Initialling of Final Self-Government Agreement for the Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę marks an important step in Nation-to-Nation relationship

Press Release

From: Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada

November 19, 2024 — Ottawa, Ontario — Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, and the Government of Northwest Territories

Self-government agreements affirm Indigenous Peoples’ right to self-government and self-determination. Through these agreements, Indigenous communities solidify the authority to make decisions about programs, services, laws, and economic development, based on their unique cultural, social, and political needs.

On November 19, negotiators for the Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę Government Inc., the Government of the Northwest Territories, and Canada initialed the draft Final Self-Government Agreement for the Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę in Ottawa. This significant milestone demonstrates progress for the Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę (the Sahtu Dene and Métis of Norman Wells), moving toward self-government and charting their own way to a brighter future for their community.

The Final Self-Government Agreement meets a key legal obligation under the Sahtu Dene and Métis Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement, in which the parties agreed that the Sahtu communities could each negotiate self-government agreements at the community level. For the Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę, the Agreement outlines how the Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę Government will exercise its inherent right of self-government.

After the agreement is initialled, the next step is community ratification, during which approval is sought from Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’ine leadership and members. Once ratified, the agreement will be signed by all parties. Following the signing, it will be made legally binding through the passage of territorial and federal legislation.

This Agreement is a concrete demonstration of how all levels of government can come together to implement the objectives set out in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Quotes

“Today marks another very important milestone for the Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę on our more than 100-year journey toward recognition of our inherent right of self-determination and the rejuvenation of our ancestral self-government.”

Sherry Hodgson
President of Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’ine Government Inc

“The initialing of the Final Self-Government Agreement for the Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę marks a historic step forward. This agreement is a vital step in advancing reconciliation and ensuring that Indigenous Peoples have the tools and resources to govern in a way that reflects their priorities and aspirations.”

R.J. Simpson
Premier of the Northwest Territories

“Recognizing and implementing the self-determination rights of the Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę is a crucial step in moving beyond colonial systems of governance and restoring the community’s rightful authority. The ongoing collaboration between all three parties is essential to ensuring this agreement delivers meaningful benefits for the Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę in reclaiming control over their Nation’s future.”

The Honourable Gary Anandasangaree
Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations

Quick facts

• Norman Wells is one of the five Indigenous communities in the Sahtu Region of the Northwest Territories.
• Self-government agreements have been or are being negotiated with each of the five Indigenous communities in the Sahtu Region, including the Sahtu Dene and Metis of Norman Wells (Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę), pursuant to the 1993 Sahtu Dene and Metis Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement.
• Formal self-government negotiations began with the Framework Agreement signed in 2007. On January 16, 2019, the Norman Wells Land Corporation, Canada and the Government of the Northwest Territories celebrated the signing of the Self-Government Agreement-in-Principle for the Sahtu Dene and Métis of Norman Wells, which set the basis for the final agreement negotiations.
• The initialling of this new agreement is the next step toward self-government for the Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę.

Associated links

• Norman Wells Land Corporation
• Self-Government Agreement-in-Principle for the Sahtu Dene and Métis of Norman Wells
• Self-government
• Evaluation of the Impacts of Self-Government Agreements

Contacts
For more information, media may contact:

Sherry Hodgson
President
Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’ine Government Inc
president@nwlc.ca

Press Secretary
Cabinet Communications
Government of the Northwest Territories
PressSecretary@gov.nt.ca

Gregory Frame
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Gary Anandasangaree
Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations
gregory.frame@rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca

Media Relations
Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada
819-934-2302
RCAANC.media.CIRNAC@sac-isc.gc.ca

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