Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today is Pink Shirt Day. It is a day across Canada that we stand up against bullying. Mr. Speaker, it is unfortunate that bullying has become part of our culture and society. Bullying is a form of lateral violence that crosses all ages, and bullying comes in so many forms.
Mr. Speaker, bullying happens with children on the playground, with youth in the classrooms, gossiping and making fun of people, to teenagers with verbal attacks on social media. And we know that bullying doesn't end in our childhood. Mr. Speaker, all too often we see that it continues into adulthood in our social life and workplace. When bullying goes unaddressed, we allow it to become normalized.
Mr. Speaker, as Indigenous people we know all too well how bullying can take many forms from colonizations to the residential school systems to the 60s Scoop. As Indigenous people, we have been living against bullying our whole life. Indigenous women and girls especially have suffered from this system from racism, sexism, jealousy, intimate partner violence, police brutality, to those who are missing and murdered. Indigenous women continue to survive a system that has been designed to bully them.
Mr. Speaker, the only way we can fight lateral violence is with kindness and identify uprooting causes of violence. And it starts with each one of us in our private lives and our public lives. Mr. Speaker, we all have a gift of our voice. We should not use our tongue as a weapon. We need to lift each other up and support one another, especially those who may be struggling. Mr. Speaker, as elected Members, it starts here in this House as well. Let's use this day to remind one another we are all here to support our constituents.
Member from Monfwi, your time is up.
Can I have unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
Unanimous consent granted
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We should be an example of our behaviour we want to see across the territory. We don't always have to agree in this House or like all the decisions that are made, but with consensus government we can show how we can disagree and still be respectful and kind as we move forward together. Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Monfwi. Before we move on to the next person, the translators have asked us to slow down a bit so please slow down a bit. And it's just everybody, so. Thank you.
Members' statements. Member from Deh Cho.
