Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to say that this morning I went to a conference down in Ndilo at the community gym and, Mr. Speaker, I was taken aback by the number people that were there from right across the Northwest Territories. Mr. Speaker, I spoke at this conference and they were talking about the residential school action that the government has taken and, of course, the Northwest Territories government has supported it in terms of helping the survivors. But, Mr. Speaker, I was there in terms of a presenter and talking about our experience as survivors, and, Mr. Speaker, there were women there, there were men there, there were young people there, there were leaders there from our communities there, also from the Assembly of First Nations. They were sitting there talking amongst themselves as how and what they can do as people in the Northwest Territories in terms of helping our own people. There are people in our region who are looking for answers or looking for support and looking for ways to deal with the residential school issues. They know that the payment that this government is proceeding with won't be enough. It's not about the money, people have said; it's there because of a legal process. It's there on behalf of the government saying they're sorry for wrongs they've done to a nation of people that took away their children -- I was one of them, I was six years old -- and how the devastating effects being taken away from your parents, your home community, your language and your culture and the damage it has on you in terms of the ripple effects. These people are looking for help from this government here.
I certainly hope this government has some time to go down and meet with these people in Ndilo, sit with these people who are hurting, sit with the women who are hurting and wondering what's wrong with their children or grandchildren or even what's wrong with themselves, or with men who are there looking for help.
Mr. Speaker, this residential school issue, there's 213 elders 60 years and over in the Sahtu. These elders need help in terms of experience. We put them through the wringer on a number of processes. Let's get out there. Let's help them. Let's get our history straight. Let's have this history of the residential school once and for all something I can stand up and say it does not have an effect on our life anymore. Thank you.
---Applause