Federal committee to hear from 9 N.W.T. groups today about Indigenous land claims

A public hearing, put on by the standing committee on Indigenous and Northern affairs, will hear testimonies from nineIndigenous groups from the Northwest Territories today on how thefederal government has handled outstanding, specific claims and on-going land claims, including self-government agreements.

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Monday's hearing is part of a series of meetings that have been heldacross the country within thepast month. They're in response to the auditor general's 2016 report on First Nations specific claims historic agreements that weren't met and the former Department of Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada.

"Overall, we found that Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada didnot adequately manage the resolution of FirstNations specific claims," the report says.

"Certain of Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada's practices did not encourage negotiations, funding to FirstNations was arbitrary and inconsistent, and information sharing between the Department and FirstNations was limited."

The committee is chaired byMaryAnnMihychuk,Liberal MPand former employment minister. Other members include Gary Anandasangaree, a Liberal MP from Scarborough, Ont.and Arnold Viersen,a Conservative MP from Peace River, Alta.

Who will present at Monday's hearing?

• Deh Gah Got'ie First Nations
  • SamGargan, sub-chief and mayor of Fort Providence
• DeneNation
  • BillErasmus, national chief
• North SlaveMtisAlliance
  • Bill Enge, president
  • ChristopherDevlin, legal counsel
• BehdziAhdaFirst Nation
  • WilbertKochon, chief
  • JosephKochon, chief negotiator
• Northwest TerritoryMtisNation
  • GarryBailey, president
  • Jake Heron, chief negotiator
• InuvialuitRegional Corporation
  • Duane Smith, chair and chief executive officer
  • Kate Darling, general counsel
• Tlicho Government
  • George Mackenzie, grand chief
• Gwich'in Tribal Council
  • Bobbie Jo Greenland-Morgan, grand chief and president
• Sahtu Secretariat Incorporated
  • Ethel Blondin-Andrew. chairperson
• Government of the Northwest Territories
  • Bob McLeod, premier
  • Mike Aumond, Department of Executive and Indigenous Affairs