Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Dene people and their leaders are feeling very under-represented by this government with respect to the Premier signing the agreement-in-principle on lands and resources. Mr. Speaker, whose land are we talking about? The original landowners for most of this great Territory are Dene. In the Akaitcho Territory, land claim negotiations with the federal government are far from being settled and yet this government, with the federal government support, wants to take control of Dene land and resources before these negotiations to be completed. Mr. Speaker, yes, it comes with a promise: we will give you back some of the land when you complete your negotiations with the federal government.
Mr. Speaker, the track record of such promises to the Dene is not good. This promise does not sit well with the Dene leadership in Tu Nedhe and Akaitcho. The Akaitcho said that once things are signed off, it is very difficult to delete or add to the final agreement. No wonder, Mr. Speaker. When this government, who sits on land claim negotiation tables, the leaders in Tu Nedhe and elsewhere tell me that the GNWT negotiators are harder to make progress with than the federal government negotiators. It will get even worse as this government takes control of the land and resources in the regions with unsettled land claims.
Mr. Speaker, the GNWT trying to achieve devolution is not the problem as long as it’s with the Aboriginal governments. The land and resources of the Northwest Territories should be managed by our own governments. We can do a better job than is being done now. The problem is that this government is not including all of the citizens in this work, only some.
Mr. Speaker, we see that most Aboriginal governments, from one end of the Territory to the other, feel left out. They are not signing the AIP. Even in regions with settled land claims, most Aboriginal leaders refuse to sign the AIP. They, too,
say it is not a good deal for them and the people they represent. There are too many uncertainties.
I have not listed all the reasons, Mr. Speaker, but here are a few: