Northwest Territories

C

Arts

Canadian artists and writers living in southern Canada have written about the Canadian north for some time, but indigenous peoples are just beginning to reexamine their art and literature. Their artistic expressions often take the form of rejuvenated traditional art, such as the dancing and singing of the Inuvialuit Drum Dancers. Others are striving to find a place in the larger Canadian art community. Sponsored by the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, the Inuvialuit Drum Dancers perform locally, regionally, and nationally. The Great Northern Arts Festival is held each summer in the territory and features artists from throughout northern Canada.

VI

Recreation

Recreational facilities, such as school gymnasiums and outdoor playgrounds, exist in all communities. More expensive indoor facilities, such as swimming pools, are only found in larger communities. For most northerners the main recreational activities are outdoors. Canoeing, hiking, and fishing are popular summer activities, and cross-country skiing and ice fishing are two popular winter sports.

Four national parks are located in the Northwest Territories. Aulavik National Park was established in 1992 and has an area of 12,200 sq km (4,700 sq mi). Wood Buffalo National Park, which is partly in Alberta, was established in 1922; it has an area of 44,807 sq km (17,300 sq mi). Nahanni National Park, established in 1976, has an area of 4,766 sq km (1,840 sq mi), and Tuktut Nogait National Park was established in 1998, with an area of 16,300 sq km (6,300 sq mi). Both Nahanni and Wood Buffalo parks have been designated as World Heritage Sites. The east arm of Great Slave Lake has been proposed as a new national park.

VII

Government

The Northwest Territories has three levels of government: federal, territorial, and local. At the federal level, where national and international issues are debated, the territory has one member of Parliament in the House of Commons in Ottawa, Ontario. At the territorial level, elected representatives discuss and set policy on domestic issues in the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories. This assembly has some, but not all, of the political powers assigned to Canadian provinces under the constitution. Since World War II the federal government has assigned more powers to the territorial government, including power over education, health care, housing, renewable resources, and social services. With these powers, the territorial government in Yellowknife governs inhabitants of the Northwest Territories. In 1988 discussions began regarding transferring power over nonrenewable resources to the territorial government, but this issue has not been resolved. Cities, towns, and settlements represent the local level of government.

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A

New Constitution

Because Nunavut became a separate territory in 1999, efforts began in the Northwest Territories to draft a new constitution that would share power between four levels of government: community, regional, indigenous, and territorial. The proposed Legislative Assembly would consist of a 14-member General Assembly, with representation by population, and an 8-member Indigenous Peoples assembly representing Indian, Métis, and Inuit inhabitants. The General Assembly would represent the interests of all residents, while the Indigenous Peoples Assembly would represent the interests of only the indigenous peoples. The powers of the Legislative Assembly would be similar to the powers of provincial legislatures, including power over nonrenewable natural resources, forestry, energy, and taxation of natural resources on public lands. Under this proposed government, passing laws would require a double majority, with a consensus on the first vote and, after due reconsideration, a two-thirds majority on a second vote.

This proposal has advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand, it would give new political power to indigenous peoples. On the other hand, by giving indigenous peoples a double vote—one for the General Assembly and one for the Indigenous Peoples Assembly—the proposal would diminish the democratic rights of nonindigenous peoples. Since the territorial government does not have the power to change its existing governmental structure, the federal government will have to agree to enact legislation to implement such a territorial constitution. However, negotiations regarding the proposal have stalled due to a lack of consensus and unresolved aboriginal demands for self-government.

B

Executive

The premier of the Northwest Territories is the government leader. The executive council of the Legislative Assembly selects one of its members as the premier.

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