Final Self-Government Agreement for the Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę Act

Contents

Whereas the Government of Canada recognizes that the inherent right of self-government is a right recognized and affirmed by section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982 and that the Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę have that inherent right;Whereas the Sahtu Dene and Metis Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement, signed on September 6, 1993, provides for the negotiation of self-government agreements among the Sahtu Dene and Metis and the Governments of Canada and the Northwest Territories;Whereas the Sahtu Dene and Metis Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement provides that self-government negotiations will address the desire of the Sahtu Dene and Metis to have self-government exercised as close to the community level as is reasonably possible;Whereas the Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę, as represented by The Tlegohli Got’ine Government Incorporated, the Governments of Canada and the Northwest Territories have negotiated the Final Self-Government Agreement for the Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę in accordance with chapter 5 and appendix B of the Sahtu Dene and Metis Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement;Whereas the Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę and the Government of Canada are committed to achieving reconciliation through a renewed nation-to-nation relationship based on respect, cooperation, partnership and the recognition of Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę rights;Whereas the Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę aspire to participate fully in the economic, social, political and cultural aspects of Canadian society in a way that preserves and enhances the collective identity of the Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę as a self-sufficient and sustainable community now and into the future;Whereas the Government of Canada is committed to implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and The Tlegohli Got’ine Government Incorporated and the Government of Canada view the Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę Agreement as contributing to the implementation of that Declaration;Whereas the Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę ratified that Agreement on March 31, 2025;Whereas that Agreement was signed on September 18, 2025 on behalf of The Tlegohli Got’ine Government Incorporated and the Governments of Canada and the Northwest Territories;And whereas that Agreement requires the coming into force of an Act of Parliament that gives effect to it;Now therefore, His Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows:

Short Title

1Short title#

This Act may be cited as the Final Self-Government Agreement for the Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę Act.

Interpretation

2Definitions#

The following definitions apply in this Act.

Sahtu Agreement has the meaning assigned by the definition Agreement in section 2 of the Sahtu Dene and Metis Land Claim Settlement Act. (accord du Sahtu)

Effective Date means the date on which Parts I, II and IV of the Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę Agreement take effect in accordance with 7.10 of that Agreement. (date d’entrée en vigueur)

Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę has the same meaning as in 1.1 of the Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę Agreement. (Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę)

Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę Agreement means the Final Self-Government Agreement for the Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę among The Tlegohli Got’ine Government Incorporated and the Governments of Canada and the Northwest Territories, signed on September 18, 2025, including any amendments made to it. (accord des Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę)

Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę Government has the same meaning as in 1.1 of the Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę Agreement. (gouvernement des Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę)

The Tlegohli Got’ine Government Incorporated has the same meaning as in 1.1 of the Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę Agreement. (société The Tlegohli Got’ine Government Incorporated)

Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę law has the meaning assigned by the definition Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę Law in 1.1 of the Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę Agreement. (loi des Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę)

Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę Tax Treatment Agreement means the tax treatment agreement entered into under 8.13.1 of the Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę Agreement, including any amendments made to it. (accord sur le traitement fiscal des Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę)

Transition Date means the date on which Part II of the Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę Agreement is no longer in effect and Part III of that Agreement takes effect in accordance with 6.6.1 and 7.10.4 of that Agreement. (date de transition)

3Status of Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę Agreement#

The Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę Agreement is a treaty within the meaning of sections 25 and 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982.

Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę Agreement

4Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę Agreement given effect#

(1)The Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę Agreement is approved, given effect and declared valid and has the force of law.

(2)For greater certainty, a person or entity has the powers, rights, privileges and benefits conferred on the person or entity by the Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę Agreement and must perform the duties, and is subject to the liabilities, imposed on the person or entity by the Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę Agreement.

(3)For greater certainty, the Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę Agreement is binding on, and may be relied on by, all persons and entities.

5Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę Agreement prevails#

(1)Subject to section 6, in the event of an inconsistency or conflict between the Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę Agreement and this Act or any other federal law, the Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę Agreement prevails to the extent of the inconsistency or conflict.

(2)Subject to section 6, in the event of an inconsistency or conflict between this Act and any other federal law, this Act prevails to the extent of the inconsistency or conflict.

6Exception#

In the event of an inconsistency or conflict between the Sahtu Dene and Metis Land Claim Settlement Act or the Sahtu Agreement and the Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę Agreement, this Act or any Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę law, the Sahtu Dene and Metis Land Claim Settlement Act or the Sahtu Agreement prevails to the extent of the inconsistency or conflict.

Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę Government

7Capacity of natural person#

The Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę Government is a legal entity and has the capacity, rights, powers and privileges of a natural person.

8Force of law#

Any Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę law that is made in accordance with the Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę Agreement has the force of law.

