N.W.T. Human Resources Minister Bob McLeod wants to increase the number of aboriginal people in top-level territorial government jobs. (Northwest Territories government)

The number of aboriginal people in high-ranking jobs in the Northwest Territories government has gone down since 2003, despite an affirmative action hiring policy, says Human Resources Minister Bob McLeod.

His department is looking at how it can get more aboriginal people into senior management positions, with a goal of going from 16 per cent now to 20 per cent in three years, he said.

"A large part of it was reaffirming our support and continuation of our government's affirmative action policy," McLeod said.

Aboriginal women are the least represented group in Northwest Territories executive positions, he said.

Terry Villeneuve, president of the N.W.T. Native Women's Association, said poverty, education and family duties put higher-level jobs out of reach for many aboriginal women.

Improving representation in a territory, where aboriginal people account for roughly half the population, is overdue, she said.

"There should [be] at least 50 per cent aboriginal employees," Villeneuve said.

Affirmative action doesn't seem to offer much help to the women she represents, she said, even though aboriginal women top the territorial government's priority list.

"I don't think it's gotten to the point where it's easier for aboriginal women to get top-level employment. I'm not talking about the clerks, you know, the receptionists and all that."

Officials with the federal Conservative government recently said their government is also looking at overhauling its affirmative action policies, but not to increase the number of visible minorities and women in high-level positions.

The overhaul the Employment Equity Act that the federal government is considering would take away priority hiring for women, aboriginal groups, persons with disabilities and visible minorities.