Mr. Chair, I just couldn’t hold myself back from not responding to this section after hearing Mr. Yakeleya talk, who is a former negotiator with the Sahtu claim and also myself being involved with Dene-Metis process and the Gwich’in claim. I think that the most contentious part was the implementation of the agreement and I think today we still have a lot of contentious issues that we still feel that this government is obligated to enact, especially the ones that fall within the domain of this government. We talked about the wildlife section. I mean, that thing’s been there since claims began and that’s the thickest part of any land claim agreement, is dealing with the wildlife provisions of those agreements. Again, for the claim to come into force and into effect, you have to implement those sections by legislatively giving them the legislative authority to implement. Implementation is not just the section where you get money from the feds and the feds basically say, well, you know, this is what we think.

The other areas are dealing with those components of the agreements where this government is responsible, such as developing the land use plans for those different regions. The Sahtu, for instance, hasn’t concluded their land use plan but in regard to the Gwich’in, it is the only group in the Territories that have completed land use plans, which the Government of the Northwest Territories are party to. I think it’s important to note that the economic measures, and for the record clarify my understanding of the economic measures, is that when we’re negotiating the Dene-Metis claim, the government-of-the-day would not allow us to negotiate what’s in the Inuvialuit agreement, which is participation agreements which clearly identify how you would basically work within the Inuvialuit area when it comes to job opportunities, businesses and whatnot. But because of that, the federal government insisted that we will negotiate an economic measures section which will be strengthened by the Northern Accord or devolution section to build into those benefit agreements through devolution and also through the Northern Accord. Because we haven’t come to that state yet, that is why one of the important elements of the Dene-Metis claim has never been enacted. That’s why the government does not insist on agreeing to the economic measures section, because it was supposed to be something similar to what’s in the Inuvialuit agreement and also the NTI agreement in Nunavut which talks about the participation agreements. Again, because of not being able to do that, and not concluding the devolution or Northern Accord negotiations, and again in those agreements it clearly stipulates, especially in the Gwich’in and the Sahtu agreements, it says the government shall negotiate with the Gwich’in and the Sahtu when it comes to the Northern Accord or devolution. It’s an obligation spelled out in black and white which says you shall do this.

I think, for me, I think that you either have to live up to the fact that as a government you are responsible for programs and services, yes, but you’re also responsible for ensuring that those agreements are adhered to by way of implementing those sections of those agreements that this government has responsibility for. Mr. Yakeleya touched on protected areas. I raised it in the House last week in regard to the Gwich’in Territorial Park — the Sahtu Dodo Canyon Park that was established under the Sahtu agreement. Again, there are also other provisions that talk about the forestry section of the agreements. This government is responsible for forestry in the Northwest Territories but they totally do not see that those forestry sections of those land claim agreements really fall within the domain of the Government of the Northwest Territories. It does because you have those powers which have devolved to you from the federal government.

Again, we can sit here and argue all day about whose perception is right and who’s wrong, but at the end of the day the government has to change its mindset on exactly what you’re obligated to and what you’re not obligated to, but simply implement those sections of those agreements that you presently have the authority under territorial legal authority which was devolved to the Government of the Northwest Territories. Like I mentioned, forestry, I’ve mentioned wildlife, I’ve mentioned in regard to establishing territorial parks which are protected areas in the sense of the Territorial Park Act. I think that those are the sections that we have to look at.

Again, I’d like to ask the Minister responsible for Aboriginal Affairs if there’s a way that you can ensure that from the aboriginal perspective that those obligations are really territorial government obligations.