Statement made on 10 June 2009 by Senator James Cowan
Hon. James S. Cowan (Leader of the Opposition):
Honourable senators, no one who has ever met Willie Adams or heard him speak has failed to be impressed by the depth of his passion for his people.
In his first speech to the Senate, on August 5, 1977, he spoke eloquently about his responsibility to represent the people of the North, their rights, their way of life, and the challenges and opportunities arising out of exploration and development.
The passage of time has only sharpened that focus. Only last week he was urging us to approve a motion for concurrence in the passage of the Official Languages Act by the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut, which would enhance and protect the special status of the Inuit language.
Who will forget his speaking Inuktitut during last week's Committee of the Whole proceedings when Mary Simon was our guest? Senator Adams spearheaded our efforts to enable our Aboriginal colleagues to speak to us in their own languages.
Prime Minister Trudeau appointed Senator Adams to the Senate on April 5, 1977. Senator Adams had served on the Rankin Inlet Community Council and as a member of the Northwest Territories Council from 1970 to 1974. Those of us who had an opportunity to travel with him in the North know full well the enormous respect with which he is held in that part of Canada.
Senator Adams has never forgotten from whence he came and has taken every opportunity to help us understand the special place that is our North and the special people who have lived there for thousands of years.
Honourable senators, the interaction of northern and southern cultures has not always been happy. Senator Adams has done much to raise our awareness of the difficulties and challenges which have been the result. Time after time, he has described the impact of climate change and environmental degradation upon the way of life in the North.
Senator Adams is a passionate Canadian, but he is not afraid to draw public attention to numerous examples where his Canada has failed his people. Whether it is in the areas of education, health care or ensuring the availability of food, fuel and other necessities at a reasonable cost, he is a constant fighter for a fair deal for those who live and work in the North.
As a member of our Standing Senate Committees on Fisheries and Oceans, and the Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications, he has been able to advocate effectively for the issues about which he cares so deeply.
Honourable senators, as we pay tribute today to our friend Senator Adams on the eve of his retirement from the Senate, let us recognize the good work he has done and pledge that we will honour his service by continuing the fight in those public policy areas that have been close to his heart — land claims, living costs, fishing rights and the environment.
Willie Adams is a wise man and we have learned — and have so much more to learn — from him.
Willie, we will miss your wise counsel on a regular basis and we know that our friendship continues and that we will have many opportunities to see you and Mary in the months and years ahead.
Just yesterday, Senator Adams presented to the Senate a magnificent sculpture that will grace the Aboriginal Peoples room and will be a tangible reminder of his presence here.
Senator Adams, we thank you for your work in the Senate and wish you and Mary a long, healthy and happy retirement.
Please click here to read more tributes to the Honourable Willie Adams