Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today we commemorate the National Day of Action for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and GenderDiverse People. My heart and prayer goes out to the families who have lost loved ones.
Mr. Speaker, it was an honour to be able to take part in unveiling the monument in front of our Legislative Assembly with you. This monument represents our missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, twospirit sorry, LGBTQQIA+ people. And I would like to thank the people who participated in the ceremony:
President of the Native Women's, Grace Blake for her opening prayer and her words that she shared;
Rassi Nashalik for lighting the kudlik;
Yellowknife's First Nation Dene drummers for their opening prayer song;
The Mandevilles for their playing of the Red River Jig;
William Greenland for his music with his flute throughout the ceremony and during the feeding of the fire ceremony;
Gerri Sharpe, the president of Pauktuuti Inuit Women of Canada for her words and her closing prayer.
I'd also like to recognize and thank the artist Myrna Pokiak who designed and constructed, with her team, the monument. Her design into the monument reflects the Northwest Territories as a whole, and she explained it very well. I thank you for this beautiful piece of art. Quyananni, Myrna.
As I mentioned in my comments at the ceremony, since becoming an MLA I more thoroughly understand the importance of our roles as a Legislative Assembly and to make and introduce laws and rules that affect people of our territory. Walking past this monument every day will remind us of the work that is done and continues to be done for our Indigenous women, girls, and twospirit people but also of the work that still needs to be done to protect them. The work has just begun, Mr. Speaker. It's just begun. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Members' statements. Member for Nunakput.
