Second Intergovernmental Meeting Between Gwich’in Tribal Council and GNWT
Date de publication
News Release
YELLOWKNIFE (July 4, 2013) – Members of Cabinet of the 17th Legislative Assembly and the Gwich’in Tribal Council Board of Directors met in Yellowknife on July 3. This was the second meeting of the Gwich’in Tribal Council and the GNWT since the signing of the intergovernmental agreement between the two governments on October 13, 2012, and followed closely on the heels of the devolution signing last week in Inuvik.
The meeting focused on areas of mutual interest, including:
The commitment to achieving a workforce that represents the population it serves
Improving health services in the Beaufort Delta region
Funding levels for community programs and services under GNWT contribution agreements
Establishing protocols for access to Gwich’in lands in the Gwich’in Settlement Area
“We are seeing some very positive benefits from the bilateral meetings between the Gwich’in Tribal Council and the Government of the Northwest Territories,” said Premier Bob McLeod. “Regular intergovernmental meetings with the GTC and other Aboriginal governments will help us build the relationships we need to successfully implement Devolution and work together to create a strong prosperous Northwest Territories for all our residents in the coming years.”
“It’s been a year now since our Vice President Norman Snowshoe, and I took over the leadership of the Gwich’in Tribal Council,” said Gwich’in Tribal Council President Robert Alexie. “One of the first things we did was re-establish a good working relationship with the Government of the NWT. We were pleased to obtain both a bilateral agreement and an agreement on contracting in the Gwich’in settlement area, which we are making work to our mutual advantage.”
The GNWT also confirmed the Premier’s attendance at, and a financial contribution for the Gwich’in Tribal Council’s upcoming National Conference on Indigenous Self-Government, which will take place on September 10 – 12th in Inuvik.
The Umbrella Intergovernmental Agreement regarding Intergovernmental Cooperation and Coordination signed on October 13, 2012, recognizes the importance of the government-to-government relationship between the Gwich’in Tribal Council and the GNWT. It commits both governments to meet twice per year. The last meeting between the two governments took place in Inuvik on December 10-11, 2012.
For more information:
Shaun Dean Press Secretary Government of the Northwest Territories 867-669-2304 shaun_dean@gov.nt.ca
Fred E. Koe Chief Operating Officer Gwich’in Tribal Council 867-777-7934 fkoe@gwichin.nt.ca