Marci cho, Mr. Speaker. [Translation] today, I would like to talk about International Women’s Day. I would like to talk about the ladies, all who are sitting here today. Today, I would like to talk about my mother. [End of translation] I would like to rise to pay tribute and thank the person with the greatest influence in my life, my mom.
Mr. Speaker, my mom was born April 30, 1934, in a place called Rocher River, as Annie Else Ana. Later, when she started school, they gave her her father’s name, “Look.” She went to school for only a couple of years, because there was so much pressure upon her to come home, do house chores, and care for her little brother. Her mother didn’t believe there was any value whatsoever in education.
My mom had to try to learn how to educate herself, and she did that by reading all of the cans that were bought from the stores, so every time her parents went out and bought canned food, cereal boxes, or bags of flour, she would read everything, to teach herself how to read. There wasn’t a single book in her entire house.
Mr. Speaker, at the age of 18 years old, my mom got married to my father, and lived life as a trapper’s wife for 16 years. Her and my father lived on the Taltson River, and raised three boys, including myself, in the bush. We were taught in the evenings, after we spent the day out with my mother: the younger ones, like myself, with my mother, and my eldest brother with my father. At nighttime, my father would teach us, because he had grade 8. We would learn from my father.
Mr. Speaker, my mother wanted so badly for all of us to graduate that she made it possible for us. She encouraged us to attend school, she made sure that we ate, and she made sure we had clean clothes, although we had no money at all, and all of us graduated from high school.
Mr. Speaker, she is self-taught. She continues to be a strong influence to all of her children, as we graduated and went on to good careers. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to continue my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted.