Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Minister McLeod made a statement in the Legislative Assembly on June 6 on ITI’s traditional skills program with an invitation to the Duck Soup Feast at the Weledeh campsite. I can attest that it was a wonderful feast.
I'd like to share a few notes with a Weledeh focus. Over 200 people from the Yellowknives Dene First Nation community attended the Duck Soup Feast hosted by students and staff of K'alemi Dene School, held at the Weledeh site last Friday. The traditional skills program at the site on the Yellowknife River is wrapping up today with the completion of a birch bark canoe and the tanning of a moose hide. This is an historic event as it has likely been 80 years since the last birch bark canoe has been built in this area. In addition, many other Dene cultural camp activities have come to an end. Duck plucking, dry fish making and traditional Dene games kept youth busy and learning, with over 200 students ranging from kindergarten to grade 12.
About 100 students attended from K'alemi Dene and Kaw Tay Whee schools, and approximately 100 students from William McDonald School and École Sir John Franklin participated.
For those who can make it, there is a celebration at the Weledeh site today at noon with the Yellowknives Dene and a feeding-the-fire ceremony recognizing the Creator and the spirit of our elders who passed before us.
Guy Erasmus of the Traditional Economy division of ITI spearheaded the project. The project is funded by ITI and the Yellowknives Dene First Nation, the Department of ECE, and Yellowknife Education District No. 1.
Weledeh’s Yellowknives Dene First Nation elders and cultural resource people guided the project and provided traditional skills and instruction. Youth saw elders who in good humour worked hard all week. They just didn't stop demonstrating and teaching the traditional values.
Recognition goes to them for their commitment and hard work: Judith Charlo, Verna Crapeau, Paul and Adeline Mackenzie of Dettah. Youth workers who really guided the canoe project are Ernest Sangris and Brendan Baillargeon of K'alemi Dene School, Joey Poodlat of École Sir John Franklin, and Jarius Stewart of Yellowknife. Don Gardner of Canmore guided the canoe project, and Barb Cameron of Yellowknife coordinated the traditional skills camp.
Mr. Speaker, may I have consent to continue my statement?
Unanimous consent granted.