Well-being, economic and social equity

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Health Care Reform 

Cultural Safety

The GNWT will strengthen culturally safe healthcare delivery across all service areas. This will include advancing approaches to primary healthcare service delivery in culturally safe ways that uphold personal dignity, promote safety and help ensure equity of access for Indigenous patients.

Target: The GNWT, working in collaboration with the Indigenous Advisory Body, will review the Cultural Safety Action Plan and determine actions going forward. Also, the Indigenous Advisory Body will oversee the implementation of the Honouring the Voices of Indigenous Peoples, Actions for Change in the Northwest Territories Health Care System. The GNWT will monitor implementation and report annually, including to the APC, on outcomes to ensure continued progress toward culturally safe care and alignment with UN Declaration, with an aspirational completion timeline of 2030.

Policy Review and Co-Development 

The GNWT, in collaboration and cooperation with Indigenous governments, through the appropriate intergovernmental forum(s) which may include the APC, NWTCOL working groups, or other tables, will review and co-develop policies, such as addiction treatment options, with Indigenous Governments to align with values defined by Indigenous Governments and expand Indigenous-oriented treatment options, especially for youth and facility-based counseling.

Target: The GNWT and NWT COL will co-develop phased objectives to reform health policy and set targets together to achieve policy review and reform. 

The APC will receive updates on engagement, progress, and development of the proposed reforms under this action item, and will have the opportunity to provide input on UNDRIP alignment before the action item is treated as complete.

Legislative Reform and Alignment

The GNWT, in collaboration and cooperation with Indigenous governments, through the appropriate intergovernmental forum(s) which may include the APC, NWTCOL working groups, or other tables, will conduct a comprehensive review of all relevant health-related territorial legislation (including the Public Health Act, Health Information Act, and Hospital Insurance and Health and Social Services Administration Act) and associated policies to ensure alignment with the rights, values, and jurisdictional aspirations affirmed in UNDRIP.

Target: The GNWT and NWT COL will co-develop phased objectives to reform health policy and legislation, with initial review milestones identified by GNWT and NWTCOL. 

The APC will receive updates on engagement, progress, and development of the proposed reforms under this action item, and will have the opportunity to provide input on UNDRIP alignment before the action item is treated as complete.

Anti-Racism Training and Initiative

The GNWT will co-develop, implement, and monitor, with Indigenous Governments and Organizations, a strategy to increase the recruitment, retention and advancement of Indigenous doctors, nurses, and healthcare staff.

Target: Indigenous Health Workforce Strategy completion by August 2029. Within the Primary Health Care Reform Framework, there is a strategy for recruitment of Indigenous health professionals. The co-development of the Primary Health Care Reform Framework is being led by the NWTCOL HSS working group. Co-drafting of the framework will take place early in 2026, with implementation beginning in 2026-2027 and ongoing.

Indigenous Mental Health Supports and Reform 

The GNWT will co-develop an NWT Indigenous Strategy for Mental Health and Addictions in collaboration and cooperation with Indigenous governments, through the appropriate intergovernmental forum(s), which may include the APC, NWTCOL working groups or other tables. 

Targets: Indigenous Mental Health and Addictions Strategy in place by the end of 2028. 

Health and Wellness Programs

The GNWT, in collaboration and cooperation with Indigenous governments, through the appropriate intergovernmental forum(s) which may include the APC, NWTCOL working groups, or other tables, will support Indigenous-led health and wellness programming that delivers culturally relevant, community-based programs and services.
Target: The GNWT and NWT COL will co-develop phased objectives to support Indigenous-led health and wellness programming, with initial review of milestones identified by GNWT and NWTCOL. 

The APC will receive updates on engagement, progress, and development of the proposed reforms under this action item, and will have the opportunity to provide input on UNDRIP alignment before the action item is treated as complete.

The GNWT will maintain and seek to expand flexibility in funding and partnership approaches to support Indigenous governments in planning, designing, and delivering their own traditional health and wellness programs and services that promote a reconnection to culture, language, and the land.

Target: Partnership approaches with Indigenous government to plan, design and deliver health and wellness programs are co-developed on a community-by-community basis and are implemented through the Community Wellness Plans. These plans are renewed every 5 years.

Housing for Teachers

The GNWT supports teacher recruitment and retention and improved educational access and outcomes in remote and Indigenous communities. The GNWT will continue to work in partnership with Indigenous Governments and Organizations and developers to support an increase in market housing options in communities, including by developing a policy framework to ensure adequate, culturally appropriate housing for teachers in remote and Indigenous communities. Housing NWT will also collaboratively explore programs of mutual interest, including the Housing NWT Community Housing Support Initiative and federal programs, to identify locally tailored solutions for teacher housing.

