Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This coming weekend the Sahtu will be rocking and rolling, shaking and baking. This weekend the Sahtu, along with other regions such as the Tlicho, South Slave, Deh Cho, Akaitcho, even as far as Sachs Harbour are starting to learn and participate in traditional hand games. The Sahtu is holding a $60,000 men’s hand games tournament. There are people from Alberta, Yukon and the Northwest Territories making their way through the Mackenzie Valley winter road to go to Deline.
Last year in the Sahtu, Deline held this event and it was a success. There were many people who came to the hand games. We see this opportunity as our Mardi Gras of the North. This is where people celebrate, they cook, they put people up for bedding, and they play, and the drums go on. There’s excitement, excitement in the people for their culture and they’re at their best when they’re playing the hand games. People from all over come to these hand games to see the true spirit of the Dene and the northern people.
I want to say thank you very much to the people in Deline for the volunteers, the sponsors that make this possible. As I said, this event hosts the world’s greatest and best hand games players. I am sad to say that the Government of the Northwest Territories does not have a team yet to represent ourselves at the hand games. We have Premier McLeod, who I think is a good shooter. He could win lots of prizes for us at these hand games, and have fun, and enjoy, and eat with the people and dance with them. This is a good time to celebrate. Yes, we work hard, but we should be playing hard, too, and we should have a team one day representing the government at these hand games. It would truly be a northern experience, one we can take to the books and say yes, we’re all in this together in the Northwest Territories.
Good luck to all the hand game players and good luck to everyone who’s coming in. I also want to congratulate Tsiigehtchic who won the little league hand game tournament in Tulita. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
