Northwest Territory Mtis Nation signs agreement-in-principle

The Northwest Territory Mtis Nation has signed a land and resources agreement-in-principle with the federal and territorial governments.

If the agreement is approved, the Nation, which representsMtis who can trace their ancestry to First Nations who traditionally lived in the territory, would receive $69.4 million, as well as ownership of 25,194square kilometres of land.

In a press release, Garry Bailey, president of the Northwest TerritoryMtis Nation, says that the agreement-in-principle is a "sound basis toward advancing the interests of Indigenous Mtis of the NWT."

The agreement, which is not legally binding, deals with harvesting rights, subsurface resources, royalty sharing, and protected areas.

Other aboriginal groupswith overlapping interests are being consulted on the agreement, which still needs to be finalized before being voted on by theMtis membership.

At that point, it will be sent to the federal government for approval.