Richard Edjericon

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Minister provide an update to the House on the status of this investigation? We were told it's going to take six months. Here we are a year later. We still don't see anything. And we're concerned that the court already made a decision this is unlawful. And we want to know here today that if you can give us an update on where things are at. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today marks more than a year since a deeply troubling and unconstitutional event has cast a shadow over my riding of Tu NedheWiilideh. I speak not to dwell on the past but to demand justice and healing for our friends and the neighbours, who are Indigenous people, that have suffered greatly at the hands of this government's reckless action of the raid in Lutselk'e Dene First Nation Timber Bay culture camp on September 15th, 2022.

One year ago, the unthinkable happened when Lutselk'e Dene First Nation culture camp was raided violating the very essence of our constitution...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Minister. Given the history of the Rocher River, can the Minister confirm the involvement of the Akaitcho First Nations in the Taltson Hydro Expansion Project and what financial resources have been provided to them to into a meaningful participant in this work to help relocate the graves to drier land or to communities in the Akaitcho region? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I know that the GNWT's working closely with various Indigenous governments through engagement on the expansion. My question is about public consultation, particularly with elders, on the potential impacts for unmarked graves regarding the Taltson Hydro Expansion Project. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the ongoing discovery of unmarked graves throughout Canada only further highlights the atrocities of a colonial system which has negatively impacted Indigenous people since European contact. The community of Rocher River was abandoned in order to provide a clearer path for the Taltson Hydro Electric Dam. This is a sad tale that can be told across Canada where the scores of Indigenous nations forcibly evicted from their ancestral homelands to make way for industrial development to benefit incoming colonial settlers. The history of Rocher River is complex...

Thank you, Madam Chair. No, I just got general comments overall. But I've been here for almost a year and a half in this position, and I continue to advocate our wishes of what I've been hearing from my leadership in Lutselk'e; for example, you know, winter roads, and I've been bringing this issue forward. There was no commitment by this government. This was no commitment to undertake a study or anything like that for the need to put a road into the community of Lutselk'e, a winter road. And, you know, like, it's hard for me to sit here to go through this budget again. And, really, you know...

Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, Minister. Can the Minister confirm if work has been done to identify potential unmarked graves in the former Rocher River community in an effort to protect these sites from potential development? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the issue of the Taltson Hydro Expansion Project, it's an outstanding issue for Members in my riding and the constituent Members. In the early days when the project was started, I remember Canada undertook this project but there there was really no consultation or accommodations with the residents of Taltson, residents in Taltson River.

Mr. Speaker, the right now, last weekend, I went down to Fort Resolution and I went to Hay River. I paid my respects to my relatives at the graveyard. I go to Fort Resolution. We do the same thing. In Dettah, every fall, we...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I've reached out to the Indigenous governments and Dettah and N'dilo, Lutselk'e, and Fort Resolution. I've asked them to provide a letter to me on the costs that they incurred as a result of this fire evacuation that happened. And once I get that information, I will forward it to the Minister to let them know that what we incurred in the communities as a result of the trigger being pulled in this evacuation here in the Northwest Territories.

Having said that, Mr. Speaker, also, you know, the emergency plans for the communities need to happen. Right now, I've...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this fire that happened that impacted the residents of the Northwest Territories, including Yellowknife and the smaller communities, in particular Lutselk'e, Dettah, N'dilo, and Fort Resolution, you know, when this evacuation order went ahead, we had evacuees that came to Fort Resolution, that over 105 people there showed up to that community that came in from Fort Smith, Hay River Reserve, Fort Smith Reserve as well, and Yellowknife. So, Mr. Speaker, we the communities of Fort Resolution have incurred costs as a result of the additional people coming into...