Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Friday, October 20, 2017, I will move the following motion:

Whereas the Yellowknives Dene First Nation have used and occupied the lands and waters around Yellowknife Bay for thousands of years and continue to do so; and whereas the workings of the Giant Mine were located in their territory without consultation or permission from the Yellowknives Dene First Nation; and whereas the operation of Giant Mine contaminated the lands and waters surrounding the site, to the extent that some traditional activities, including hunting, fishing, and gathering by the Yellowknives Dene First Nation have been harmed, and potentially will never again be possible; and whereas the massive stockpiles of arsenic created by the mine threaten to cause a major environmental catastrophe that could prevent Yellowknives Dene First Nation usage of its traditional lands and waters; and whereas a treaty entitlement and land rights agreement has yet to be completed with the Yellowknives Dene First Nation, and the impacts and damages created by Giant Mine are of an extraordinary and exceptional nature; and whereas on July 1, 2017 the Prime Minister of Canada publicly stated that "Indigenous Peoples in this country have faced oppression for centuries. As a society, we must acknowledge and apologize for past wrongs, and chart a path forward for the next 150 years"; and whereas the Giant Mine Oversight Board in its 2017 Establishment Report recommended that in the interest of reconciliation, "the decisions and actions of past governments…are acknowledged, and an apology is made for the impacts that these decisions and actions have had on the Yellowknives Dene First Nation";

Now therefore I move, seconded by the Honourable Member for Frame Lake, that this Legislative Assembly call upon the Government of Canada to make a formal public apology for the damage done by the Giant Mine, and more specifically to the Yellowknives Dene First Nation; and further, that this Assembly call upon the Government of Canada to enter into negotiations with the Yellowknives Dene First Nation to provide compensation for these damages and loss of use; and furthermore, that the Premier of the Northwest Territories convey this motion without delay to the Prime Minister of Canada with a letter requesting a reply. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.