Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It is quite interesting the timing of the federal government deciding to allow negotiations north of 60 by groups south of 60. I imagine there is all kinds of questions that will be asked and are being asked. I have a few myself, but it is pretty early in the process and we will cross that bridge when we get to that bridge, I imagine.
The other area that I want to ask the Minister is on the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act. That act was enacted by the federal government resulting from the Gwich'in and Sahtu land claims. It took a legal threat by the two claimant groups to enact those acts, which is the main body to review the environmental review processes that denies or accepts project proposals by industry. Those regions and those aboriginal governments that do not have land claims yet do not have a voting seat on there.
I personally feel, and the people I represent feel also, that the people who have signed their land claims and gave up their treaty rights, through the signing of their claims have no right to interfere in other aboriginal peoples and their treaty rights and the treaty rights to their lands when they decide on development on lands outside of their claim area. I am wondering if the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs has ever gotten a legal opinion on the validity of the Gwich'in, the Sahtu people, deciding on what goes on on Deh Cho, Dogrib and Akaitcho lands? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.