Inuvialuit step closer to realizing self-government

People in the Inuvialuit region are one step closer to getting their own government.

The Inuvialuit Regional Corporation says it has finalized a self-government agreement-in-principle with the Northwest Territories and federal governments.

The process is now waiting for the document to be signed. The IRC is trying to line up guests for a signing ceremony in Inuvik at the end of June.

Nellie Cournoyea, the corporation's chair and CEO, says self-government will give the Inuvialuit more oversight of serviceseverything from social housing to the treatment of mental health disorders.

But she cautions that the Inuvialuit won't be taking over all at once.

"What we would do is pick the most important issues according to our membership and deal with those as they come along so we're not putting too much of a burden on everyone," she says.

She says one goal will be to make mental health programming more accessible.

There's also a long approval process.

After the agreement-in-principle signing comes negotiation of the final self-government agreement, which requires the approval of the region's approximately 3,500 voting members.

Cournoyea hopes that vote willtake place a year after the agreement-in-principle is signed.

"The agreement in principle is fundamentally advanced, so it shouldn't take a long time to negotiate to a final agreement," said Cournoyea.

But she says the upcoming elections might make that timeline too ambitious.

If Inuvialuit beneficiaries agree to it, the territorial government as well as the federal government also must take the agreement to cabinet, the legislative assembly and Parliament.