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10TuesdayJuly22013Sixty-yearsinthemakingdevolutiondealsignedPartyinInuvikcelebratesgovernmentsjoiningtogetherBySAMANTHASTOKELLInuvikhelpeddignitariesfromacrosstheNWTandCanadacelebratethenalsteptodevolutionlastweekasgovernmentleadersde-scendedonthecommunitytosigntheagreement.HeadsofgovernmentfromtheGNWTCanadatheMtisInuvialuitTlichoandGwichinsignedtheNorth-westTerritoriesLandandResourcesDevolutionAgree-mentonJune25attheMid-nightSunRecreationCom-plexinInuviksurroundedbyover200people.Thehistoricdaymarkedyearsofworksincethe1950stogaindecision-makingpow-erssimilartoprovincesforNWTresidents.WhileovertheyearstheGNWTgainedthatpoweroverhealthhigh-waysandeducationitwasnotuntillastweekthatitbe-cameresponsibleforlandwaterandresources.InuvikelderShirleyEliassaidshehadbeenwaitingforthisdayforyears.Itsgoodtoseethepeoplesignitinpublicshesaid.Itsgoodtoseetheminper-sonsowecandealwiththeissuesanddealwithitfacetoface.Theresnoliaisonpeopletobringourmessagesdownforus.Theycancometousanddealwithit.TheGNWTwillofciallyimplementthenaldevolu-tionagreementstartingApr.12014.Leadinguptothattimetheterritorialgovern-mentmustcreatejobdescrip-tionsandofferpositionstothefederalemployeeswhocurrentlytakecareofthelandandresources.TheresstillalotofworkweneedtodointernallyasagovernmentNWTPre-mierBobMcLeodtoldTheJournal.Weneedtodealwithlegislationworkwiththefederalgovernmenttomakesurewerecoordinatedandsetupasanorganiza-tiongureoutwhereevery-onewillbelocatedmakejoboffersintimesothatwehaveaseamlesstransitionbyApril1.WeneedalotofcoordinationonrecordsITcomputersinfrastruc-turethosetypeofthingstomakesureclienteleisntaffected.LeadersoftheAboriginalgovernmentshadquestionsnotonlyaboutwhatcomesnextbutwhatdevolutionitwhosgoingtocleanitwhosgoingtoskinitandwhosgoingtostretchitCournoyeasaid.Ithinkthatsthephasewerein.HowdowegofromTetlitGwichinDancersfromFortMcPhersonalongwiththeInuvikDrummersandDancers.Asthegovernmentleadersenteredthecrowdheldastandingovationfortheoccasionrecognizingthesignicanceofthemoment.Thisagreementmarksanimportantandhistoricmile-stoneforthepeopleoftheterritorysaidBernardVal-courtMinisterofAboriginalAffairsandNorthernDevel-opmentwhosignedtheagree-mentonbehalfofthefederalgovernment.Webelievethatwheneverpossiblethepeo-pleoftheNorthwestTerrito-riesshouldbemakingdeci-sionsaboutregionalissues.Thenalagreementsignedtodaywillprovidejurisdic-tionoverlandandresourcesgivingresidentscontrolovertheirdestiniesresponsibili-tiesfortheirowndecisionsandcreatingtheconditionsforeconomicgrowth.Asnotedworkstillneedstobedone.TheattachedagreementdeningresourceroyaltysharingwithAborigi-nalgovernmentsisinitsnalstagesandincludesaprovi-siontoreviewaftertherstyearofimplementation.TheagreementwiththeInuvialuitonBeaufortSeaoilwassignedonJune25.WhiletheSahtuSecretariatwasalsopartytothedevo-lutionagreementitmissedtheeventduetotraveldif-culties.OnlytheAkaitchoandDehchohaveyettosigntheagreement.TheAkaitchoarecurrentlyinactivediscus-sionswhiletheDehchoarewaitingtodiscussoutstand-inglandissues.McLeodsaidtheGNWTcanhelp.NotonlywillwemakeadvancesondevolutionwecanmakeadvancestotryandgettheirlandclaimsettledMcLeodsaid.InthemeantimemanyresidentsoftheNWTfeelatentativethrillknowingthatmoredecisionsabouttheirlandwillhappenathome.WellndoutwhatsgoingtohappenbutwereexcitedtohearwhatthetopicisgoingtobeEliassaid.Theyreheretoworkwithpeopleandthatsagoodstride.AnyonecangooutandshoottheheadoffamuskratbutwhosgoingtogutitwhosgoingtocleanitwhosgoingtoskinitandwhosgoingtostretchitIthinkthatsthephasewerein.HowdowegofromheretheimplementationThatsthemostdifcultpart.Itsgoingtotakealotofdetermination.NellieCournoyeaInuvialuitRegionalCorp.willlooklikeonceitsinplace.NellieCournoyeaCEOchairoftheInuvialuitRegionalCorp.spokeofthedifcultyinmovingforwardfromthesigning.Anyonecangooutandshoottheheadoffamusk-ratbutwhosgoingtogutheretheimplementationThatsthemostdifficultpart.Itsgoingtotakealotofdetermination.Butbeforethatdifcultworkthetownsignato-riesandtheirwitnessescel-ebratedwithacommunityfeastandjiggingledbythePoliticsDevolutionPhotosSamanthaStokellFromleftChiefsCharlieFootballandCliffordDanielsoftheTlichoGovernmentshakehandsaftersigningtheNorthwestTerritoriesLandsandResourcesDevolutionAgreementastheothersignatorieslookon.FortMcPhersonjiggerstrytoteachInuvikDrummerandDancerDangDangGrubenhowtodanceduringthecel-ebrationsfollowingthedevolutionsigning.InuvialuitRegionalCorp.chairNellieCournoyeaaddress-esthecrowdonherhometurfduringthedevolutionsign-ingceremonyinInuvik.FrontrowAANDCMinisterBernardValcourtNWTPremierBobMcLeod.BackrowfromleftWilliamKoeDuaneSmithRobertAlexieJr.CharlieFootballpurpleshirtCliffordDanielsblueshirtJakeHeronsuitNellieCournoyeaGarryBaileyPaulKomaromiandMichaelMiltenberger.