Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize and honour the life of a truly inspirational mountain Dene Indian elder, Mr. Maurice Edward Mendo. Born in 1932, from the time he was born until he had passed away January 25, 2021, Mr. Mendo embodied in every way what it meant to be a Dene person. At every chance he got, he was on the land hunting, trapping, and educating others. If he wasn't on the land, he told stories and reminded the Dene people of their traditional history. For example, in a virtual exhibit by the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre, on the celebration of Yamoria, the legends, Mr. Mendo contributed three powerful stories about the life and spirit of the Dene people.
Mr. Mendo taught himself to read and write in Slavey, which speaks to his intelligence and dedication. Mr. Mendo was a great elder who carried the spiritual backbone of the Sahtu people. He was always a strong believer in his faith, which was reflected in both his love for singing in the church and prayers for others. When others needed help, he was always there to provide support in whatever way he can.
Mr. Mendo was also a loyal and hard-working individual. He had retired from Imperial Oil after 20 years of service of excellent work. He was a board member of various organizations, of which he worked tirelessly for the Naats'ihch'oh National Park in Tulita located along the Yukon border. With his wife, Stella, they were committed to passing on Dene culture to their children, their grandchildren, more than 40 godchildren, and to the community, not just about things on the land, but also about dignity, kindness, spirituality, equality, and much more.
The death of Mr. Mendo meant we lost a unique way of how to think and navigate in this world. I know that he will be deeply missed by his family and the community. I myself will be forever grateful for him, as he had shared his knowledge and influenced the people of the Sahtu for generations to come. During his time, Mr. Speaker, he had shared with me the equality of being in leadership and the fairness of being in leadership and working together as one, to be a stronger North representing our people. He had a lot of great messaging to share with people. He had also been very influential with the younger generation.
As you can see, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Mendo is someone who deserves our greatest recognition and appreciation in this session. I also was very intrigued and very touched by the Tlicho leadership who had attended his funeral and by the Chief of Wekweeti. Mahsi cho to his friends and family. He was an exceptional person who made the Sahtu Dene people a much stronger people and a much stronger region. He will be greatly missed. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.