Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am struck by the many references to women here today, the role they play and the need to recognize the sometimes different and unique needs of women and the opportunities to realize their full roles and potential contributions in our society.
I believe it was Ms. McCauley earlier today who noted that women run everything. I think it is right. If you go in any office of a small community or a large community, the worker bees there that are really keeping things going are the women. I would like to recognize today’s worthy recipients of the Wise Women Awards and thank all the women in the North for the important leadership roles they play in our families, communities and governments.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud today to recognize Carol Morin, a constituent of Weledeh who was honoured last Friday with the National Aboriginal Achievement Award for exceptional achievements in media, communications and the arts. Carol blazed the trail for aboriginal people across the country as the first aboriginal person to anchor a national news broadcast on CBC Newsworld. Over the past 30 years Carol has worked in a number of broadcasting organizations and has received many accolades from across the country. She has helped to make aboriginal people more prominent and visible to the general public in Canada, making it easier for others to follow in her footsteps.
Carol also embraces her culture through the arts and has made significant contributions to the community through her singing, drumming and painting. She plays an indispensable role in the community, inspiring native women to take up drumming in the Northwest Territories. She has also recently received a Canada Council writers’
grant to help with the completion of her first novel entitled Bearskin Diary and the NWT Arts Council writers’ grant for her first stage play entitled The Ruse. Carol has also written a children’s book called Kookum’s Tablecloth, which has been picked up by a printer in Victoria.
Please join me in congratulating Carol for this monumental achievement. A taping of the awards ceremony will be broadcast on APTN and Global in a 90-minute presentation on March 21st . Mahsi.
---Applause