Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This past weekend, specifically yesterday, the grounds in Yellowknife were hopping. About close to 500 people from the Sahtu region live in Yellowknife. So, yesterday they had their first ever Sahtu Dene-Metis beneficiary gathering for all beneficiaries that live here in Yellowknife. People come here for school, to raise their families, for work, whatever.
It was the unofficial Sahtu day here in Yellowknife. It was a gathering of the large families that came together yesterday. The board of directors said, you know, we have close to 40 percent of listed beneficiaries living here in Yellowknife, let’s get together.
There was a feast, there were giveaways, there was a dance. They had a lot of caribou meat to give to the families and they loved it. When they started playing the drums, the people said that just lifted them right up, and they came into the hall to hear the drums and they started to dance. The young kids were running around more so because of the activities for them, also, but for the fun they had in saying this is a family that’s coming together. They’ve been apart in the large city. We don’t get together much and the land claims, through their initiatives, brought everyone together. People had fun yesterday.
That’s the thing about our land claim. People were there to encourage people to go back to school, get a job, work hard, work the land claim. It’s been over 20 years. They’re saying that this land claim was put in for a reason. You are to go out and get your education but also remember the culture.
Yesterday when they were playing the drums and playing the fiddle, people had fun, they got together. There were a few visitors from the Akaitcho, the Deh Cho, even an old lady from Kugluktuk came over and as soon as the drums started playing, she walked right over into the hall and started dancing.
So, I wanted to say thank you to the people in Yellowknife for hosting a good event for the Sahtu people.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The Member for Hay River North, Mr. Bouchard.
