Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I wanted to talk about the people who bring the

inspiration of art into our world, from the people in Yellowknife, to Ulukhaktok, to Sahtu, to Deh Cho, Lutselk’e, right down the Mackenzie Valley and in all the Northwest Territories. I want to thank them for putting in the work that they do to make buckskin vests or jackets or painting or carving or something. It takes a real talent and patience and it takes a lot of love.

This jacket here was made by my mother and my aunties, when my mother was alive. In order to get this jacket, for example, and what my mom taught me was that you had to get your own moose before she would make a moosehide jacket. She said that’s what I want you to do. So I was lucky and got a moose and brought the hide back to her and she did the tanning and she sewed the beads, along with my aunties, and put the jacket together. It took her a long time. When she gave it to me, my mother said, here’s your moosehide jacket and this is the only one I’m going to make for you. I asked why the beads are sewn in the design. They put their own unique talent in their arts and crafts, our artists in the Northwest Territories, and that’s what’s so unique and special. Really, we cannot sometimes put a dollar to this type of work; it’s priceless.

When I asked my mother why this type of beadwork and that, basically she said it’s because the aunties and myself put our love into the work. That’s what it demonstrates.

I know people who do the artwork, painting, carving, fish scale and birchbark making, really love it. Sometimes we take that love and we wear it, and sometimes it makes us feel good and sometimes it makes us feel somewhat homesick.

So I want to say to the artists that sometimes recognition is given to you enough. Keep up the good work. Keep up the tradition. Keep what you’ve been taught by your parents and pass on this tradition.

Hopefully, if we continue this, we will stop the bullying in the Northwest Territories. Thank you.