Application of Other Acts

9Indian Act#

Subject to 2.9 of the Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę Agreement, the Indian Act does not apply to the Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę Government or any citizen, within the meaning of 1.1 of the Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę Agreement, as of the day on which section 4 comes into force.

10Statutory Instruments Act#

A Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę law is not a statutory instrument for the purposes of the Statutory Instruments Act.

Taxation

11Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę Tax Treatment Agreement#

The Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę Tax Treatment Agreement is approved, given effect and declared valid and has the force of law during the period that it is in effect.

12Clarification#

The Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę Tax Treatment Agreement does not form part of the Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę Agreement, and it is not a treaty or a land claims agreement within the meaning of sections 25 and 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982.

General

13Judicial notice — Agreements#

(1)Judicial notice must be taken of the Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę Agreement and the Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę Tax Treatment Agreement.

(2)The Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę Agreement and the Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę Tax Treatment Agreement must be published by the King’s Printer.

(3)A copy of the Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę Agreement or the Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę Tax Treatment Agreement published by the King’s Printer is evidence of that agreement and of its contents, and a copy purporting to be published by the King’s Printer is presumed to be so published unless the contrary is shown.

14Judicial notice — Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę law#

(1)Judicial notice must be taken of any Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę law that is registered in the public register referred to in 8.9 or 30.9 of the Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę Agreement.

(2)A copy of any Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę law purporting to be deposited in the public register referred to in 8.9 or 30.9 of the Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę Agreement is evidence of that law and of its contents, unless the contrary is shown.

15Federal Courts Act#

(1)The Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę Government and its institutions are not federal boards, commissions or other tribunals as defined in subsection 2(1) of the Federal Courts Act.

(2)The Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories has exclusive original jurisdiction to hear and determine applications for judicial review of the decisions of the Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę Government or its institutions, provided that all appeal and review mechanisms set out in Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę law have been exhausted.

(3)In this section, institutions has the meaning assigned by the definition Institutions of the Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę Government in 1.1 of the Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę Agreement.

16Notice of issues arising#

(1)If an issue arises in any judicial or administrative proceeding in respect of the interpretation, validity or applicability of the Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę Agreement, of this Act, of the Act of the legislature of the Northwest Territories that gives effect to the Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę Agreement or of any Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę law, then the issue must not be decided until the party raising it has served notice on the Attorney General of Canada, the Attorney General of the Northwest Territories and the Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę Government.

(2)The notice must describe the proceeding, state the issue and the day on which it is to be argued, give the particulars that are necessary to show the point to be argued and, unless the court or tribunal authorizes a shorter period, be served at least 14 days before the day on which the issue is to be argued.

(3)The Attorney General of Canada, the Attorney General of the Northwest Territories and the Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę Government may appear and participate in the proceeding as parties with the same rights as any other party.

(4)For greater certainty, subsections (2) and (3) do not require that an oral hearing be held if one is not otherwise required.

17Retroactive effect#

Despite subsection 4(1), 2.7 and chapter 7 of the Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę Agreement are deemed to have effect as of November 20, 2024.

18Orders and regulations#

The Governor in Council may make any orders and regulations that the Governor in Council considers necessary for the purpose of carrying out the Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę Agreement — including to set the Effective Date and Transition Date — or of any other agreement that is related to its implementation.

Consequential Amendments

Access to Information Act

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[Amendments]

Payments in Lieu of Taxes Act

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[Amendments]

Privacy Act

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[Amendments]

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[Amendments]

Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act

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[Amendments]

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[Amendments]

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[Amendments]

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[Amendments]

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[Amendments]

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[Amendments]

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[Amendments]

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[Amendments]

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[Amendments]

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[Amendments]

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[Amendments]

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[Amendments]

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[Amendments]

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[Amendments]

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[Amendments]

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[Amendments]

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[Amendments]

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[Amendments]

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[Amendments]

First Nations Goods and Services Tax Act

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[Amendments]

Coordinating Amendment

43Bill C-10#

If Bill C-10, introduced in the 1st session of the 45th Parliament and entitled the Commissioner for Modern Treaty Implementation Act, receives royal assent, then, on the first day on which both that Act and section 4 of this Act are in force, the schedule to that Act is amended by adding the following in alphabetical order:

Coming into Force

44Order in council#

*(1)Sections 1 to 16, 18, 19, 21 and 22, subsections 23(2) and (3) and sections 24 to 33 and 35 to 42 come into force on a day to be fixed by order of the Governor in Council.

*(2)Section 20, subsection 23(1) and section 34 come into force on a day to be fixed by order of the Governor in Council, but that day must not be before the day referred to in subsection (1).

Federal laws of Canada reproduced under the Reproduction of Federal Law Order (SI/97-5); not the official version. Source: Justice Laws Website.