Mr. Speaker, one of the priorities for this Assembly is to strengthen awareness of our Northern identity and uniqueness by promoting our many diverse cultures. I am very pleased to advise this House that the Department of Education, Culture and Employment held a ceremony today to celebrate the tremendous contributions that people from all across this territory have made to keep our cultures vibrant and alive.
The Minister’s Cultural Circle was created in 2011 to celebrate Northerners who contribute to the preservation and promotion of the various cultures and where we come from in the Northwest Territories. The Department began requesting nominations in May, Mr. Speaker, and they poured in. An independent panel of judges selected five recipients from the many submissions we received from across the territory.
The Cultural Circle helps build awareness amongst northerners about the importance of promoting, protecting, preserving and celebrating our unique culture and heritage. We received nominations in four categories:
Youth, 25 years of age and under;
Individual;
Elder, 50 years of age and older; and;
Group.
As well there is a Minister’s Choice Award chosen from all the nominations, which is selected by the Minister for an individual or group that embodies the principles of the Minister’s Cultural Circle. The 2012 award recipients exemplify the commitment, diligence, creativity and passion we want culture and heritage to inspire in us all. I was honoured to welcome our recipients into the Cultural Circle this morning:
Doris Taneton of Deline, our youth recipient;
Lillian Elias of Inuvik, our elder recipient;
Melaw Nakehk’o of Fort Simpson, our individual recipient, and;
The Tlicho Imbe Program, our group recipient.
The 2012 Minister’s Choice Award recipient is Jean Harry of Sachs Harbour.
I hope all Members of this Assembly will join me in honouring the Cultural Circle recipients and thank them for their work of preserving, promoting, protecting and celebrating our unique cultures and heritage.
Mr. Speaker, in addition to the Cultural Circle awards ceremony today, this week marks an important gathering of more than fifty community representatives from arts, business, government and cultural organizations across all regions of the NWT, as well as representatives from the Canada Council for the Arts and the Department of Canadian Heritage, as they meet to share common goals and learn new skills. I want to acknowledge and commend all of the people, artists, cultural organizations and community museums for their dedication and valuable work they do in our communities to preserve and promote our Northern cultures and heritage.