The Northwest Territories (N.W.T.) government reported that the majority of the new Indigenous employees hired under the revised affirmative action policy are local residents. The new Indigenous employment policy, which commenced in April the previous year, categorizes Indigenous individuals as either stage one or stage two priority hires based on their ancestral ties to the region.
Stage one priority hires consist of Indigenous applicants who are members or descendants of First Nations, Métis, or Inuit communities within the present boundaries of the Northwest Territories. On the other hand, stage two priority hires include Indigenous applicants from regions outside the N.W.T.
Since the implementation of the policy, the territory has recruited nearly 1,000 individuals. Among the 983 hires, 226 were identified as stage one priority and 34 as stage two. In the preceding fiscal year, the territory hired only 196 Indigenous workers.
Prior to the policy change, Indigenous representation in the territorial government was at its lowest recorded level despite Indigenous people constituting about half of the territory’s population. At that time, Indigenous individuals made up approximately 29% of the public service workforce.
In a recent update, the territory stated that Indigenous hiring has increased following the policy revision, with the employment rate for Indigenous individuals now exceeding 33%. However, concerns persist among some Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) regarding the policy’s impact on N.W.T. Indigenous communities.
George Nerysoo, MLA for Mackenzie Delta, expressed reservations about the program’s reach within his constituency. He highlighted the lack of feedback from constituents benefiting from the Indigenous employment policy. Nerysoo also mentioned concerns raised by other territorial government workers regarding the insufficient Indigenous hiring.
Similarly, Range Lake MLA Kieron Testart noted the absence of constituents benefiting from the policy and emphasized concerns about the removal of priority hiring for non-Indigenous northerners that the former affirmative action policy offered. Testart stressed the importance of reinstating that benefit and enhancing education accessibility for Indigenous individuals across the N.W.T. as a long-term solution to increasing Indigenous employment.