Northwest Territory Métis Nation signs agreement-in-principle
AIP will give Nation $69.4M, ownership of 25,194 square kilometres of land
The Northwest Territory Métis Nation has signed a land and resources agreement-in-principle with the federal and territorial governments.
If the agreement is approved, the Nation, which represents Métis who can trace their ancestry to First Nations who traditionally lived in the territory, would receive $69.4 million, as well as ownership of 25,194 square kilometres of land.
In a press release, Garry Bailey, president of the Northwest Territory Métis Nation, says that the agreement-in-principle is a "sound basis toward advancing the interests of Indigenous Métis of the NWT."
The agreement, which is not legally binding, deals with harvesting rights, subsurface resources, royalty sharing, and protected areas.
Other aboriginal groups with overlapping interests are being consulted on the agreement, which still needs to be finalized before being voted on by the Métis membership.
At that point, it will be sent to the federal government for approval.