Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I rise to acknowledge and congratulate Weledeh constituent Zhalaani Drygeese-Yelle on her recognition as Top Young Trapper in the North Slave region under the Genuine Mackenzie Fur program.
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It’s excellent to see her here in the gallery. Apologies for not recognizing Zhalaani. Perhaps her family is here too.
Zhalaani, a resident of Detah and in Grade 12, will graduate this year, but she is also learning about the traditional skills of her culture from her parents. Zhalaani’s parents believe in teaching their children both traditional and modern skills. A member of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation, she went on her first caribou hunt when she was nine and is now being recognized for her excellence in trapping muskrat and beaver. Obviously, her proud parents, Bertha Drygeese and Gerry Yelle, were successful and have much to pass on.
Mr. Speaker, I invite you and all Members to congratulate Zhalaani on her achievement and wish her well as she pursues her two paths of excellence. Well done, Zhalaani!