Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, public lands in the NWT is something that we all enjoy and have access to as Northerners and Canadians. We use these lands for a variety of reasons like recreation, travel, and often to just get closer to nature. These public lands are something that we all cherish. Public lands in my riding, and as well as my colleagues' ridings, are deeply connected to the culture of Indigenous people of the North. In fact, Mr. Speaker, in my riding there are two land claim agreements in place; three if you include the transboundary nature of the Sahtu, Gwich'in, and the Inuvialuit agreements.
Mr. Speaker, in these agreements, it speaks to members of these agreements being able to access public lands in their respective areas for the purpose of harvesting. Part of these harvesting rights include the right to establish camps for the purpose of harvesting. In the case of the Inuvialuit, for example, that agreement says that beneficiaries should not be charged fees for exercising their rights like the establishment of camps under these leases. Mr. Speaker, I've had concerns raised to me by numerous people that they are being charged fees to exercise their right in the way of lease payments. In some cases, people have asked to surrender their lease and want to fall under rightsbased rights designation. These leaseholders are told they need to remove everything from the land and inspect and done before they can surrender their lease even though these may be rightsbased camps and passed through generations, Mr. Speaker. In other instances, some people have been threatened to be taken to court or collections for nonpayment. And in another case, full fees have been charged even though the land, or most of it, is gone because it eroded away by the mighty Mackenzie River, Mr. Speaker, and the structure was moved before they even received the bill. Mr. Speaker, today I will have questions for the Minister of Lands and why his department is charging fees to Indigenous people to exercise their right to establish camps and if those fees go against the land claim agreements that we as GNWT are party to, Mr. Speaker. I will also be asking the Minister to commit today to pausing all current Indigenous lease fees and collection actions under a more detailed review can be done on this issue. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Members' statements. Member for Monfwi.
