Well, here we are again, in Somba K'e, Yellowknife with our Sahtu In the Arts 2009 Events about to take place - and this time it's occurring along with the International Circumpolar Health Conference.

This GNWT initiative involving The Arts of the Great Bear Lake region started last summer with the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment, and has taken off like a prancing dogteam ever since. In fact, just a month ago, we were officially recognized with a Premier's Award. Not bad by any standards, for a fledgling program.

So, starting tomorrow and carrying on for the rest of this week we will be involved with our Sahtu In the Arts Show at the Northern Images Art Gallery right in the center of town.

This time around we have a total of 18 artists and performers, with an add-on of the Deline Drummers.Following this, on Wednesday night, we will be featuring our performers at the local museum with an evening of entertainment provided by the grandfather-and-grandson team of Thomas and Gerald Manuel of Radilih Koe/Fort Good Hope.

They are backed by guitarist George Mandeville and Dene Singer and Songwriting Sensation Stephen Kakfwi, with some of his latest originals.

On other fronts, we of the Sahtu In the Arts are also involved in doing some major murals for the remaining communities in the Sahtu - two new ones this summer, one each for Fort Good Hope and Tulita.

The remaining two murals being done for Deline and for Kahbamiue Tue/Colville Lake will hopefully be done by the end of August.

Finally, I do hope that you will all take the time to appreciate some of the arts that we all have to offer the world!

Mahsi cho.