Debates of May 19, 2011 (day 11)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I’d like to share good news about an achievement of a northern Aboriginal youth who is the first person ever from the Northwest Territories to place in the North American Miss Indian World Pageant.

---Applause

Kiera-Dawn Kolson placed first runner-up in the pageant in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at the Gathering of Nations Pow-Wow, which this year hosted 18,000 to 20,000 First Nations from Canada and the United States. During the Gathering of Nations, the winners of the Miss Indian World were announced. Kiera also won the best speaker award and broke old ticket sales records of 4,000 tickets to 4,117 tickets, earning her a trip to the Bahamas.

During her public speaking and to the general Gathering of Nations audience, Kiera-Dawn, of Tetlit Gwich’in and Tso’Tine heritage, continued to reinforce to youth that you can come from a small place but it doesn’t mean that you can’t dream big.

Kiera has made many accolades. She enjoys writing and singing her songs, enjoys reading, bowling and helping youth. She sang songs she wrote when attending the International Youth Parliament in Sydney, Australia, in 2004; at the Earth Ling Environment Conference in Vancouver, British Columbia; for the after-party at the Aboriginal Achievement Awards in 2006 at Vancouver, British Columbia; and at the 2006 after-party in Winnipeg, Manitoba, at the Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards.

Ms. Kolson was chosen to attend the Artist’s Mentoring Program for the Canada Summer Games in Regina, Saskatchewan, and was chosen to represent the Northwest Territories as a cultural ambassador at the March 2006 Arctic Winter Games in Kenai, Alaska, where she sang for the athletes, staff and guests.

In December 2006, she was chosen as one the 10 Canadians to attend the Yelefest in Haiti, sponsored by the Governor General of Canada. In September 2008, Kiera attended, by invitation, the 2nd International Hip Hop Gathering in Los Angeles, California. She was invited to present her cultural youth workshop at Wimanji, Quebec, in 2008, and spoke about continuing education and inspiring youth to be all they can be in life.

Kiera sang at Parliament Hill in the fall of 2008, to commemorate the vision of the Sisters of Spear Campaign to bring attention to missing Aboriginal women in Canada, and in February 2009, walked in Vancouver, British Columbia, to acknowledge missing Aboriginal women in Canada.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

Kiera carried the Eagle Staff into Parliament at the reconciliation of residential school survivors. These are just some of Kiera’s achievements.

She is an inspiration to youth. Mr. Speaker, I ask this Assembly to join me in congratulating and celebrating Kiera-Dawn Kolson’s achievements, her winning the Miss Indian World First Runner-Up Award, 2011, and to wish her all the best in her future endeavours and goals. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.