Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On Tuesday, May 25, 2004, Ms. Anne Buggins, a great northerner and prominent elder of the Hay River Reserve, passed away. She was the eldest person on the Hay River Reserve. Anne Buggins was born at Buffalo Lake to William and Madeline Buggins. As a young girl who lived on the land in the area of Buffalo Lake, she became a very skilled hunter and became very efficient in the ways
of the Dene. She was also known across the Northwest Territories for her kindness and generosity. Anne never married and, although she did not have any children of her own, after her sister passed away, she took her sister's children in and raised them up and also adopted three other children. Anne is survived by her brother, Pat Buggins.
Mr. Speaker, last month, I had the opportunity to watch Anne being interviewed on television. She spoke of many things that happened throughout her life. What stood out in my mind is the fact that she had a very deep concern about people and especially her people, the people of Katlodeeche. She talked about how happy she was to see certain ceremonies revived, especially the feeding of the fire. She was also very happy to see drummers once again in her community. She also spoke about finding a young man lying in the snow bank because he had too much to drink. She stated about how concerned she was about today's youth and the toll that alcohol was having upon them.
Mr. Speaker, many people relied on this lady for her advice. Many people went to her when they did not have any place to go and no one else to talk to. In many cases, they went to her when they did not have a place to stay. In the last couple of years, she dedicated a lot of time to the aboriginal Head Start program, sharing her language, skills and culture. She was also very dedicated to her family. Mr. Speaker, Anne was a vibrant, active lady who was loved by her community. On Saturday, May 29, 2004, the community, friends, and family said goodbye to Anne. On behalf of the people of Deh Cho, I would like to send our condolences to her family and let them know that she will be very deeply missed. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
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