Target: Collaborative work on housing for teachers through working groups between Housing NWT and Indigenous Governments was initiated in 2025 and is ongoing. New policy guidance for the Community Housing Support Initiative will be released by mid-2027.

Housing Reform

Legislation and Policy Reform

The GNWT, in collaboration and cooperation with Indigenous Governments and Organizations, through the appropriate intergovernmental forum(s), which may include the APC, NWTCOL working groups or other tables and will reform Housing NWT policies and programs to ensure Housing NWT policies are flexible, culturally appropriate and address the unique needs of each Indigenous community.
This reform will include aligning housing governance and service delivery with the GNWT’s commitment to implementing UNDRIP.

Target: Policy reforms began in 2022 and continue through the NWT Housing Forum, with amendments to the Housing NWT Act scheduled for completion by 2027.

Core Housing Needs

The GNWT, in collaboration and cooperation with Indigenous Governments through the appropriate intergovernmental forum(s), which may include the APC, NWTCOL working groups, or other tables, will take targeted action to help reduce core housing needs in Indigenous communities. This work will:

  1. Provide reliable and timely funding directly to local Indigenous communities with a Community Housing Services Agreement; and,
  2. Assess core housing needs of Indigenous communities through the Territorial Housing Needs Assessment, and support Indigenous governments that choose to lead strategic Community Housing Plans.

By identifying current gaps and future needs, the Territorial Housing Needs Assessment will guide investment priorities and inform strategies to address housing challenges throughout the territory. 
Housing NWT will continue to deliver the Community Housing Planning Initiative, which supports Indigenous Governments and communities in creating customized housing plans that reflect local needs, cultural values, and priorities. These plans will guide future investments and policy directions in housing.

Target: The Territorial Housing Needs Assessment was completed with all participating Indigenous communities in September 2025, with the final report released in March 2026. At the request of individual Indigenous governments, the GNWT will advance customized housing plans with one or two Indigenous governments at a time beginning in 2026/2027. The plans will include a co-designed approach that reflects the Indigenous government’s unique needs. 

Prevent and Reduce Homelessness

The GNWT, in collaboration and cooperation with Indigenous Governments, though the appropriate intergovernmental forum(s), which may include the APC, NWTCOL working groups or other tables, will collaborate across departments and with partners to support vulnerable Indigenous residents through trauma-informed and culturally-safe approaches to prevent and reduce homelessness and encourage self-sufficiency. This will include establishing measurable targets to reduce core housing need, beginning with communities with the highest levels of need, and ensuring that all housing planning and delivery reflect local governance priorities.

Target: Establish a whole-of-government approach to addressing homelessness by 2027 through integrated service delivery teams, with measurable community-level targets developed in partnership with Indigenous governments.

Education Reform

Early Learning and Childcare Solutions

The GNWT will continue to work with Indigenous Governments and Organizations to find solutions to address existing and systemic inequities in early learning and childcare, including by reviewing infrastructure and regulatory challenges, and by considering family- and lands-based approaches to program delivery models when identified by Indigenous Governments and Organizations.
ECE will undertake a review of the recent implementation of its new Early Learning Childcare regulations, which will include getting feedback from those in the sector.

Target: An engagement plan for this review will be developed by the end of the 2025/2026 fiscal year, with engagement anticipated for Summer 2026. ECE will engage Indigenous Governments and Organizations in the review. 

Education Act Modernization

As part of the GNWT’s overarching goal of improving student outcomes in the NWT, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment (ECE) has initiated work to amend the Education Act in collaboration with key partners, including Indigenous governments, the NWT Council of Leaders (NWTCOL) and education bodies.

Initial engagement as part of the Education Act Modernization (EAM) identified the need to further ensure that clear guidelines are in place to best support students facing educational challenges and to ensure that parents are informed and involved throughout the process.

The GNWT and the NWTCOL have committed to continuing their partnership in addressing the essential task of renewing the Education Act, with special emphasis on the structure and governance of the education system, to ensure it aligns with the aspirations and cultural values of the Northwest Territories and advances the GNWT’s implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Implementation Act.

The GNWT and Indigenous governments with rights-based agreements (Modern Treaties and Self-Government Agreements) commit to meeting to ensure that the Education Act modernization takes into account the constitutionally protected jurisdictions and authorities in their agreements related to Education.

