Mr. Speaker, two weeks ago, I was pleased to welcome the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations to my riding.
We travelled to Norman Wells to celebrate the signing of the self-government agreement in principle with the Norman Wells Land Corporation. This is a significant step for the Norman Wells Dene and Métis, transferring authority for law-making and enforcement for those areas that are important to their rights as indigenous peoples. Entrenching this authority is important for future generations of the Sahtu, as well as for Canadians in general.
We are building government-to-government relationships with indigenous peoples based on respect and understanding. This is what real reconciliation looks like. We need to keep working toward finalizing land claims and self-government agreements, not only because they strengthen local participation in decision-making, but because they also create certainty about the ownership, use and management of land and resources.