Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, honourable Members of the Legislative Assembly. I have been debating this motion for some time. I'm not too sure how it will be taken, or how you will react to the motion. I thought many things in terms of how I was going to proceed with this motion. I want to thank the people who helped me draft this and put this into a manner that is honourable and respectful to the House.
I do this on behalf of my mother and some older people who had to deal with being taken away for months and months.
I didn't expect this to happen, Mr. Speaker. I wanted to say that when hurt, as survivors, it really hurts. But we are fighters, we are survivors. We take on the bumps and grinds of life and we get back up and go at it again. We've met some good people, as Mr. Miltenberger and Mr. McLeod have mentioned. We have also developed some leadership skills. Sometimes we question ourselves in society, and this is where we want to take the spirit and give it. Thank you.
I encourage leaders across here to not give up. Keep going. That's what we did as survivors. We were not allowed to go home for a long time. We just had to take whatever they had to give us from residential school, but we have come out okay. We want to go forward in the Northwest Territories. I think this government is making strides in terms of doing something. We do this for the old people who don't have a voice right now. In this type of situation, they are hurting worse than us. We honour them just to say we recognize this day. Springtime is a new life, it's a new beginning. Ducks are coming and people are happy. That is how life is for us.
Good, bad, right or wrong, residential school is in our blood and we are not going to change that, but we can make something of it and do something for our kids. That's all I ask for. Whatever comes out of it, it's a gift for us. Right now, I want to thank Members for allowing me to speak. I apologize for getting emotional. I didn't think I would. I think of my Granny and my Mom and some of the old people you have back home. We know what it's like to be away from our families. Believe me, we know what it's like. We don't give up and we keep on going.
I want to thank Members for allowing this motion to be read in the House, debated, and have the chance to be voted on. Thank you.
---Applause