Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today is marked as International Women's Day, a day to recognize women's achievements and acknowledge the challenges they face continuously in the quest for gender equality.
The missing and murdered Aboriginal and Indigenous women are our mothers, grandmothers, sisters, daughters, aunties, nieces, cousins, partners, and wives, and they are missed and honoured every day.
The roles of the many women and girls are at the centre of our families and communities must be honoured and restored respectfully.
Mr. Speaker, I for one, would like to recognize my mother, Mary McNeely, a tuberculosis survivor. My brother and I, while attending residential school in Inuvik at that time, were off limits to visitors as she was in the isolation ward. We would only have contributed to her comfort and healing. I'm glad to advise and very fortunate that she is still with us today.
Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Sahtu region, I applaud all the women in the Sahtu for their dedication and hard work within their small respective communities. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.