Intergovernmental Meeting between Sahtu Secretariat Incorporated and the Government of the Northwest Territories

Press Release

YELLOWKNIFE, NT Premier R.J. Simpson, Minister Caroline  Wawzonek, Minister Caitlin Cleveland, Minister Lucy Kuptana (virtual), Minister Vince  McKay and Minister Lesa Semmler met with Chairperson Charles McNeely (Sahtu  Secretariat Incorporated), Director Lisa McDonald (Norman Wells Land Corporation  (Tłego ̨̀hłı Got’ı nę Government)), President David Menacho (Tulita Land Corporation),  President Joseph Kochon (Ayoni Keh Land Corporation), Director Bob Overvold (Fort Good  Hope Métis Land Corporation), President Arnold Gaudet (Fort Norman Métis Community),  Ɂek’wahtı dǝ́ Danny Gaudet (Délı nę Got’ı nę Government), Chief Collin Pierrot (Fort Good  Hope Dene Band)(virtual) and Grand Chief Wilbert Kochon, Sahtú Dene Council. The  Government of the Northwest Territories hosted the in-person meeting in Yellowknife on  April 17, 2025.

MLA Daniel McNeely (Sahtu) attended virtually as an observer at the invitation of the Sahtu  Secretariat Incorporated.

The meeting focused on areas of mutual interest, including:

• Mental health and substance use issues and health and wellness, and collective work
  needed on prevention, including awareness and delivery of public health issues,  campaigns, and messaging.
• Continuing with efforts to identify resources to implement a Medical Travel Officer  in the Sahtu Region through ongoing discussions related to NIHB.
• Continued work together to advance the Mackenzie Valley Highway project. The  business case is being updated to showcase the urgent need for the highway and  benefits of Government of Canada financial investment for project construction.
• Indigenous recruitment and retention within the public service.
• enhancing the inclusion of NWT Indigenous businesses and individuals more  effectively in GNWT procurement policies.

Quick Facts

• The Intergovernmental Memorandum of Understanding recognizes the importance of  the government-to-government relationship between the SSI and the GNWT.

o The agreement commits the governments to meet once per year.
o The agreement was first signed in June 2015 for a five-year period and has been  renewed in January 2021 for another five-year term expiring in 2026.

• Previously, the GNWT and SSI signed the Memorandum of Understanding for the  Advancement of the Mackenzie Valley Highway on April 10, 2019, which was amended and restated on July 25, 2024.

Related links

• https://www.inf.gov.nt.ca/en/MVH
• https://www.inf.gov.nt.ca/en/documents-1

For more information, contact:

EIA_FINComms@gov.nt.ca
Department of Executive and Indigenous Affairs,
Public Affairs and Communications
Government of the Northwest Territories

Orlena Modeste
Executive Director
Sahtu Secretariat Incorporated
867-589-4719

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