Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. The Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples released its report on Thursday, November 21, 1996. The report is contained in six volumes and runs to almost 4000 pages. We should take pride in the fact that Mr. George Erasmus, a prominent Dene leader most of us have had the honour of working with over the years, co-chaired the Royal Commission. On behalf of the GNWT, I would like to congratulate him for his hard work over the past five years in producing this watershed report.
The report contains a chapter on the north which will be of particular interest to people in the Northwest Territories. The Royal Commission's findings draw a strong connection between the northern economy, education and training and institutional development in the north. These are connections we are familiar with in processes such as division, western constitutional development and aboriginal self-government.
The recommendations in the report are aimed at creating a new relationship between Canadians and Aboriginal Peoples. I will not try to summarize their recommendations, Mr. Speaker. The Royal Commission itself produced a summary which is 100 pages long.
Mr. Speaker, governments and Canadians have not had a chance to properly digest a report of this magnitude in the week or so since it was released. The Government of the Northwest Territories is now engaged in reviewing the report and considering the numerous and wide-ranging recommendations.
I want to stress that the Royal Commission report touches on all aspects of government operations and will engage the attention of all departments and agencies, not just the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs. We will need to take a coordinated approach within the Government of the Northwest Territories to review this important report so that, early in the new year, we will be in a position to respond to these Royal Commission recommendations that are relevant to the Northwest Territories.
One of the primary objectives of the Commissioners was to ensure that the report not disappear from view a few weeks or months after it was released. However, some people in the media have already suggested that the report will be shelved with most of the recommendations never implemented.
We must be prepared to immediately encourage a follow-up process with federal/provincial/territorial and Aboriginal governments so that the massive achievement of the Royal Commission is not ignored or wasted.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.