Q&A | N.W.T. MP Rebecca Alty on her cabinet appointment, and how she'll work to advance land claims in riding

CBC News

· Posted: May 23, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: May 23

As the caller national furniture curate liable for Crown-Indigenous Relations, the N.W.T.'s MP Rebecca Alty volition beryllium navigating cardinal issues within her riding. 

That includes both onshore assertion and self-government negotiations, which Alty said she plans to beforehand with each disposable resources.

This is the first clip successful astir 20 years that the N.W.T. has a typical sitting successful cabinet. The past was erstwhile MP Ethel Blondin-Andrew, who served arsenic a curate until 2006. 

Alty spoke to CBC News connected Thursday for the archetypal clip since she was appointed minister, about her relation and however she volition equilibrium her presumption successful cabinet with representing her constituents. 

This interrogation has been edited for magnitude and clarity.

I'm curious, did you propulsion for this ministerial role?

No. I was, you know, elected arsenic an MP and that was a large honour — and a large acknowledgment to residents crossed the Northwest Territories. And past the premier minister's bureau reached retired and asked if I'd see cabinet. 

The premier curate called to connection maine Crown-Indigenous Relations, which I'm truly happy. It's a immense file, but truthful applicable successful our location territory, and truthful I'm looking guardant to the enactment ahead.

How bash you deliberation that your inheritance and past acquisition connected Yellowknife metropolis assembly and arsenic politician equips you for this role?

Yeah, I deliberation those are the applicable skills, and arsenic good as my clip astatine Diavik and being the manager of assemblage and Indigenous relations.

As mayor, it was moving with 8 colleagues to beforehand issues. So present it's astatine that bigger standard successful Parliament. And past it is continuing to enactment with Indigenous partners, and present it's not conscionable successful the Yellowknife portion oregon the Northwest Territories, but present crossed Canada. 

So I bash deliberation my inheritance connected assembly arsenic good arsenic astatine Diavik volition beryllium adjuvant successful this portfolio.

As curate present liable for overseeing the onshore claims negotiations, however are you going to enactment to advancement them present successful the territory?

I had large discussions with the [Dehcho First Nations] Grand Chief [Herb] Norwegian during the campaign, arsenic good arsenic with his squad aft the campaign but earlier I was minister. 

So I bash look guardant to, present that I americium minister, being capable to prosecute with the leadership. 

And you know, it sounds ace promising with the Grand Chief [Norwegian] looking to finalize an statement by the extremity of the year. Now it is moving with my section to find the resources to spot however imaginable that is.

Because again, there's truthful galore antithetic negotiations happening crossed the territory, crossed the country, and truthful however bash we equilibrium that? 

But it is decidedly 1 of the things that I'm looking astir guardant to successful this role, is onshore claims and self-government agreements.

I'm funny to perceive a small much about what your strategy volition be. How volition you enactment to propulsion them forward?

So astatine the section level, it is about, you know, uncovering retired our resources disposable and strategies connected however to maximize those resources. It is moving with the section arsenic good arsenic partners to spot however we tin expedite these processes.

How volition you equilibrium being a curate and serving your constituents?

I deliberation it's 1 and the same. So having that spot astatine the furniture table, I americium capable to to bring that bluish position and being capable to to champion the issues, week in, week out. 

And arsenic the curate of Crown-Indigenous Relations, a batch of the important enactment successful the Northwest Territories is resolving the onshore claims and self-government agreements, continuing to honour and instrumentality treaty, expanding capableness for modern pact holders. So I deliberation it is 1 and the same. 

It volition beryllium a challenge to marque it into the Northwest Territories as overmuch arsenic erstwhile I was mayor. I was surviving determination each week, and truthful I was capable to spell to much and much assemblage events. So I deliberation that volition beryllium the 1 challenge. 

However, I'll beryllium much successful Ottawa being capable to champion for the worldly backmost home.