Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as the daylight gets longer and more people go out on the land, on-the-land programming helps ensure that youth are exposed to traditional culture and ways of harvesting and preparing country food. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources' field environmental programs for youth are a valuable part of education in the Northwest Territories. For generations, youth have learned on the land. Now that we no longer rely on traditional skills for survival, we must ensure our vital connection to the land is not lost. ENR delivers a range of programs in NWT schools both inside and outside the classrooms. These programs teach students about ecology, natural history, traditional knowledge, wildlife, arctic botany, geology, archaeology, and safety and survival skills. Mr. Speaker, this learning can spark an interest that can lead to further education through Aurora College's Environment and Natural Resources Technology diploma or environmental monitor and training programs.

Mr. Speaker, youth who might not excel in classroom academics may do well out on the land where hands-on learning is emphasized, where they get to practise skills with family members outside of school. Mr. Speaker, on-the-land programming teaches students about how people lived before the modern amenities they have never lived without. It introduces new Canadians to the traditional ways of life when Canada's first people and the people who adapted to a new land, culture, years before.

Mr. Speaker, climate change is rapidly changing the traditional territory of the Inuit. Youth need to learn about what is changing and what has stayed the same for generations.

Mr. Speaker, programs like Take a Kid Trapping or original programs like the Dehcho Youth Ecology Camp are great for teaching traditional knowledge from a practical perspective. It would be good to see similar opportunities offered to students in the Beaufort Delta.

Mr. Speaker, it is essential for youth to have positive learning experiences on the land. Field environment programs should be a permanent part of the education curriculum. They also present great opportunities for partnership between government departments and with Aboriginal governments that could ultimately help build a greater trust between governments and diverse groups of people who work together to teach the next generation about life on the land. Quyanainni, Mr. Speaker.