Mr. Speaker, [Member spoke in Inuktitut].
As Jose Kusugak of the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami once said, [Member spoke in Inuktitut].
I stand in the House today as an indigenous Canadian to honour National Aboriginal Day and to speak in Inuktitut as we celebrate on June 21. We are the first Canadians and Canadians first. As Canada celebrates 150 years of Confederation, many indigenous people recall those years as a dark colonial period of our history. However, we celebrate what Canada has achieved on other fronts, at home and abroad. Our founding beliefs, values, and history are woven with indigenous knowledge and culture. Aboriginal Day is meant to recognize and reflect those shared and intertwined values.
As an indigenous member of Parliament, I am proud of our leadership on reconciliation.
[Member spoke in Inuktitut]