INUVIK
The Inuvialuit people took another step closer to self-determination with the signing of the agreement-in-principle between the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation and the federal and territorial governments at Inuvik July 21.

Inuvialuit Regional Corporation chairperson and CEO Nellie Cournoyea, left, Mark Strahl, parliamentary secretary to the federal minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development and NWT Premier Bob McLeod begin to dance after signing the Inuvialuit self government agreement-in-principle at Ingamo Hall on July 21. - photo courtesy of Peggy Jay, Inuvialuit Regional Corporation

At a press conference after the ceremony held at Ingamo Hall, Inuvialuit Regional Corporation chairperson and CEO Nellie Cournoyea, NWT Premier Bob McLeod and Mark Strahl, parliamentary secretary to the federal minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development spoke about the implications of the signing and what is to come next.

Cournoyea said she hopes the groups can build on the momentum built by the signing.

"If we hadn't been able to get the federal and territorial governments on side to understand that we really needed to capture the time - and like we say, timing is everything - and if we waited too long, we would have had to start all over again with a new set of people," she said.

Cournoyea pointed to the upcoming election as having a potential for having to bring new negotiating teams up to speed.

"Let's hope that we can keep on track with relatively the same people so we don't lose the momentum, because that's always the danger," she said.

McLeod said that the headway made with this agreement reflects on other land claims and self-governing agreements underway in NWT.

"This agreement is very important for the political and constitutional development of the Northwest Territories. With so many negotiations going on, to properly undertake those very important considerations, we have to try and get them all done," McLeod said.

Strahl agreed that the people are best served if the next round of negotiations are speedy.

"This agreement is very comprehensive and we are hopeful that we can move forward to the next stage faster than the previous stages. From the federal perspective, this is just a great day for the community," he said.

Cournoyea said that there is still a need for decisions regarding off-shore rights to be made.

"We have a land claims agreement but basically the agreement is centred on land and we would as soon as possible get a stronger, clearer negotiation on what happens off-shore," she said.

Strahl said that when the time comes for these decisions, the Inuvialuit people have to be consulted.

"We want to see the decisions being made closer to the communities that are affected by them. We want to see more power given to Northerners, both the government of the NWT through devolution, and through these types of agreements to groups like the Inuvialuit," he said. "We believe those decisions are better made the closer they are to the people."

McLeod said that there needs to be a schedule for dealing with off-shore rights.

"We have a trigger to start negotiating on off-shore six months after implementation (of the agreement). So that is something we want to proceed with," he said.

Cournoyea said the responsibilities of transparency that any future Inuvialuit government would be accountable to would be safe-guarded through the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation in the interim.

"On accountability, we are very open. Inuvialuit (Regional Corporation) is a very open institution. We publish a lot of things on a quarterly basis that probably most private companies would not," she said.

Any new government would have a lot to take on and it will have to be done in stages, she said.

"We are not going to become a government with everything in place and dealing with everything at once," said Cournoyea.

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