The GNWT will continue to review and adjust the School Funding Framework and related policies, and make adjustments as appropriate, to support equitable resourcing for all communities, including small and remote Indigenous communities. This includes ongoing monitoring of funding approaches in light of recent reviews, such as the Inclusive Schooling review, and consideration of external factors, such as federal changes to Jordan’s Principle and Inuit Child First Initiative funding. Continued work on Education Act modernization will also provide opportunities to examine funding approaches for education bodies to ensure alignment with legislative changes and priorities.

Target: Although timelines are contingent upon the progress of the working group, ECE is tentatively targeting the completion of a legislative proposal by the end of the 20th Assembly, with work on a Bill to continue in the next government. 

Advancing Indigenous Student Learning Outcomes

The GNWT, in collaboration and cooperation with Indigenous Governments and Organizations including through the appropriate forum(s), which may include the APC, NWTCOL working groups or other tables, will advance equitable education outcomes for Indigenous students by:

  1. Delivering and promoting the Northern Distance Learning (NDL) program to all students in small communities, helping ensure equitable learning experiences, including through live synchronous online delivery, facilitating direct entry into post-secondary programs;
  2. Addressing the unique needs of students through the Career and Education Advisors (CEA) program, which provides practical, efficient and modern resources to students, youth, their families and educators to help identify skills, strengths and possibilities for the future; 
  3. Phasing in new, NWT-adapted curriculum that reflects northern Indigenous cultures, languages and histories to better ensure education is relevant to NWT communities and people.

Target: ECE is currently undertaking a review of NDL, to be completed in fiscal 2025-26; target for CEAs, as identified in the 2024-2028 ECE Business Plan, are to increase—until 2025-2026 and then maintain—the number of students and youth who access CEA services from 830 students and youth, and 2250 encounters, in the 2023 school year; new curriculum and assessment tools will be fully implemented by the 2027-2028 school year. 

Support for Indigenous Entrepreneurship 

To promote the growth and success of Indigenous businesses and Indigenous job opportunities in the North, with the support of Indigenous Governments and Organizations, the GNWT will: 

  1. Encourage Indigenous businesses to access existing GNWT programs; and
  2. Improve and expand training opportunities across all industries. 

Target: Expanded outreach and opportunities within existing programs in at least one region by 2026; evaluation and broader rollout by 2027. 

Reform Self-Identification System of Race and Ethnicity in Health Care

The GNWT will phase out the use of the alpha-character prefix to the unique numeric identifier for individuals registered in the Northwest Territories Health Care Plan and implement a voluntary system for self-identification of race and ethnicity.

Target: Work is underway and will be completed over several years, aligning with Health Care Card renewal cycles by 2032. 

Fund Indigenous-led Physical Activities

The GNWT will provide continuous and predictable funding to support communities and organizations that prioritize Indigenous culture and traditional practices in promoting physical activity, recreation, and sport for residents of all ages in the Northwest Territories.

Target: Funding Criteria will be developed by March 31, 2027. Funding Applications will open by April 1, 2027.

Implement TRC Calls to Action and MMIWG2SLGBTQQIA+ People Calls for Justice

The GNWT, in collaboration and cooperation with Indigenous Governments and Organizations and other advisory group partners, will implement all Calls for Justice from Reclaiming Power and Place: Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, as part of the Final Action Plan in Response to the Calls for Justice on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People.

Target: The GNWT will report annually on progress toward the TRC Calls to Action and the MMIWG Calls to Justice. The responses provided in the annual reports will represent part of the ongoing journey towards the broader process of reconciliation.

Expand and Support First Nation and Inuit Policing Program

Currently, the GNWT, in collaboration and cooperation with Indigenous Governments and Organizations, is actively seeking funding from the federal government to expand the First Nations and Inuit Policing Program in the Northwest Territories, including funding for recruitment, training, and jurisdiction.

Target: GNWT will engage with Indigenous Governments to negotiate Letters of Collaboration to establish community-specific policing priorities.

Co-develop Restorative Justice Alternatives for Minor Offences

The GNWT, in partnership with the federal government and in collaboration and cooperation with Indigenous Governments and Organizations, currently provides programming across the NWT to divert minor offenses from the criminal justice system. Communities are able to choose to offer programming that is rooted in Indigenous culture and tradition. Building on this foundation, the GNWT will work with Indigenous partners to strengthen and expand culturally grounded, community-led restorative justice options, ensuring programs reflect Indigenous laws, values, and traditions.
There are a number of active Community Justice Committees and program agreements in place. They will continue to be supported and adapted as part of this ongoing collaboration and support for community-led alternatives to justice.

