Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today is a very important day for the Inuvialuit people of Inuvik and the Beaufort-Delta region; in fact, throughout all of Canada. On this day 29 years ago, June 5, 1984, in the hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk, the Government of Canada and the Inuvialuit gathered on the shores of the Beaufort to sign the Inuvialuit Final Agreement.

The Inuvialuit Final Agreement was built in the hopes and hard work of the many involved, and its continued success is attributed to the ongoing dedication of the Inuvialuit. The IFA was the first comprehensive land claim agreement signed north of the 60th parallel, and only the second in Canada

at that time. Approved by the Canadian Parliament as the Western Arctic Claims Settlement Act, it took precedence over the acts inconsistent with it. The act was also protected under the Canadian Constitution, in that it cannot be changed by the Parliament without the approval of the Inuvialuit.

Today marks the 29th anniversary of the Inuvialuit

Final Agreement. I would like to take this time to wish the Inuvialuit people of Inuvik and throughout the Beaufort-Delta region, the NWT and Canada, a great day of celebrations and a happy Inuvialuit Day. I would also like to thank the Inuvialuit regional leadership for their ongoing commitment and the support to the development of the Beaufort-Delta region.

The Inuvialuit are a very integral part of what makes Inuvik Inuvik and the Beaufort-Delta what it is. They have a world-renowned dance group, world-renowned arctic sports demonstrators, and strong ambassadors that continue to meet at the international level. They have a culture that is thriving as we see both the youth and elders continue to practice traditional ways of life. They have a strong language program, and that is proven with the launching of the book “Taimani” in February of 2012, which illustrates the timeline of the history of the Inuvialuit, and actually goes to support the development of the Inuvialuit as a culture and society.

I am very proud and very honoured to stand in the House today to wish the Inuvialuit of the community of Inuvik and the Beaufort-Delta a very happy Inuvialuit Day and I wish them all the best in the

future. I wish them all successes that they are pursuing in the future, as well as greater achievements and successes in their future endeavours. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.