, September 8. That event gave us all an opportunity to think about the importance of literacy in our everyday lives, and the role it plays in drawing us together as a society. With eight official languages, the Northwest Territories is in a unique position in Canada.
Literacy plays an important part in the day-to-day life of many people, and is vital as we take our place in society. The ability to read and write is essential to prepare for a job in any field and is the first step in lifelong learning and education.
Language is also one of the keys to maintaining culture. Literacy in our aboriginal languages is critical if we are going to revitalize our languages, and if they are to flourish. When we wrote our languages, we reach from the past into the present.
By recording and utilizing the voices of the elders into writing, we make sure that their wisdom, knowledge, belief and values are carried into a changing world, and passed on to a new generation. When we write in our aboriginal languages at work, we ensure that they hold a valid place in the world of business and government. When we develop literature, poems, songs, short stories, novels in our own languages, we say that they are as important in our world as any other language.
Peter Gzowski, well known author and host of C.B.C. radio's Morningside, has been a good friend of literacy in the N.W.T. Since 1990, he has held three of his invitation gold tournaments for literacy in the Northwest Territories, and raised $170,000 for the N.W.T. Literacy Council.
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While in Inuvik I was pleased to announce that the 1993 golf tournament will be held in that community next April.
Each year, the Minister Responsible for Education, Culture and Employment Programs, presents literacy recognition awards to residents whose dedication to literacy makes them role models for their communities. Sometimes those honoured are students, sometimes they are teachers. All of them are people we admire. On international literacy day, I recognized three women who have made significant contributions to literacy in the Northwest Territories.
Ms. Susie Nakoolak and Mrs. Pootoogook Adamie were nominated by the Coral Harbour Community Education Council for their work in developing and teaching an Inuktitut literacy project in the community.
The Gwich'in Tribal Council nominated Mabel English for a literacy recognition award because she is both a student and a teacher. She developed and taught Gwich'in language and literacy classes for adults in Inuvik. She also returned to learning to upgrade her own english literacy skills so that she can go to Arctic College after thirty nine years away from formal school.
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Mr. Speaker, I have with me today some very special t-shirts which promote literacy in all the languages of the N.W.T. These t-shirts are presented to students and teachers in communities across the territories. To mark international literacy day, I am pleased to present each Member of this Assembly with one. I hope you will wear them with pride, thereby promoting literacy in all our languages. Qujannamiik.
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