Madam Speaker, there is indication that the federal government is giving serious consideration to dealing with the Metis question, at least in the southern part of the territories, with regard to the issue of land resources. That is, I think they are looking seriously at setting up a process whereby the Metis could negotiate a land claim for themselves and look at a question of self-government, probably in that context, if policies are changed accordingly.

So the impact of that, I would say, is not earth-shattering for the north. The Metis were included, since 1973, with the Dene on the negotiation of the Dene-Metis comprehensive claim, and, until the collapse of the comprehensive Dene claim, the Metis were involved in a process to acquire land resources together with the treaty Dene of the Mackenzie Valley. In the Gwich'in claim and the Sahtu claim, the Metis are included, and in this part of the territories where the Metis may be excluded, specifically the Treaty 8 area, those leaders are suggesting that they want to set up programs and services just for treaty people to gain lands through the process for treaty people only. The Metis are left out. The federal government has always thought that they will give the lead to Treaty 8 first to see how they are going to proceed to gain land resources before averting attention to the Metis question. I think that more than two years has passed. The are prepared now to, as it appears, give serious thought to letting the Metis proceed to acquire land and resources without it being overly contingent on whether or not the treaty people are going to make progress or take initiative to acquire land resources as well. Thank you.