INUVIK
A partnership between the federal government and the Gwich'in Tribal Council will provide approximately $3 million for internship opportunities for council beneficiaries with the goal of improving self-governance in the future.

Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Minister Bernard Valcourt, left, and Gwich'in Tribal Council President James Wilson signed a memorandum of understanding on the Gwich'in Internship Pilot Project last week after meetings in Ottawa. - photo courtesy of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada.

The Gwich'in Internship Pilot Project will play a role in healthier, more self-sufficient and prosperous First Nation communities by creating job training opportunities. The project will provide Gwich'in participants year-long full-time internship positions within Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada and the Gwich'in Tribal Council. The paid internships will prepare Gwich'in participants for jobs in the public service and provide them with professional work experience in a variety of government functions.

Each participant will receive a year-long, full-time job through paid work assignments with the federal department and the council. Both will hire three interns each year, beginning in September this year. It will give the council the opportunity to employ trained experienced staff to implement its land claim agreement and to operate its governance institutions.

Gwich'in Tribal Council vice president, Norman Snowshoe, said from first moment the council made the proposal to the territorial and federal governments, both provided encouragement to develop the plan.

"This project was an idea born at the GTC, it was developed by GTC and the GTC is paying its share to make sure it will be a success.

"This announcement has been 18 months in the making," Snowshoe said. "This is truly an example of what is possible when an aboriginal organization and a government roll up their sleeves and work together."

Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Minister Bernard Valcourt and Gwich'in Tribal Council President James Wilson signed a memorandum of understanding late last month that will provide nine Gwich'in participants of the group's land claims agreement with work experience.

Valcourt said the federal government hopes the pilot project will help the council build a stronger, more experienced governing institution that will better serve its citizens.

"Our government is pleased to work together with the Gwich'in Tribal Council to support Gwich'in participants in the implementation of the Gwich'in Land Claims Agreement and in their efforts toward self-government," Valcourt stated in a news release. "This agreement will enable the Gwich'in Tribal Council to put trained and experienced staff in place to establish its governance institutions, serve its citizens and build a prosperous future for the communities."

Patrick Tomlinson, director of intergovernmental relations and land claims implementation for the Gwich'in Tribal Council, said the project was born out of the concern of building long-term capacity within council.

"Each successful candidate would be familiar with the three different systems of government and also hopefully have picked up along the way a number of skills that would make them highly desirable," Tomlinson said.

The council brought the proposal to the federal and territorial governments more than one year ago and the wheels have been in motion ever since, culminating in Valcourt signing the memorandum of understanding.

"We brought it to both governments, and frankly, they were incredibly supportive," Tomlinson said. "The GNWT and the premier were huge champions of this project within their own system for about a year and half and we're planning on signing it with the GNWT."

The cost of the program will be split between the governments involved, Tomlinson said, which was part of the initial pitch by the council.

"It wasn't a program we went to them to pay for the whole thing, we wanted each partner to cover a third of the fees and expenses associated with their part of the project," said Tomlinson.