Colleagues, this past weekend, February 28th to March 2nd, was a very busy weekend for me. As you are all aware, the King Charles III Coronation Medal presentation happened Friday evening with the Premier, Commissioner, Senator and MP and recipients that were in Yellowknife. I would like to recognize the people that were nominated from the Nahendeh Riding.
Nominated by the Premier: Deneze James Nakehk'o, Lucy Jane Simon, and Soham Srimani
Nominated by the Senator: Chief Kele Antoine, Gilbert Cazon, and our own Mary Jane Cazon
I would like to thank the Premier for allowing me the pleasure of handing out the medals to Lucy and Soham.
Saturday morning, I had the pleasure of attending the NWTAC interactive sessions, the AGM and the closing banquet and awards ceremony. Much to my surprise, the Nahendeh riding did well receiving three awards:
Margaret Ireland received the 2025 Community Service Award;
Sambaa K'e First Nation received the 2025 Community Builder Award; and
Jean Marie River received the 2025 Climate Change Resilience Award.
As well, a good friend of mine, Ms. Eleanor Young, won the Evelyn Krutko Mighty Warrior Award, and I was honored to see her get this award.
Colleagues, at both events, each presenter provided a speech and it was given to me, and I have attached them to the end of my statement, which I would like them deemed as read and printed in the Hansard.
Overcoming obstacles in life and working to understand his own trauma responses, Dëneze takes responsibility for his own wellness and carries with him good lessons that have allowed him to do what his people have done for so long - change the world, not because he wanted to, but because it was needed. Creating cultural connections, organizing for Idle No More, a journalist telling the stories of his people, Dëneze is making a difference in the lives of all northerners, especially the youth.
The Community Service Award recognizes an individual, an organization, or a business that has made a significant contribution to improving the well-being of an NWT Community and its residents.
It is with great pleasure that we present the 2025 Community Service Award to Margaret Ireland. Margaret is an elected Councillor and has worked for many years as the Resource Management Coordinator for Tthets’éhk’edélı First Nation (Tthets keh dahyli), or Jean Marie River First Nation.
Margaret Ireland is widely known for her long-standing commitment to her community. She has been a trailblazer in tackling climate change and supporting community-led research. Most of her career has focused on helping Jean Marie River First Nation build resilience to the effects of a changing climate.
Margaret first heard her community’s concerns about changes to the land as a teenager in the 1970s. In the early 2000s, when the Mackenzie Valley Gas Pipeline proposal was developing, Margaret advocated for the inclusion of Indigenous voices. She worked with Elders and researchers to complete a Traditional Knowledge baseline study. This was the start of a series of collaborations led by Margaret lasting over 20 years.
Under Margaret’s direction, the community has forged strong relationships with several research partners over the years. With their support, Margaret guided studies to identify how climate change was affecting the landscape, understand the implications for the community's wellbeing, and identify strategies for adaptation. Margaret always ensured the community leads these studies and that the results come back to the community. Community engagement and communication have been central features of all her initiatives.
Over the past three years, Margaret has collaborated with Wilfrid Laurier University researchers and a consultant to consolidate the learnings from an incredible two decades of climate work. She aims to harness this accumulated knowledge to inform the development of a climate change adaptation strategy for Jean Marie River First Nation.
Margaret continues to seek new partnerships that can support her vision to integrate climate change adaptation into the way community members care for each other and for the land. After leading the change on climate change for all these years, Margaret has determined that to meet the challenges ahead the community must build adaptation thinking and approaches into all the work they do. To mobilize this vision, she has launched an initiative to build leadership and climate change adaptation skills within Jean Marie River First Nation’s Chief and Council, and staff.
In addition to her tireless efforts on climate change, Margaret has continued to represent Jean Marie River First Nation on the Dehcho Health and Wellness Working Group, the Edéhzhíe Management Board, and the Dehcho Protected Areas Communities Working Group.
Congratulations Margaret! You are an inspiration for us all. Thank you for your long-standing service to Jean Marie River First Nation and the NWT.
Our next award is the Evelyn Krutko Mighty Warrior Award. This award embodies everything Evelyn Krutko stood for. Hard-working, honest, never giving up, a leader, strong and one that goes the extra mile.
