Qujannamiik uqaqti. Madam Speaker, I stand today to honour my father Batiste, and all Inuit of his generation. They were born and raised on the land, and survived only because of what they learned from their forebears. This long line of inherited insight enabled intelligence and skill development among Inuit, and served as a true form of evidence-based knowledge. One of my dad's favourite sayings is, “There is no such thing as can't.” Living by these words, his intelligence and persistence allowed him to provide solutions to the most difficult problems.
The Inuit have survived by following similar principles, and with a strong sense of community to unite them they have tackled tough circumstances together. They worked together, cared for and respected each other, and were always open to new and better ways of doing things. This is the kind of mentality that must persist in our future generations.
Therefore, I say to my dad, “I am so very grateful and proud of you, and your generation. Nagligivagit ataata.”