Thank you, Mr. Chair. I too want to thank all the Indigenous governments that we heard in the hearings. And I didn't always agree with the people that presented, okay. These were people that were from the south, lawyers and academics that cannot speak for the people of the North.
Being a Chief for 14 years and at the negotiating table with two levels of government during those 14 years has not been always beneficial. And at that time, the territorial government was the main -- the main problem within those negotiations. I cannot say that it is like that today because considering that there has been change in leadership, I think that from what I hear from at least from Salt River, they're very -- you know, it's 20 years now since they signed the agreement. June 22nd will be 20 years. They have an excellent agreement but the implementation of that agreement is still not settled. And I speak on behalf of the people of Salt River to ensure that, you know, the most crucial item within this agreement is that they have the same rights as any other reserve south of 60, that O and M and those issues have got to be settled to ensure that they have the same status as any other reserve across Canada.
And Madam Premier, I wish that you expedite that issue and help the people of Salt River on -- to the federal government that this has got to be done.
The other claim with the NWT Metis Nation, I heard some of the concerns at the meeting in Fort Smith. And it is also a priority, of course, because I'm the MLA that represents some of the people, or the majority of the people actually, because Fort Smith has the majority members on that claim. And, you know, looking at the whole issue of being objective and trying to make some progress on this claim would be a big feather in the cap of the Government of the Northwest Territories. And I urge you to take that really seriously because of anybody I know that could look forward to this and has that understanding of the Indigenous people, it's you.
And so I'd like to, at this time, say that it's extremely important on who you select as the people that actually do the negotiation on behalf of the Government of the Northwest Territories. Many times you have people who are lawyers and who are non-Indigenous. Sometimes that does not always work.
You know, there are people that were former leaders who would go in and probably settle some of these things very quickly for you. And that has to be considered. I don't think that people that have all these titles and all these lawyer things and think that they know it all because they're a lawyer is not okay.
There has been other -- you know, I don't think the claim would have even been done for Salt River if it was done in that manner at all times. You know, there was some other Indigenous leaders that were involved in that initial claim. And also it has to take will. You know, we're using COVID as an excuse. There is too much division of time from one time to another. Meeting twice a year or three times a year is not enough to settle a claim. And so, you know, the will has got to be there to meet with them more often, get it done, and then everybody celebrates the settling of a claim. And with that, thank you, Mr. Chair.