Legislative Protocol Agreement
Behchokǫ̀, NT (December 4, 2020) On December 3, 2020, the Tłı̨chǫ Government was proud to announce the establishment of a new Legislative Development Protocol, alongside the eight Indigenous governments of the Intergovernmental Council and the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT).
The Tłı̨chǫ Government already holds authority for the creation of laws over Tłı̨chǫ lands and resources under the Tłı̨chǫ Agreement. This new protocol is a commitment by the GNWT to respect Tłı̨chǫ self-governance by collaborating on the additional land and resource legislation and regulations across the Northwest Territories that may impact Tłı̨chǫ ndè (land), got’ı̨ne (our people), or gonaòwoò (our way of life).
Chief Monfwi once said, “Dıı sah nàé t’à. Dıı deh nı̨ı̨lı̨. Dıı ndè nàgoèhdǫ-le nı̨dè Asıı ts’àgoèt’ǫ hǫı̨lı̨ ha nele. As long as the sun will rise, as long as the rivers will flow, if the land is not moved, we cannot be limited from our way of life”. This inter-governmental commitment to collaborate and respect Indigenous jurisdiction over Northern lands and resources is an important step to ensuring that gonaòwoò (our way of life) can be sustained for future generations.
The Tłı̨chǫ Government welcomes this opportunity to strengthen our relationship with the GNWT and other Indigenous governments in the Northwest Territories. Grand Chief George Mackenzie states:
I want to express my thanks to the Premier and her officials for their commitment to completing this work. We are setting a path for real collaboration and real consensus-decision making on these important matters. Laws will no longer be made for us, but with us. This protocol models how Indigenous people can take their rightful place in developing laws that affect the land and the resources. It shows how public government can embrace that partnership and recognize that fully including Indigenous people is in everyone’s interests.
For more information, please visit https://www.igcnwt.ca/.
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