Indigenous Affairs  Mr. Speaker, a person's name is fundamental to who they are. Indigenous names are endowed with deep, cultural meaning and speak to indigenous peoples' presence on the land since time immemorial. Yet, the impact of colonialism means that many indigenous peoples' names have not been recognized.

Indigenous Affairs  Mr. Speaker, today the Minister of Canadian Heritage announced the appointees to the first Office of the Commissioner of Indigenous Languages. The Indigenous Languages Act is historic and demonstrates this government's commitment to support the efforts of indigenous people to reclaim, revitalize, maintain and strengthen indigenous languages.

Truth and Reconciliation Commission  Mr. Speaker, today marks the anniversary of the release of the TRC's 94 calls to action, which was an appeal to mobilize all levels of government, organizations as well as individuals to advance reconciliation through concrete changes in society. Today, we acknowledge the courage of the former students and families that came forward to share their truth and leadership, and the guidance of the commissioners who provided us with a path forward.

Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness  Mr. Speaker, here in Northwest Territories, we have experienced significant flooding in recent weeks. Residents of Fort Simpson, Jean Marie and Fort Good Hope have suffered major damage to their homes, and other communities along the Mackenzie River have also had high water levels.

Canadian Heritage  Madam Speaker, I was joined by the Minister of Canadian Heritage to meet with the Gwich'in Tribal Council recipients of the indigenous language and cultures program to learn about indigenous language projects in the Northwest Territories. Thanks to the funding received, the Gwich'in Tribal Council was able to deliver 2,700 hours of Language Nest programming and 224 hours of language and culture classes in Gwich'in, as well as produce copies of textbooks and teaching guides in Gwich'in and English.

Petitions  Mr. Speaker, today I am presenting a petition signed by over 32,000 Canadians, including 471 of residents of NWT. This petition was sponsored by the Yellowknives Dene First Nation and calls upon the Government of Canada to apologize for its role in the harmful legacy of Giant Mine.

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation  Mr. Speaker, earlier this week, our government proudly supported a motion to continue the debate on Bill C-5, a national day for truth and reconciliation. It is disappointing that unanimous consent was not reached to continue to advance this important piece of legislation, because the Conservative Party of Canada refused to agree, obstructing the passage of the motion and ultimately the bill.

Public Safety  Mr. Speaker, gender violence disproportionately victimizes indigenous women across Canada and in particular in Canada's north. A recent Statistics Canada report confirms that gender-based violence is on the rise, especially against indigenous women, and has gotten worse during the pandemic.

Member for Yukon  Mr. Speaker, I would like to pay tribute to a strong advocate for the north, the hon. member for Yukon. It was 20 years ago, on November 27, 2000, that he was first elected to the House. As the third longest-serving MP in Yukon's history, he has served six terms under four prime ministers.

Recognition of Bravery  Mr. Speaker, today I want to recognize two of my constituents, Roy Helmer and Shelly Wood. In the early hours of October 16, Shelly heard sounds that would bring any of us into a full state of panic. Upon investigation, she was shocked to see a bear attacking someone just outside her door.

Citizenship Act  Madam Speaker, infrastructure is very important to us, especially in the area of transportation. We have very few roads and most of the airports in our communities are very small. However, there have been some very important investments made by the Liberal government. Over the last fives years, I have made many announcements on behalf of the government and some of them have really taken hold.

Citizenship Act  Madam Speaker, for 10 years, when the Conservatives were in power, there was very little hope among the indigenous population of this country. We saw many attempts to muzzle indigenous people. We are now making progress. We are on the right path. Progress is not as fast as we expected it to be, not as fast as we want it to be, but we are heading in the right direction.

Citizenship Act  Madam Speaker, I would like to acknowledge that I am speaking from the traditional homeland of the Dene, Métis and Inuvialuit of the Northwest Territories. I am of Métis descent. I am a member of the Dehcho First Nations. We are known as the “big river” people. I believe I am the only sitting member who attended the residential school program, or the hostel program as we knew it.

Secret Path Week  Mr. Speaker, Secret Path Week marks the dates that both Chanie Wenjack and Gord Downie passed away. Chanie Wenjack was a 12-year-old boy who died of exposure while attempting to get back home to his family from residential school. Secret Path Week is about creating a national platform to have conversations, learn about indigenous culture and create awareness of a true history regarding residential schools.

Health  Madam Speaker, in cities across the country we are seeing the number of COVID-19 cases rise. We know that first nations, Inuit and Métis face unique challenges combatting the spread of COVID-19. Could the parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Indigenous Services update the House on how the government is supporting indigenous people living off reserve and in urban centres?