The recipient of our next award truly does embody the intent of this award. Her life’s work has been a journey and a career marked by dedication, hard work, long hours and unwavering commitment. Her dedication was not just about putting the hours in. It was also her belief in the work she did for the people of the NWT. It was about understanding what decisions she made at her job and how it affected the NWT that made her stand out.
The recipient of this award has worked in the NWT since 1987, 15 of those years spent on the community level. She came to the north as a cooperative student placement in 1987 and returned to the North in 1988 to continue working on regional land use planning initiatives, particularly in the Beaufort Delta Region. Some of that early work formed the basis for the Community Conservation Plans adopted by each of the Inuvialuit communities. Moving to Ulukhaktok in 1990, she worked as the Housing Manager, and then as part of a community transfer initiative. She became the Senior Administrative Officer (SAO) with the Hamlet of Ulukhaktok. She also brought the local housing operations under the authority of community government council. She served a number of terms as President and Board member for the Association of Municipal Administrators (AMANWT). She worked briefly for the NWT Association of Communities and the Local Government Administrators of the Northwest Territories (formerly AMANWT) in 2003/2004 when she first left Ulukhaktok and before joining the GNWT.
The NWTAC has had the pleasure of working very closely with this lady as prior Deputy Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs for 5 years, and before that as Deputy Minister of Regional Operations. She joined Housing NWT as President and CEO May 17, 2021.
She has spent many years of her life attending the NWTAC meetings and has made many close friends along the way.
As she steps into her well-earned years of retirement, we look back on how she has made an impact on the NWT and our lives.
In your retirement we wish you well, and much happiness and much deserved time spent with your family and doing the things you love.
Thank you for your commitment to the NWT and the NWTAC over the years. Ladies and gentlemen, it is my honour to award the 2025 Evelyn Krutko Mighty Warrior Award to Ms. Eleanor Young.
The Community Builder Award recognizes exemplary leadership and innovation in how the council or community government operates. We are pleased to present the 2025 Community Builder Award to Sambaa K’e First Nation.
For many years Sambaa K’e First Nation has been building partnerships and pioneering innovative approaches to protect the land and water, strengthen food security, spur economic development, and adapt to a changing climate. Here are a few examples of their efforts along this remarkable journey.
Back in 2010, they took a bold step forward by teaming up with various partners to assess their water resources and identify vulnerabilities. This was the beginning of a series of proactive initiatives that have truly made a difference. From crafting a community-based source water protection plan to improving their solid waste facility—which included removing a substantial amount of hazardous waste—they have shown us what it means to care for our environment. Today they continue to monitor local fisheries, habitats, and water quality as part of the AAROM program.
Years ago, the community made a firm commitment to building food security. As a fly-in community, there are very real challenges to access fresh produce. They created an agriculture development plan, partnered with experts, and integrated Dene protocols into their food-growing initiatives. Their efforts have blossomed into one of the largest community gardens in the Northwest Territories, complete with a greenhouse, a large growing field, and even a compost station. Youth are engaged in the garden program and produce is shared through the community store and cooking circles. Building on this success, SKFN is exploring innovative ways to grow food in firebreaks and preserve their harvest for year-round enjoyment.
In addition to food growing, SKFN has redoubled efforts to support intergenerational on-the land activities including youth and elder trapping programs and seasonal community harvesting initiatives. They restored an older culture camp facility, and now it is used for community programs including healing camps, youth activities, and on the land camps.
The community store is a good example of SKFN’s creative approach to solving challenges. Owned and operated by the First Nation’s development corporation, it’s run like a social enterprise, focusing on providing a service and positive impacts for the community. They have the power to choose what products to bring in and set fair prices. Profits are reinvested to ease the rising cost of living for everyone. It’s a creative and compassionate approach that reflects their commitment to community well-being.
Sambaa K’e has also been at the forefront of climate change adaptation initiatives. Through an innovative partnership with Ka’agee Tu First Nation and researchers from Wilfrid Laurier University, the communities came together to learn from each other and reflect on their work to date. This process culminated in adaptation plans, with priorities and strategies for each community. This kind of collaboration is what we need more of in the NWT.
SKFN is a long-standing leader in Indigenous-led conservation work. For years Samba K’e has been pursuing the establishment of a legally protected conservation area that aligns with their environmental and cultural values. This is not just about protecting the land; it’s about weaving Indigenous-led conservation into the very fabric of economic development and the wider Dene economy.
