Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on Friday, I returned from a negotiating session in Calgary on the Dogribs' modern treaty.
The Dogrib Treaty 11 Council invited me to attend. I sat in for a day of negotiations, met with members of the Dogrib negotiating team and I was briefed on key provisions of the Dogrib Agreement-in-Principle.
As an observer, I was very impressed by the dedication and hard work of the Dogrib negotiators, the federal and territorial government negotiating teams and by their clear commitment to reach a strong, lasting and just agreement.
I am pleased to report that the negotiators are making real and substantial progress in working cooperatively towards their final goal. If this continues, the text of a final agreement should be complete in a matter of months.
As the Members of this Assembly are aware, the Dogribs' treaty deals with rights in a comprehensive manner, including not only land claims, but self-government matters as well.
Finalizing this treaty will mark an historic moment in the history of the Northwest Territories. For the first time, aboriginal self-government will become a reality as part of a broader settlement of the Dogribs' aboriginal and treaty rights. The Dogribs believe it will stand as a valuable model for other aboriginal groups in the Mackenzie Valley to consider.
This is a crucial time in the Dogribs' negotiations. Several key matters are now on the table, which challenge a number of existing government policies and laws - especially those of the Government of the Northwest Territories. Until they can be resolved, it will be difficult for the Dogribs to come to a final agreement.
These are not matters that the government negotiators can adequately address by themselves. Political direction and support is required to guide the negotiators successfully though this crucial period.
The Dogrib Treaty 11 Council believes that this political leadership and support must come from the Ministers responsible in the Government of the Northwest Territories and, when the time is right, the whole Cabinet.
In practical terms, the Dogrib Treaty 11 Council would like the Minister, or Ministers, to devote their personal attention and commitment to the Dogrib negotiations and to giving their negotiators...