The NWT’s premier has endorsed a call from three Indigenous governments for a leading role in determining the future of the proposed Mackenzie Valley Highway from Wrigley to the Sahtu and Inuvik.
Last week, the Sahtu Secretariat, Gwich’in Tribal Council and Pehdzéh Kı̨ First Nation signed a memorandum of understanding to advance the highway, though they stressed that did not amount to final approval.
The governments said such approval first required recognition of their treaty rights and free, prior and informed consent.
The highway, talked about for decades, has been advanced to the federal Major Projects Office but remains unfunded for now.
In a statement responding to the Indigenous governments’ memorandium of understanding, Premier RJ Simpson said theirs was “the right approach.”
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“We recognize that each Indigenous government retains its own authority, rights, and decision-making role, and that full support for the project depends on meaningful partnership, appropriate accommodation, community benefit, and free, prior and informed consent,” Simpson stated.
“Major projects in the Northwest Territories will only succeed if they are built on respect, partnership, and shared decision-making. [The MOU’s] signing sends a strong message to Canada that Indigenous governments in the Northwest Territories are ready to lead, ready to partner, and ready to help shape the future of major infrastructure in the North.”
In a statement issued at the same time, NWT major projects minister Caroline Wawzonek said the territory is “committed to working with Indigenous governments, the Government of Canada, and the Major Projects Office to advance the Mackenzie Valley Highway in a way that reflects Northern priorities and delivers real benefits for people and communities.”
“The momentum we are seeing is encouraging,” Wawzonek wrote.
“This is how major projects in the North should move forward: through partnership, through respect, and with Indigenous governments helping shape the path ahead.
