Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the 19th Assembly I brought forward a concern that was brought to my attention about the burial sites located in the Taltson River area and where the hydro dam is, and the elders have told me that the burial sites in that location are buried almost 60 feet underwater. And so, Mr. Speaker, I brought this issue up to the 19th Assembly Minister of Infrastructure Diane Archie, the Minister of the day, and I just wanted to find out if the Minister of Infrastructure here today could give me an update on this. Thank you.
Minister for Infrastructure.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have some good news to report in a broad sense. The project for the Taltson watershed area and the potential expansion of the Taltson is proceeding under an MOU. And it's an MOU that involves the Akaitcho First Nations as well as Metis governments of the region and of the Taltson watershed. And we've had more than one steering committee already in the time of this government. One, in fact, in person, where the group travelled to see what underwater tables would look like along with members of the steering committee as well as members of their council. I say all of that because I want to emphasize the fact that this is not a GNWT project. It's not GNWT led. We really are one party at that table. And under that MOU, there is funding for Indigenous governments to conduct their own investigations to understand the traditional knowledge of the region, both from a permitting perspective but also to understand the legacy. I've said very clearly to our partners, and I'll say it again, this project will not advance if legacy issues are not resolved.
So as far as the specifics of what individual groups might be doing, I believe there's -- and I know that there has been work conducted by individual members of the steering committee, individual First Nations and Indigenous governments of the region. I can't speak, as I say, to what their work is. I know there's contribution funding, and I know they're working on it. So I'll certainly commit to the Member to try and get that information put together so that both of us have an up-to-date list of what's happening. Thank you.
Yeah, thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I thank the Minister for her response. I am happy that this government is working through the MOU with the Indigenous governments on this issue. And it's a very important issue that I keep hearing from my constituents, and this issue need to be addressed. So I think in terms of funding, from what I could understand, there was a funding commitment by the previous Minister of about $1.8 million, additional $1.2 million annually. I just want to know if this commitment is still part of that MOU? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I don't have the existing or the specific amounts under the MOU in front of me. I'll have to just double check. There's been no reductions to the Taltson work, and there is federal funding involved. And, as I understand it, the federal funding that we have does take us forward to a point that is satisfactory to get this work done. So I've not been under any impression of any cuts or funding drawbacks. I expect that if there was an understanding from the federal government -- or from the Indigenous governments, then it should indeed be there and be satisfactory. It's not been raised from the members to me that it's unsatisfactory. So a long way of saying I think the money is still there. Thank you.
Yeah, thank you, Mr. Speaker. And she answered my third and fourth question. But, no, I am happy that there's a commitment here to continue to look at this project and -- because the burial sites in this area, you know, we need to come up with a plan as to how we're going to get it out of the water and move it to locations. So Mr. Speaker, I'm just happy that the Minister responded, and I don't have any further questions because she already answered my questions. Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Oral questions. Member from the Sahtu.
