Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize an important cultural milestone. The NorthWords NWT Writers Festival is celebrating its 20th anniversary: Twenty years of championing northern voices and building community through storytelling.
Launched in 2006, NorthWords was born from a vision to bring Canada's most celebrated literary voices to the North and to elevate the powerful stories already being told in our own communities. That vision was realized by dedicated literary champions, including Judith Drinnan, Cathy Jewison, Doris McCann, Larry Adamson, and Richard Van Camp. With early support from partners like the Tlicho government and De Beers Canada, they created a festival that has become nationally respected for its celebration of storytelling, mentorship, and northern culture.
Over the years, NorthWords has welcomed major Canadian authors like Linden MacIntyre and Elizabeth Hay. These guests brought fresh perspectives and returned home with stories of the North's people, land, and creative talent.
NorthWords has also proudly amplified Indigenous voices. Esteemed authors and knowledge-keepers such as the late Lee Maracle, the late Richard Wagamese, Katherena Vermette, Duke Redbird, Niigaan Sinclair, and Rosanna Deerchild, have shared stories rooted in truth, history, identity, and cultural resurgence. Their contributions have fostered meaningful conversations and affirmed the essential place of Indigenous storytelling in our collective narrative.
Mr. Speaker, what makes NorthWords truly special is its ongoing commitment to northern writers. It has given a platform for authors from across the territory, like Richard Van Camp, Allison McCreesh, Fran Hurcomb, whose voices reflect the humour, complexity, and resilience of life in the North. Through NorthWords, these voices are being heard far beyond our borders. That is why the government has supported NorthWords over the years.
With that support, the festival has grown into a year-round literary organization offering mentorships, open mics, workshops, and publications like Coming Home: Stories from the NWT, which helped many Northerners publish their work for the first time.
Mr. Speaker, the anniversary is not just about looking back. It is a moment to recognize the role of the arts in building stronger communities, preserving culture, and helping people, especially youth, express who they are and where they come from.
I want to thank the organizers, the board members, and volunteers who have helped grow NorthWords into what it is today. NorthWords makes us as the North proud. As we mark this anniversary, let us celebrate the stories already told and commit to creating space for many more to come. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Ministers' statements. Minister of Health and Social Services.
