Leaders of the Sahtu Secretariat, Gwich’in Tribal Council and Pehdzéh Kı̨ First Nation signed a memorandum of understanding to advance the Mackenzie Valley Highway.
The proposed highway would create an all-season road connecting Wrigley in the Dehcho region, home of the Pehdzéh Kı̨ First Nation, to the Sahtu communities of Norman Wells, Tulita and Fort Good Hope.
Eventually, the project – which was advanced to the federal Major Projects Office in March, though it isn’t yet funded – aims to connect the Sahtu to Inuvik.
The MOU establishes “a coordinated Indigenous framework to work together” on the highway, the Indigenous governments said in a joint news release on Friday.
“The MOU brings the Indigenous Governments together to co-develop and shape the governance, planning, co-design, and long-term direction of the project. It signals that they intend to participate directly in strategic and political decision-making regarding the MVH, rather than through consultation-only processes,” the news release stated.
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The announcement comes one month after the Pehdzéh Kı̨ First Nation and NWT government said they had reached “consensus” on the draft routing of the proposed highway through the region. Previously, that had been a sticking point.
The agreement is not binding and does not equate to approval for the road to be built, according to the release.
“The Indigenous Governments support the MVH in principle,” the news release continued, “but the MOU establishes that their full support for the project depends on Canada and the Government of the Northwest Territories recognizing their Indigenous and Treaty rights and on addressing potential impacts on these, including through appropriate accommodation measures and the securing of each Indigenous Government’s Free, Prior and Informed Consent.”
The three groups said their priorities for the project include recognition of Indigenous rights and co-leadership, environmental protections, sustainable economic development and creation of dual-use infrastructure.
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“We have always been clear that decisions regarding the Mackenzie Valley Highway must recognize our rights, our knowledge, and our responsibility to the land,” Chief Jamie Moses of Pehdzéh Kı̨ First Nation was quoted as saying.
“This MOU demonstrates how Indigenous governments can work together to advance major infrastructure discussions through free, prior and informed consent, partnership, and shared stewardship.”
Gwich’in Grand Chief Frederick Blake Jr called the highway “an essential support component for Canada’s planned major defense related investments in the North,” while Sahtu Secretariat Chair Charles McNeely said it would also “support northern economic development and meet the challenges of natural disaster response.”
Though the federal government has ramped up its interest in building the road over the past half a year, there is no firm timeline for the highway to be built.
The NWT government says it expects a construction decision in 2028, but that depends on regulatory approval and funding.
