Mahsi, Mr. Speaker, Members of this House. On Friday, June 9th, I was honoured to have been invited to address the Deh Cho women's First Nations gathering in Fort

Simpson which was held from June 9th to June 11th. The Deh Cho women addressed the serious undermining of the aboriginal people today with their eyes open and a determination to deal with our needs, having particular emphasis on youth and elders. Many symptoms were identified and addressed.

Certainly, these have been pointed out here, as in other forums. However, the Deh Cho women's First Nations gathering addressed many solutions within the power of the aboriginal community today. Much of the power to regain pride, to reinvigorate our elders and to calm our children comes from within ourselves and a reinstatement of our own beliefs in our culture and teachings. Men and women play an equal role in these issues, not to compete with each other, but to complement our collective strength and shore up one another's weaknesses. The members of the aboriginal community are the only ones who can participate in redefining itself. The role of government is to support this process, by helping communities incorporate their needs into viable planning and ensuring the protection of aboriginal rights in the future.

I would like to congratulate the efforts of the Deh Cho women's First Nations gathering and hereby will be tabling the resolutions passed during their deliberations at the appropriate time. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

--- Applause