Mr. Speaker, tonight in Ottawa 14 individuals chosen by a national jury of accomplished aboriginal people will be honoured at the 10th annual National Aboriginal Achievement Awards in a special televised gala ceremony.
These awards which are the initiative of aboriginal peoples, go to outstanding Inuit, first nations and Métis.
One of the awards is a special youth award and is accompanied by a $10,000 scholarship. Another is in recognition of a lifetime of achievement.
Established in 1993 in conjunction with the United Nations International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, these awards provide role models for aboriginal youth and inform the public of the significant achievement of aboriginal peoples in a wide variety of areas.
Please join me in congratulating the recipients of this year's aboriginal achievement awards.