Target: GNWT will engage with Indigenous Governments to update the NWT Diversion Protocol by March 2027.

Co-Develop and Fund Community-led Initiatives for Men’s Healing

Currently, the GNWT funds programs for men’s healing led by Indigenous Governments and Organizations. These programs may include—but are not limited to—trauma recovery, violence prevention, mental health support, and addictions programming. All funded initiatives are to be designed and led by Indigenous communities and/or Indigenous Governments and Organizations, and tailored to local priorities, including the option to incorporate land-based, language-based, and intergenerational models.

Targets: Funding Criteria are developed and publicly available online at Gender Equity Grant | Government of Northwest Territories, with ongoing review to occur annually to ensure alignment with community-identified priorities. 

Alternative Approaches to Community Safety

The GNWT has been funding the Community Safety Officer pilot program since 2021, in partnership with the federal government and the Hamlet of Fort Liard. The Community Safety Officer program is designed to provide a non-enforcement, proactive, and holistic approach to community safety and bridge the gap between community safety needs and the RCMP. The program will be evaluated and the findings from evaluation will inform planning for Community Safety Officer programming in other NWT communities.  

Target: The GNWT will engage with Indigenous Governments on the outcomes of the program evaluation of the pilot scheduled for 2026. 

Co-Develop Alternative Healing and Rehabilitation Programs for Prisoners 

Corrections is evolving toward a greater emphasis on the rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders. In collaboration with Indigenous Governments and Organizations, the GNWT has developed the Therapeutic Community model of culturally responsive rehabilitation programs for NWT Offenders. Traditional Counsellor and Liaison Officers at the South Mackenzie Corrections Centre deliver a traditional pre-treatment healing program to help Indigenous offenders with the transition to structured programs. Elders are a significant part of the facility’s programming.

These programs are intended to promote culturally grounded healing, accountability, and reintegration, and to be delivered in ways that reflect Indigenous knowledge and community values. 

The GNWT will engage with Indigenous Governments on the outcomes of the program evaluation and evaluation findings will help determine whether the program should be expanded, adapted, or revised to better meet the needs of participants.

Targets: Program evaluation scheduled for 2027.

Hire and Retain Indigenous Persons in Public Service Leadership Opportunities

Through the Indigenous Recruitment and Retention Action Plan, the GNWT will improve Indigenous leadership opportunities in the public service and co-develop programs to increase Indigenous representation at all levels in the public service, in collaboration and cooperation with Indigenous Governments and Organizations.

Target: Departmental Indigenous Employment Plans are completed annually. These plans include short-, medium- and long-term targets on a multitude of deliverables to increase Indigenous representation and leadership in the public service.

Co-Develop and Implement Mandatory Anti-Racism Training for Public Service

The GNWT developed a mandatory Indigenous Cultural Awareness and Sensitivity Training program for the public service, in consultation with Indigenous Governments and Organizations. 
The GNWT will ensure that all public service workers have successfully completed the training and, in collaboration and cooperation with Indigenous partners, periodically review and update the program to ensure continued cultural relevance and effectiveness. 

The program is:

  1. Trauma-informed and grounded in local Indigenous histories and governance systems;
  2. Inclusive of regionally specific modules; and
  3. Designed to require refresher certification every 5 years.

Target: Completion of mandatory training across the public service, with the first co-developed program review completed by 2030.

Reform the Vital Statistics Act

The GNWT will amend the NWT Vital Statistics Act and regulations to include provisions for registering home births, informed by engagement with Indigenous Governments and Organizations. 

Target:  A bill to propose amendments to the Vital Statistics Act was tabled in the Winter 2026 sitting of the Legislative Assembly.

Reform Service Accessibility 

The GNWT will collaborate with Indigenous Governments and Organizations to undertake a comprehensive reform that will:

  1. Identify barriers to access for Indigenous peoples across key GNWT programs (e.g., income assistance, child and family services, housing supports, mental health services); and
  2. Establish interdepartmental service integration teams across the NWT to collaboratively identify and address systemic barriers, fostering a more coordinated and person-centered approach to service delivery.

Target:  Interdepartmental service integration teams established by Spring 2026.

Implement Anti-Racism and Trauma-Informed Policy Reforms 

In collaboration and cooperation with Indigenous Governments and Organizations, the GNWT will conduct a phased review of territorial legislation, regulations, and operational policies across key service areas (e.g., health, justice, education, employment) to ensure alignment with trauma-informed, anti-racist, and culturally safe practices.

Target: Work was initiated in the health system but will expand across government, with updates provided by 2028.