Congratulations to Sambaa K’e First Nation for your many accomplishments. Thank you for your unwavering service and dedication to building a brighter future for your community. Your hard work inspires us all, and we look forward to seeing what more you will accomplish in the years to come.
The GNWT Department of Environment and Climate Change sponsors the Climate Change Resilience Award to recognize the key role community governments play in building resilience and adapting to a changing climate. Communities in the NWT are on the front lines of climate change. Our communities are gaining momentum as they create plans and develop partnerships to chart a course for their futures in an increasingly uncertain environment.
The Climate Change Resilience Award recognizes leadership in climate change adaptation. This award honours a community that is taking a pro-active approach to the challenges caused by climate change and has strengthened community resilience through their actions. The award includes $5,000 to support on-going climate change adaptation work being completed by the recipient.
Our award winner is a great example of how communities can take a leading role in overcoming climate change challenges. Tthets’éhk’édélı̨ First Nation, also known as Jean Marie River First Nation, has demonstrated consistent leadership in climate change research and adaptation planning and action over many years demonstrates this vision and determination.
For more than two decades Jean Marie River First Nation has been studying and documenting the changing climate and its impacts on the land, the water, and the health and wellness of residents. Throughout these studies they have prioritized community engagement and involvement. At the same time, they have built strong and enduring partnerships with researchers from universities and other organizations. Jean Marie River First Nation has used an approach that combines traditional knowledge and western science to ensure that the steps they take to adapt help build resilience in ways that recognize and respect the culture and values of the community.
With direct and dramatic experience of flooding and wildfires in recent years, Jean Marie River continues to demonstrate commitment to learning and improving their preparedness and resilience. Amongst their many initiatives completed and ongoing, here are some highlights:
The community has led major studies to better understand the impacts of the changing climate and the risks these changes pose to health and wellness. They worked with researchers to conduct a permafrost vulnerability assessment and created a map of permafrost around the community. The results of this study were used to determine how permafrost thaw may impact vegetation, wildlife, and traditional practices, and ultimately the food security of community residents into the future.
These studies have led to more informed planning, and a host of other projects to tackle community concerns.
A community-based participatory planning process was used to consider all the climate risks and impacts as well as the community’s values and vision for the future. This process led to the creation of a community-wide adaptation plan and implementation framework.
Climate change has significantly increased the number and urgency of issues competing for community government time and resources. What Jean Marie River’s adaptation plan has done has really helped the community define and prioritize the climate impacts and the steps they want to take. Adaptation planning has also been helpful in finding funding to implement actions. Coming out of the adaptation plan several projects have happened including:
Improving the safety of those travelling on the land by developing best practices for travel that consider the uncertainty and additional risks due to climate change.
Integrating climate adaptation as a core practice across all community programs, services, operations, and governance. For example, job descriptions have been updated to include climate change responsibilities.
All these studies and implementation projects have featured extensive community engagement. A community-based Climate Change Working Group has been established and is currently leading a project.
Looking to the future, the community is doing succession planning, preparing for a younger generation to take on community government roles and keep the momentum going on climate change adaptation. This includes supporting trainees to participate in the Northern Leadership Development Program through Aurora College.
We encourage you to go talk to tonight’s winner about the incredible work they are doing to strengthen resilience in their community. The Department of Environment and Climate Change is proud to present the 2025 Climate Change Resilience Award to Jean Marie River First Nation. We congratulate them on their achievement and wish them continued success! Councillor Margaret Ireland please come forward and accept this award on behalf of Jean Marie River First Nation.
Sunday, I attended the NWT Speed Skating Championship to watch athletes from Fort Simpson participate. I am proud to say that the team from Fort Simpson was the second largest team at the competition. When I spoke to some of the athletes, they were very happy with their results, the organizers and coaches for a special weekend. I have attached the list of the athletes and coaches, and I would like them deemed as read and printed in the Hansards.
Congratulations to all these residents of the Nahendeh representing us proudly. Thank you very much.
Payton Bennett
Ember Sibbeston
Mia Hardisty- Atkins
Kaiya Williams-Snider
Wren Tsetso
Navalyn Okrainec-Burrill
Sarah Wright
Serena Hanna
Jayde Allen
Ray-Anne Erasmus
Avery Blyth
Hunter Cazon
Val Gendron
Ava Erasmus
Members' statements. Member from Yellowknife South.
