Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am going to name off some community schools: Lutselk’e, Chief Jimmy Bruneau, Fort Providence, Hay River Reserve, St. Joe’s, Weledeh, Norman Wells, Fort McPherson, Paulatuk, Sachs Harbour, Fort Simpson, Fort Good Hope, Elizabeth Mackenzie School, K’alemi Dene School, Fort Resolution, JBT, Mildred Hall, Colville Lake, East 3 High, Ulukhaktok and William Mac School. These are 21 schools that are participating in the Traditional Games Championship this week.
Yesterday at the opening ceremonies, there was excitement in the kids. They did their ceremony outside and they had one of the speakers come and talk to the kids. They were out there at 7:00 last night with a fire ceremony and Dene drumming and the prayers from the song to the land, we come from the land and we flow from the land, as I’ve been told at one time this morning.
Then an Inuvialuit elder came up and spoke about the traditional games. He talked about tradition and the discipline of these games. These young people are being trained and learning from the elders, doing the traditional games.
I want to thank this government and the Department of MACA for putting all their energy and efforts to start developing these young leaders in these traditional sports. This goes a long way. We may not see it because we’re in the House and we’re busy with stuff, but this morning, being out there at 8 o’clock, seeing the young kids doing the push pull, I thought, gee, that would be good to have Cabinet and Regular Members doing that at 8 o’clock in the morning, practising these traditional games. I wonder who’s going to do the high kick over there, or the finger pull.
It’s good because the kids were excited; it brings them all together from across the Northwest Territories. They are practising the traditional championship games. I’m hoping that one day these traditional games will be world championship games where we can all celebrate all schools, no matter where you come from in the Northwest Territories.
A hand to the coaches from William Mac School for putting this up, and to Yellowknife for hosting them, and for all the officials over this weekend. Let’s give the kids the boost they need today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
