Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is Indigenous Languages Month. It is now the time to celebrate the NWT's Indigenous languages and encourage people to learn about and use them. Here in the NWT, we are very fortunate that we live on lands rich with languages and cultures. We have 11 official languages, nine of those are Indigenous. For Indigenous languages to thrive and survive, it is important to promote their everyday use at home, in the community, and at work. The importance of Indigenous languages has been elevated by the United Nations, who have declared 2019 the International Year of Indigenous Languages.
Here in the NWT, we are the trailblazers, and our efforts to share and pass on Indigenous languages are clear for all, especially those who listen to our proceedings every day. You just have to open up the app store on your phone, and see that we have eight official Government of the Northwest Territories language apps. This is a great step to help in preserving linguistic heritage, stories, and culture, all while ensuring that this information is available to young and future generations. I hope that the NWT will continue with this story of success, revitalizing language and continuing to set an example for the rest of the country to follow.
I believe I can speak for many of my colleagues when I say that we shall continue to take measures to ensure that these languages and the rights of the people who speak them will continue to be protected. It is of the utmost importance if we are to ever achieve meaningful reconciliation, that future generations know their histories, languages, oral traditions, philosophies, writing systems, and literature, while communities, places, and persons can live and thrive in a system which does not inhibit their right to be named and recognized in their mother tongue. I am proud to play my small part in recognizing Indigenous Languages Month.
We are one land with many voices, and this is among our many strengths. Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker.