Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would also like to talk about National Aboriginal Day, and of the people I represent: the Inuvialuit; the Gwich'in; and the Metis people of the Mackenzie Delta.

As we know, they have a unique history. These First Nations people have been a group who have lived with hardship, living above the Arctic Circle in harsh conditions. Yet they have been able to survive with the elements around them.

The Gwich'in and Inuvialuit people have lived in the Mackenzie Delta-Beaufort Sea area for some 20,000 years. They have managed to survive with the understanding that they have to live in harmony with the wildlife, the environment and the elements around them.

They were able to survive by moving with the seasons to harvest caribou, fish, and whale. They were also able to sustain themselves with a unique style of government. They had a government in place long before this Legislature came about. They had headmen. They had elders' committees. They had people who were able to harvest for the elders, bringing back meat, fish, and caribou so they could sustain the family.

To us, family means your immediate family. To aboriginal people, it is a collective group of people. They take care of the whole family, the elders, children, grandparents, the widows. We have to realize the uniqueness of how these people lived, where they were battling with the effects of unemployment, welfare, and of being uneducated.

They had a system in place. The Inuvialuit and the Gwich'in have seen a lot of change. They have seen the impacts on the whaling industry, the gold rush, the fur trade, the residential schools, the imposition of government put on them regarding Indian Affairs and now the NWT Act establishing this government.

Through those changes, they were able to strive and meet these challenges. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.