Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to take this time to recognize a distinguished Sahtu leader, Mr. George Cleary, who passed away on September 3, 2020, at the age of 65. Mr. Cleary had a long list of accomplishments that are worth noting. He went to elementary and junior high school in Deline, and then to high school in Inuvik, graduated, and also completed the teacher education program in Fort Smith. Once he completed the program, he went off to receive his Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Saskatchewan.

He worked as a teacher and a principal for the Ehtseo Ayha School in Deline. He was also a former chief of the Deline Band, president of the Sahtu Dene Council, vice president for the Dene Nation, chief negotiator for the Sahtu Dene and Metis land claim agreement, advisor to Deline Self-Government Agreement, and the director of Indian and Inuit Services for the federal government.

I would like to highlight his work again on two momentous undertakings of his time. Mr. Cleary worked as a director of intergovernmental relations for Deline in its final push to reach and ratify a self-government agreement. He also played a key role in overseeing and ensuring a final Sahtu land claim agreement that was not only successful but also fair to the Sahtu people.

Mr. George Cleary was inducted into the Northwest Territories Education Hall of Fame in 2014 for making a lasting, positive impression in the field of education. He loved hunting, fishing, camping, taking youth on-the-land, hockey, reading and writing. He is survived by his wife, Doreen Cleary, and his children, Taylor, Brent, and Holly.

Mr. Speaker, his accomplishments to the Northwest Territories and to the people of the Sahtu deserve our greatest attention and gratitude for Mr. Cleary's lifelong dedication for looking out for the welfare of our children, our communities, and not only when he was alive but for generations to come. I would like to express my gratitude to the light and the impact of Mr. George Cleary he had on the Northwest Territories, and also paving the road for future leaders. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.