Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Yes, you're correct with the communities being unique to each other. For the APC, we only provide information and research. We do not negotiate for the communities; they do their own. We just prepare the information for them, so they can get themselves prepared for any type of negotiation that they would have with industry or other governments.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Some of the communities are talking to industry. I don't believe there's any negotiation happening right now. APC has provided information in the guidelines project on some of the proponents within the agreements that industry is wanting to negotiate, but our communities are just learning about this industry and the components of negotiations preparedness, so there aren't any negotiations.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Altogether it would be nine, although today, with the aboriginal coalition, we only represent five self-governing first nations. The other first nations prefer to do their own work, although we do share all of our information and our research with them and we answer as many questions as we possibly can.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Yes, the Government of Canada has flowed transfer funds to the Yukon government and the Yukon government does have an oil and gas division. I do believe their budget is around $5 million to $7 million annually.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  No, we are not actually the Yukon government. We as an organization have approached the Yukon government for support, and they have provided our operations $200,000 a year, just for support staff. That's the extent we have. CEAA, which is the agency for the environment, has provided funds, proposal-driven funds, I might add, for educational workshops, and so on.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  What we had approached Canada for was a business plan over a five-year period to create one position in each community to get started. We have asked the Government of Yukon to support us annually, and they have agreed. We have also approached industry, and because we're dealing with two proponents, that ask is outstanding with industry.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  One of the responses we got back from the Government of Canada about supporting the proposed Alaska Highway pipeline project was that it is only a proposal at the moment, and not actually a project. They are focused on the Mackenzie Valley pipeline, which is an all-Canadian pipeline.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  We do feel we have somebody ready, a key member, in each community. We've been requesting support for the communities for this, and this is why we approached the Government of Canada to provide some financial resources. We have land claims, but the implementation of our land claims is inadequately funded at present, so to add that on to somebody else right now--

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  We asked them to, and there are two proponents. They want an agreement where if they support you, then you pay attention only to them. So how do you deal with both of them? It is proposed right now. We don't even know who we're dealing with. We know we have two different proponents.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  There are two proponents with this project, unlike the Mackenzie Valley pipeline, where you have just the one proponent. First nations are feeling caught in the middle, because if we go to industry--both of them, there are two competing companies--they want signed agreements to talk to the first nations.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  The coalition originally came together to learn all about the industry and to start communicating that to all the community members. In each community we have chief in council, but we also have community members outside the government structures. We were looking at a community liaison officer who would communicate between chief in council, community members, key stakeholders who live in the community, and converse with industry, with other governments, and with other first nations.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  First nations are good negotiators. We've been at it for over 30 years up here, but we also expect to negotiate in good faith. With respect to industry coming in to tell us about their business and extraction of resources, we know our lands. We know what's there already, and we hire expertise to help us when we need it.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Thank you. For the industry players who do come into the community...as a self-governing first nation, you have jurisdiction in your settlement land areas. We do have law-making powers, although when it comes to economic development or industry we would prefer to be in a partnership, to gain not only the partnership but to learn from their expertise, and also for us to teach them a little bit about us as well.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  It hasn't been that long since we 11 first nations settled our land claims, and we are the original inhabitants of the Yukon, before the gold rush. Thinking about this project coming into their communities, they often think of and fear the worst of the project, thinking about the oil spill in Valdez, Alaska, and of course that being an earthquake zone as well.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. Good afternoon, Mr. Chair and committee members. My name is Ruth Massie. I'm the chair of the Alaska Highway Aboriginal Pipeline Coalition. I am representing five self-governing first nations along the proposed Alaska pipeline route. I am also a citizen of the Ta'an Kwäch'än council, and I welcome the standing committee members to our traditional territory, which we share with Kwanlin Dün First Nation.