Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to be short with my Member’s statement. But it’s written too long, so I’ll only use two pages here.
Mr. Speaker, it’s a great moment that we shared in this House yesterday. We sent a message to women, young and old, and to also to Canada.
Today I want to talk about our youth and the safe and healthy alternatives our Aboriginal Sport Circle of the Northwest Territories is providing to them.
We want our youth to excel. We want them to turn their positive energy into a powerful beat of a drum. The year 2014 was successful for our Aboriginal athletes, coaches and parents. The North has and will continue to produce world-class athletes. For example, the Sahtu was well represented with drummers from Fort Good Hope, in Regina, Saskatchewan. Thirty-one people from the Sahtu were on Team NWT who competed, coached and volunteered at these Aboriginal Indigenous Games.
This was a culture-filled experience with our youth. Anyone who tuned into the coverage on APTN or CKLB Radio could see and hear the great time our youth had. Not only did they compete in the traditional Aboriginal sports, they competed in canoeing and archery, or modern sports like basketball or track. They also had the opportunity to meet fellow athletes and elders from other First Nations and Aboriginal communities across Canada and the United States.
At the Cultural Village, traditional teepees were in front of the University of Saskatchewan. Northern youth showcased some of the traditional Inuit and Dene games. They drew large crowds. Many First Nations and Metis coaches were asking Team NWT if they had any play books or rule books for our games. What a testament to a diverse northern culture.
Mahsi cho to Greg Hopf, Aaron Wells, Derek Squirrel, Carson Roche, Pauline Roche, Gloria Gaudette, Freda and Gordon Taneton, Eddie Cook and all the people who put this short piece together. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.