Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to speak today about two communities that I represent that are often overlooked by this government. Those two communities, Mr. Speaker, are Detah and N'dilo, which, along the Members that

live in Yellowknife, make up the Yellowknife Dene First Nation. Mr. Speaker, Detah and N'dilo are often overlooked, partly because they are right beside Yellowknife. It is true there are benefits to this closeness. There are programs and services that are accessible, and which would not normally be available to communities this size. However, Mr. Speaker, there are many disadvantages as well. While the people in those communities have access to the programs and services in the city of Yellowknife, most of them cannot afford them because of their poor education, and therefore, high unemployment rate.

Also, their funding sometimes gets lumped in with the city of Yellowknife, but the city of Yellowknife does not provide services for them. Most people also assume that N'dilo is just part of Yellowknife, rather than a community in its own right. This reduces the ability to recognize and deal with the unique needs of the people in N'dilo and Detah.

For instance, even though many people live in N'dilo and in Detah, primarily the band only receives funding for the people living in Detah, they also have to deal with the housing needs of everybody in the band. Also, when they put on workshops, everybody in the band is allowed to come, similarly with feasts and community events. Funding also seems to disappear. For instance, the recreation dollars that Detah receives is based on their population alone, but the band council has to use that funding for both communities and for all the band members. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.