Mr. Speaker, Mi'kmaq of Nova Scotia have achieved tremendous gains since the failure of the government's disastrous centralization policies of the 1940s when over 1,000 Mi'kmaq were forcibly removed from their communities, loosing homes, farms, schools and churches in the process.
October is Mi'kmaq History Month. I am pleased to draw the attention of all Canadians to this event. I am honoured to offer tribute in the House of Commons to all the Mi'kmaq who worked to maintain and develop Mi'kmaq traditions, education and culture.
The time of the harvest is indeed the most fitting time to celebrate the ongoing contribution of Mi'kmaq, not only to their own first nation but also to Nova Scotia as a whole and to all the Atlantic provinces. Part of the bounty reaped through Mi'kmaq efforts this year have been the tremendous gains in the area of Mi'kmaq education in Nova Scotia.
My NDP colleagues and I salute Mi'kmaq's struggles, achievements and many victories.