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.