Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę self-government treaty law receives Royal Assent

Federal legislation giving legal force to the Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę self-government treaty has received Royal Assent, the Government of Canada announced on October 8.

The Crown-Indigenous Relations release says Bill C-27 formally recognizes the government of the Sahtu Dene and Métis of Norman Wells and provides authority over matters including elections, language and culture, education and health services.

Royal Assent completes the federal legislative step, but the agreement is not necessarily in force immediately. The government says the treaty will take effect on a date set by an order in council.

The final agreement was signed on September 18, 2025, after more than 20 years of negotiations. Once effective, the treaty will set out how the Indigenous government, the Government of the Northwest Territories and the federal government exercise their respective responsibilities.

Illustrative Northwest Territories photo of a Dene fish and hunt camp on the Mackenzie River: Alan Emery / Unsplash Licence. It is not a photograph of the Royal Assent event or the signatories; cropped and resized for publication.