Launching of the Aboriginal Pavillion for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics

Aboriginal leaders gathered in February 2009 at the Vancouver Playhouse to announce the launch of the Aboriginal Pavillion for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. Here is what ITK President Mary Simon said at the event:

It is with great pride that I stand here today with the leaders of the Four Host First Nations, representatives of VANOC, my fellow Aboriginal Leaders, and Premier Campbell.

Today marks an important day in Olympic history, in our country and for Inuit.  We have been welcomed into the spirit of the Olympic Games as aboriginal peoples in Canada.

Inuit are meaningful partners in welcoming the world to Canada for the 2010 Games.

Inuit live in four regions within the borders of this great country, the Inuvialuit Settlement Region (in the Northwest Territories), the Nunavut Territory, Nunavik (in northern Quebec), and the Nunatsiavut Region (in northern Labrador).

Collectively, we call our homelands Inuit Nunangat and together we share a culture marked by a strong linguistic relation, by common traditions, and culture that is grounded in an ancient history as the original inhabitants of Canada's arctic.

It is with honor that a shared symbol of Inuit culture, the Inukshuk, welcomes the world to Canada during 2010.

We look forward to sharing the story of Inuit culture with a global audience as the people behind the Inukshuk.

The Aboriginal Trade Pavilion not only represents a historic moment in Olympic history, it also represents the supportive role of Aboriginal peoples and Aboriginal owned businesses as meaningful contributors to the Canadian economy.

As First Peoples we make Canada unique and we are also meaningful contributors to the economy of this great and diverse country.

Inuit, First Nations, and Métis will have an opportunity to share with the world our own unique business enterprises.

Aboriginal ventures that focus on tourism and cultural industries, sharing the unique culture and landscape of our homelands within Canada to a world audience.

This is an unprecedented opportunity and a legacy of the Games themselves.

Inuit look forward to 2010.  To you the media, and those watching today I say tunngasugitsi!  Welcome!

Along with other aboriginal peoples, we look forward to sharing the rich culture of Inuit with the world in 2010!

Naukurmiik

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