Thank you very much.

(Laughter)

Thank you very much.  Youngsters, thank you very much.  Elders, thank you all.  Merci.  Tsi’ge skaas (ph).

(Cheers and drumbeats)

It is an honour to be with you here today on traditional Treaty 7 territory.  I’d like to… Thank you to National Chief Perry Bellegarde for being here with me today and for his leadership.  I want to thank Elder Starlight for the prayers he’s going to share with us later.  To the Elders and to the dignitaries from across Canada, and especially to Chief Whitney-Onespot and the Tsuut’ina Nation for your incredibly warm welcome.  I am truly grateful.

(Applause and drumbeats)

I am profoundly touched to be receiving this great honour today.  I can say without a doubt that I will remember this ceremony and cherish this experience always.  And I will remember the responsibility that comes with the great honour you bestow on me today.  It is a distinct privilege to become an honorary Tsuut’ina and member of the chieftainship.  You can be confident that I will wear both the title and the Tsuut’ina feather hat with the utmost pride and respect. 

The Tsuut’ina Nation is a strong, proud, and independent people with a rich and vibrant cultural heritage.  The site on which we gather today and the ground you continue to break for important new initiatives are only a few examples of the many recent successes of the Tsuut’ina people. 

I also have deep admiration for your incredible efforts and important efforts to preserve your language, thanks in no small part I know to Elder Starlight.  And to youth initiatives, health and wellness programs, and so many other successful projects you have put forward.

The traditional symbols on display today reflect a value we both share: peace with all people.  And in that spirit today we find our relationship on a new path guided by that value and by the common principles of recognition, rights, respect, cooperation and partnership.

In these early days as Prime Minister, I have been so grateful for opportunities like I have today to signal the profound importance I place on renewing Canada’s nation-to-nation relationship with indigenous peoples.

(Cheers and drumbeats)

I am sincerely committed to this renewed relationship, and we will honour our promises just like we have done in moving forward with an inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women and girls.  As I have said on many occasions, there is no relationship more important to me and to Canada than the one with First Nations, the Métis Nation, and the Inuit.  A relationship built on the recognition that the constitutionally guaranteed rights of First Nations in Canada are a sacred obligation.

(Applause)

A relationship that is guided by the spirit and intent of the original treaty relationship, respectful of inherent rights, treaties, and of jurisdictions.  And a relationship committed to making progress on the essential work of rebuilding a partnership based on cooperation, respect, and trust.

Now this is something that we will work on together, and we will make significant achievements in the coming days and months, but this is a work that will go on for years, and decades, and generations. 

But I commit to you that the Government of Canada will walk with you on a path of true reconciliation, in partnership, and in friendship.

(Applause and drumbeats)

And we will work together to make sure we succeed for your children and grandchildren, and for future generations. 

As an honorary Tsuut’ina, as Prime Minister, and as a father, and as a Canadian, I will not lose sight of that goal.

Thank you again for this great honour which I will accept and value with the utmost appreciation and gratitude and understanding of the responsibilities that come with it. 

Thank you.  Merci. Tsi’ge skaas (ph).

 (Wild cheers and drumbeats)