Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in 1984 the Inuvialuit Final Agreement became the Northwest Territories' first settled land claim.
It guarantees its members certain rights over a vast area of land that spans parts of the Mackenzie Delta, the Beaufort Sea, and the Amundsen Gulf. It includes the communities of Aklavik, Ulukhaktok, Inuvik, Paulatuk, Sachs Harbour, and Tuktoyaktuk. The people who have lived there for generations have the authority to govern matters such as wildlife harvesting rights, socio-economic initiatives, and Inuvialuit participation in wildlife and environmental management regimes.
The agreement was a major achievement for the people who worked tirelessly with the Government of Canada to negotiate the terms of this settlement. The Inuvialuit Final Agreement has set the example for land claim agreements that came after it.
The Inuvialuit received ownership to approximately 90,600 hectares of land, including 13 hectares of subsurface rights. Beneficiaries received $152 million in capital transfer payments from the Government of Canada, which helped establish the Inuvialuit settlement region as we know it today.
The Inuvialuit have certain wildlife harvesting rights in the region, including the exclusive right to harvest game and furbearers on Inuvialuit lands.
Mr. Speaker, the rights of Canada's First Nations to govern their traditional lands on their terms is an extremely important area of focus for the Government of the Northwest Territories. Settling land claim agreements has long been a top priority, and we must continue to work toward the goal of settling land claims throughout the Northwest Territories.
Mr. Speaker, the Inuvialuit, Canada, and the Government of the Northwest Territories are currently negotiating a full self-government agreement. Beneficiaries are working toward the goal of this self-government becoming a reality.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage the ongoing efforts in this area and want to accomplish all we possibly can in the term of the 18th Legislative Assembly. Quyanainni, Mr. Speaker.