Intergovernmental Council of the NWT meets in Yellowknife

27 April, 2023

April 14, 2023 (Yellowknife) - Leaders from the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) and Indigenous governments of the Northwest Territories met in Yellowknife to discuss issues related to lands and resource management at the Intergovernmental Council (IGC) meeting.

As a key feature of the Devolution Agreement, the Intergovernmental Council allows governments to cooperate and collaborate on matters related to lands and resource management. The meetings help strengthen the relationship of the

Indigenous governments with the Government of the Northwest Territories, a main priority of the 19th Legislative Assembly.

At the meeting, IGC leaders signed a Process Convention for lands and resources bills tabled in the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories. The process convention establishes how IGC members will work with the GNWT and the Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight on a cooperative process to review and develop legislation.

Leaders attending this meeting included:

Grand Chief Ken Kyikavichik, Gwich’in Tribal Council
Chief April Martel, Kátł’odeeche First Nation
President Garry Bailey, Northwest Territory Métis Nation • Vice-President Paul Harrington, Northwest Territory Métis Nation • Chair Charles McNeely, Sahtu Secretariat Incorporated
Grand Chief Jackson Lafferty, Tłı̨chǫ Government
Chief Alfonz Nitsiza, Tłı̨chǫ Government
Chief Doreen Arrowmaker, Tłı̨chǫ Government
Chief Adeline Football, Tłı̨chǫ Government
Councilor Kendra Bourke, Salt River First Nation
Premier Caroline Cochrane
Minister Caroline Wawzonek, Industry, Tourism and Investment
Minister Shane Thompson, Environment and Climate Change

MLA Kevin O’Reilly, representing the 19th Legislative Assembly Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight, attended the meeting as an observer. MLA Frieda Martselos, as Caucus Chair of the Legislative Assembly, and MLA O’Reilly, both attended the ceremonial signing of the Process Convention.

Quick Facts

The IGC is established by the Northwest Territories Intergovernmental Agreement on Lands and Resources Management.
The IGC allows governments to share ideas, discuss common priorities, and interests and explore ways to harmonize their respective land and resource management practices, share capacity and avoid duplication.
Under the Devolution Agreement, the GNWT committed to sharing up to 25% of its resource revenues with Indigenous governments that have signed on as partners. Since 2015, the GNWT has disbursed over $48 million to the Indigenous government signatories of the Devolution Agreement.
In November 2020, the IGC agreed to a new legislative development protocol that respects the jurisdictions of all IGC members and provides opportunities for collaboration on the development of land and resource legislation and regulations in the Northwest Territories.

Links

• Intergovernmental Council of the Northwest Territories website

For more information, contact:

Boyd Clark
Advisor/Band Manager (Acting)
Acho Dene Koe First Nation
303-681-5171

Angela Tripathy
Chief Executive Officer
Gwich’in Tribal Council
867-777-7927

Elizabeth Kolb
Communications Advisor
Inuvialuit Regional Corporation
867-777-7055

Alex Gresl
Chief Executive Officer
Kátł’odeeche First Nation
867-874-6701

Ursula Vogt
Executive Director
Northwest Territory Métis Nation
867-872-2770

Elizabeth Westwell
Chief Executive Officer
Salt River First Nation
867-872-2986

Orlena Modeste
Executive Director
Sahtu Secretariat Incorporated
867-589-4719

Tłı̨chǫ Government
Communication & Media Relations
[email protected]

Carol Ann Chaplin
Senior Administrative Officer
Denı́nu Kų́ę́ First Nation
(867) 394-4335