Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to congratulate the Lutsel K'e Dene First Nation for being selected to win a United Nations award known as the Equator Prize. Mr. Speaker, for those who don't know, the Equator Prize is an award which recognizes outstanding community efforts to reduce poverty through the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.

Lutsel K'e won this award for their tireless work on the establishment of Thaidene Nene, or Land of the Ancestors, National Park Reserve. The area of the park reserve is 26,000 square kilometres, encompassing areas of Boreal forest and Arctic tundra and dozens of lakes, rivers, waterfalls, and wildlife.

Mr. Speaker, Lutsel K'e is one of 10 global winners of this prestigious award, selected among 600 nominations spanning 120 countries, and this is the first time a Canadian group has won this award. The award also carries a $10,000 cash prize, and the winners will be honoured in New York City later this year as part of Climate Week and Nature Summit at the UN.

There are a number of people whom the LKDFN would like to thank for their long efforts and their hard work that was put into making Thaidene Nene into a reality. First, we want to thank Chief Marlowe and the entire council; as well as Steve Nitah, the lead negotiator for Thaidene Nene; along with all the elders and other community members who contributed to this massive project, which spanned decades to produce.

Mr. Speaker, Thaidene Nene has a website called Land of the Ancestors. I encourage the public to check it out and see the wonderful work that was put into making this park a reality. Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker.