Northwest Territory Métis Nation Building Wealth for the Metis Nation Presented by Jake Heron, Chief Negotiator March 5, 2020
Negotiations NWTMN has been negotiating the following agreements with the • Government of Canada and the Government of the Northwest Territories since August 1996: Land and Resources Claim; • Within the past six years we have also agreed to Self-Government • Framework Agreement; In August 2019, we have agreed to the establishment of an East Arm Park • which includes: Impact Benefit Agreement with Parks Canada and the NWTMN; • Establishment Agreement between GNWT and the NWTMN; and • We are working on a Reconciliation and Operational Agreement for Wood • Buffalo National Park.
Agreements to be Negotiated NWTMN is negotiating the Land Claim Agreement, that will be • constitutionally protected; The Self-Government Framework Agreement is finalized and will be • signed when Government concludes consultations with overlapping aboriginal groups. The negotiation of the Implementation Plan for the Final Agreement • will commence in the next few months.
Agreements Signed An Impact and Benefit Agreement with DeBeers Canada, • Gotcho Kue mine (Diamond Mine) An Collaboration Agreement with Pine Point Mining Inc and • we’re working on another one in our traditional territory. An Impact and Benefit Agreement with Avalon Rare Metal • An Impact and Benefit Agreement with Canada’s Parks Canada • An Agreement on a Protected Area with the Government of • the Northwest Territories
Economic Opportunities NWTMN is a part of a working group that includes two First Nations, and • the Government of the Northwest Territories on the feasibility of expanding an existing hydro facility, Taltson Hydro. The Taltson Hydro feasibility is investigating the feasibility of expanding • the existing 18 megawatt hydro facility to 56 megawatts, and providing hydroelectricity to a grid on the north side of Great Slave Lake. It may include a submarine cable. The Government of the NWT has budgeted $18 million to do its’ work. We’re looking for equity participation in the project. The NWTMN is working with its community governments to develop a • economic strategy to pursue tourism related opportunities resulting from the new national park reserve, Thaidene Nene ,and the existing Wood Buffalo National Park. Pursuit of Indigenous Tourism is a high priority.
Economic Opportunities Reconciliation: NWTM Nation members were kicked out of their traditional • harvesting area, which became Wood Buffalo National Park in 1923. The NWTMN is currently developing an agreement with Parks • Canada to address the historical wrong through an agreement based on reconciliation. We’re in the early stages of developing the agreement..
Potential Impact on Economy Generalized Interests : • GNWT has introduced a new concept for sharing resource • royalties Rather than selecting subsurface lands; an aboriginal group will be • provided with a share of resource royalties generated annually from resource developments within the Agreement Area (250,000km2) A significant benefit to the aboriginal group is the aboriginal group • does not have to determine where the greatest likelihood of mineral development will occur, this should provide some certainty that it will receive royalties, if development takes place in Agreement Area
Potential Impact on Economy Generalize Interests: • Assuming the NWTMN agrees to the concept, it would lead to • certainty over future development of the land and its’ resources. It will also bring certainty over revenues being generated by • development. It will also include direct involvement of Metis on the • governance of the land through law making and regulatory regimes.
Shared Territory The NWTMN is in a shared territory with a First Nation, • Akaitcho First Nation. Aside from identifying land for selection, one of our major • challenges is developing a co-management regime for the resources within the settlement area(s). We are currently engaged in bi-lateral with Akaitcho in • developing our interests with the a assistance of a facilitator. We are also having to work with another two groups of First • Nations outside of the NWT, the Athabasca and Manitoba Denesuline.
Shared Territory We are also working with both the Athabasca and Manitoba • Densuline on the co-management regime. The four of us are also working with collaboratively the • Government of the NWT and Federal Government in developing the co-management regime.
Summary Comments In referring to the theme of conference, “Building Wealth for the • Metis Nation”, we as Metis people are pursuing the creation of wealth on many different fronts. The NWTMN has been primarily concentrating on settling of its’ • land and resources claims, which has been going on for 24 years. The NWTMN is a small organization but it too is involved in • numerous other things, that many other Metis Nations are undertaking. For example, consultation on developments, ISET, water monitoring, etc. Thank you again, President Chartrand for extending an invitation • to the Northwest Territory Metis Nation to participate in this important economic symposium.
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