Please be seated. My first language is Cree, so I'm going to say a few words in Cree.

First of all, I want to say [No translation provided].] meaning thank you with respect. [No translation provided]. Meaning our friendship, people and friendship. I'm here to be part of your Assembly and to be a friend for whatever you need.

So I'd like to say tansi, Mr. Speaker, Premier, and Members of the Legislative Assembly. It's a pleasure to be in the House with those who serve the people of the Northwest Territories.

I wish to acknowledge we are gathered today on Chief Drygeese territory. We are grateful to be on this land and all the lands home to many Indigenous people, including the Dene, Inuvialuit, Metis, and Inuit. I am honoured to be here at my first event as Deputy Commissioner of the Northwest Territories. I couldn't memorize this so I'm going to have to read from it.

I'm looking forward to working with Commissioner Kisoun and getting to know the people of the Northwest Territories. I want to thank my family and my friends and the community for their support, and I hope I will make you proud. It's important that we all work together and support our communities, and particularly the youth. Listening to the voices of the youth will make our future brighter for the Northwest Territories, and I always believe in acknowledging our future leadership, which is the youth, and I continue to support their endeavours in any way I can.

So now as Deputy Commissioner of the Northwest Territories, I am pleased to assent the following bills:

• Bill 2, Missing Persons Act;
• Bill 9, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 1, 2024-2025; and,
• Bill 10 Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), 2024-2025.

Mahsi. Merci Beaucoup. Mahsi cho. My friend taught me how to say this word and I think I forgot already. Quanani and Koana. [No translation provided].

People that don't understand, there's different levels of different dialects of Cree. And I'm a very proud Cree woman and proud to speak my language. So [No translation provided].

You're leaders of our people, and you are also there to help all our members in the Northwest Territories, and I wish to thank you. Mahsi.