The bulk of the textual records are made up of official records from the Legislative Assembly dated between 1951-2023 from the 1st through the 19th Legislative Assemblies/Councils of the Northwest Territories. Included in this material are Hansard (including indices and appendices), Tabled Documents, Motions, Written Questions, Return to Written Questions, Petitions, Committee Reports, Bills, Budget Addresses, Speeches, Debates (including some indices), Sessional Papers, Appropriations, Recommendations to Council, References for Advice, Information Items, Monthly Letters, Supplementary Notes, Legislation, a selection of Commissioner's Opening Addresses, and Votes and Proceedings summaries. There is also a copy of the Hay River-Enterprise Corridor Development Regulations from 1986.
The textual records are also comprised of signed minutes from the Northwest Territories Council (1921-1951), minutes from the Yellowknife Board of Trustees, bound minutes, ordinances and session papers from the Northwest Territories Council (1922-1950) and Orders in Council (1883-1932). Textual records also include correspondence, letters, biographical sketches of members of the Legislative Assembly, as well as promotional material collected by the Public Affairs Office concerning the 1979 election.
In addition, there are textual records related to the Advisory Committee on the Development of the GNWT, work of the Special Committee on Constitutional Development, the Special Committee on the Division of the NWT, Special Committee on the Northern Economy (SCONE), Standing Committee on Public Accounts, Special Committee on Housing and Standing Committee on Agencies, Boards and Commissions. There is also a small amount of textual records, including planning committee material, that deal with the opening of the Legislative Assembly building in 1993. Other records deal with special events and conferences hosted by the Legislative Assembly, including swearing-in ceremonies, the Circle of Northern Leaders, and 23rd Canadian Presiding Officers' Conference.
There are also pamphlets and brochures from the late 1970s and early 1980s on a variety of topics, including the Legislative Assembly's operations, symbology, projects, interest in the pipeline and talks of forming a new territory (Nunavut). There are published reports on priorities for the North, administrative structure for Nunavut, a spousal assault task force report, and a Denedeh government proposal for restructuring of the Government of the Northwest Territories. There are also rules of the preceding body, the Council of the Northwest Territories, as well as the rules of the Assembly from 1984 to 1991. Also included in this accession are ordinances dated 1888 and 1895 and bound ordinances dating 1950 through 1981. There is also a book of statutes from 1985.
The textual records from the Elections NWT office includes material concerning electoral boundaries, as well as guidelines, correspondence, poster and press releases related to the Nunavut Capital public vote and the public vote on the Guaranteed Equal Representation of Men and Women in the Nunavut Legislative Assembly. There are also Reports of the Chief Electoral Officer and the Official Voting Results reports for the 2003 and 2007 General Elections, Returns to the Writ from the 2003, 2007 and 2011 General Elections, Proclamations and Grants of Poll from the 2007 General Election, polling boundary descriptions from the 2003 and 2007 General Elections, and the original tallies of votes from the polling districts and boxes from the 2007 General Election.
The textual records from the office of the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly includes materials related to conflict of interest and the Conflict of Interest Commissioner, the Senior Management Team, the standing committee on legislation, task forces and working groups related to the Division of the Northwest Territories, a strategic planning workshop for MLAs regarding the government organization after division, a Circle of Northern Leaders meeting, communications protocol, and amendments to legislative Acts. Some meeting material for the GNWT Deputy Ministers' Senior Management Committee is also included.
The textual records from the NWT Human Rights Commission includes meeting agendas and minutes of the Commission Members, as well as notes from a strategic planning session, and an informational package given to stakeholders that outlines the mission, structure, processes and function of the Commission.
The bulk of the photographs and slides are dated between 1968-1993 and cover topics such as Legislative Assembly Opening Ceremonies, Sessions, Elections, Committees, Plebiscite on Division, Tours of Communities, Special Events, Conferences, Health Services and Scenery. The remaining photographs depict members of the Northwest Territories Council, the Legislative Assembly and Commissioners of the Northwest Territories from 1905-1975, as well as the activities of the Office of the Languages Commissioner, which date from 2002-2004.
The VHS videocassette entitled "One Land, Many Voices" - making the new NWT Mace" was produced by Lone Woolf Productions in 2000.
The audio reels contain recordings of the 7th and 8th NWT Council and the 9th and 10th Legislative Assembly.
The microfiche consists of a complete record of Tabled Documents, Committee Reports and Petitions from the 10th Legislative Assembly which covered the years 1984-1987 and a Tabled Document from the 8th Council, 56th Session. The 7 microfilm reels contain copies of the Northwest Territories Council Minutes from 1921-1951 and an index to the Minutes.
The scroll was presented by David Welch, Ontario's Minister of Citizenship, on behalf of Premier John Robart to the Commissioner and Council of the Northwest Territories to commemorate the Northwest Territories Centennial in 1970.
