Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Inuvik is celebrating two major events this summer. The 30th anniversary of the Northern Games and the 12th anniversary of the Great Northern Arts Festival.
The Northern Games are taking place from July 25 through July 30, 2000, in its original birthplace of Inuvik. These games have been part of our community since 1970. The games were headed up by a small group of volunteers who still dedicate their time and efforts every year to make it a success. The founders of the Northern Games include Edward Lennie, Nellie Cournoyea, Billy Day and Reverend Doug Dittrich. The contribution of these outstanding volunteers ensures that the traditional cultures of our people are kept alive.
The events include traditional everyday activities such as muskrat skinning, goose plucking, tea boiling and bannock making. Some of the Arctic sports include the blanket toss, the two-foot high kick, knuckle hop, and the muskox wrestle, amongst other popular events. There is a good-woman and good-man contest. This title is bestowed to the overall male or female winners of all of the events.
The organizing committee is pleased to extend their thanks and appreciation for financial contributions they have received over the years from Heritage Canada, the Governments of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, as well as numerous corporate contributions from a variety of businesses.
These contributions have allowed the organizers to bring its contingents and special guests from as far away as Labrador, Nunavut and Northern Quebec, Alaska and from the Beaufort Delta region.
Another annual event that takes place in Inuvik is the Great Northern Arts Festival, which is celebrating its 12th anniversary from July 21 through July 30, 2000. This event started in 1989 with co-founders Charlene Alexander and Sue Rose. As a result, the festival has been a major success ever since. The primary purpose of this event is to foster the education and training of northern artists, and to promote northern art and artists worldwide.
This ten-day festival includes a variety of exhibitions, workshops, demonstrations and cultural events. The arts festival is open to all artists from all walks of life, whether professional or amateur. It is the largest gathering of northern artists in Canada. Artists from the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and the Yukon, as well as guests from other parts of Canada continue to participate in this art celebration.
I congratulate both of these special events on their...