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3TuesdayApril232013WESCLEANNORTHERNSALESLTD.Paulisaveryadoptableyoungmalecat.Histuxedocoatandfriendlynaturemakeshimagreatadditiontoanyhome.Adopthimtoday.Pleaseleaveamessageat872-5543fordetails.Continuedfrompage1.AtthemeetingEngearguedthatover50oftheNSMAs500membersincludinghimselftracetheirancestrybacktothefoundingfatheroftheMtisoftheGreatSlaveLakeareaFrancoisBeaulieu.ThoseMtisoftheGreatSlaveLakeareaincludebothMtisonthesouthandnorthsidesofthelakeEngesaid-onegroupthathasdi-videditselfinrecentyearsintotwocontemporaryorganizationstheNWTMtisNationNWTMNandtheNSMA.EngesaiditisunfairthatthefederalgovernmenthasengagedtheNWTMN-for-merlytheSouthSlaveMtisTribalCouncil-inalandclaimsprocesswhileleav-ingouttheNSMA.Thecommonlawsup-portsthattwogroupsrep-resentingonelargereth-niccommunityisaccept-ablehetoldthesenatecommittee.TheproblemisthatNSMAcannotgettheCrownneitherfederalnorterritorialtoengagewithus.Canadaandthegov-ernmentoftheNorthwestTerritorieshavechosentoengagewiththeNorthwestTerritoriesMtisNationourcousinstothesouthbutnotwithus.TheSouthSlaveMtisTribalCoun-cilasitwasknownwhenitwasoriginallyformedandtheNorthSlaveMtisAlliancebothbecamelegalentitiesaroundthesametime.WehaveneverbeentoldwhytheCrownen-gagedwiththemandnotus.Thissituationisextremelyfrustrating.Engetoldthesenatecom-mitteechairGerrySt.Ger-mainthattheNWTMNagreementdoesntapplytoMtislivinginYellowknife.Itspecifieswhichcom-munitiesthislandandne-gotiationagreementappliesto.InthatcontextitisFortSmithHayRiverandFortResolutiontotheexclusionofYellowknife.Wehadnochoicebuttoformanorga-nizationtoassertourownrightsbecausewewerenotincludedasacommunityundertheauspicesofthatclaimhesaid.Firstweareaseparatecommunitynorthofthelakethere-foreweseeourselvesasaseparateentitygeographi-cally...andsecondwewerenotapartoftheirlandandresourcesnegotiationoragreement.AccordingtotheNWTMNmanymembersoftheNSMAareeligibletoOttawatellsNorthSlaveMtistojoinotherclaimsAround90percentofmemberswouldqualifyforotheragreementsbebeneficiariesundertheSouthSlaveclaim-whichisstillundernegotiation-basedongenealogythatconnectsthemtothecom-munitiesofFortResolu-tionFortSmithorHayRivereveniftheyliveinYellowknife.WhileYellowknifedoesnotexistasacommunitywithintheNWTMNclaimaYellowknifeaffiliateoftheNWTMN-theNorthArmMtisCouncil-isentirelycomposedofin-digenousMtismembersoriginallyfromtheSouthSlavecommunitieswhoarelegitimatemembersoftheNWTMNandin-cludedasbeneficiariesoftheNWTMNlandsandre-sourcesagreement.ThoseeligibletojointheNWTMNincludeEngehimselfwhoaccordingtofamilyrecordsobtainedbyTheJournalisadescen-dantofPierreMercrediwithfamilialtiestoFortSmithandFortResolutionintheNWT.NotthefirstrejectionThisisnotthersttimetheNSMAhasbeentoldbyOttawathatitcantstartalandclaimsprocessintheNorthSlave.Followingtheforma-tionofthegroupin1996then-ministerofIndianandNorthernAffairsRonaldIrwininstructedtheNSMAtojoineithertheSouthSlaveMtisNWTMNclaimsprocessortheTli-choDogribnegotiations.WithrespecttotheMtisintheYellowknifeareawhoarenoteligibleforacom-prehensivelandclaimoratreatyentitlementprocessthosewhoareindigenoustotheSouthSlaveregionshouldparticipateintheSouthSlaveMtisTribalCouncilprocess.ForanyothereligiblepersonsaseparateMtisprocessintheNorthSlaveregionwillnottakeplaceIrwinsaid.TheinterestsoftheMtisofDogribdescent...shouldproperlybead-dressedwithintheDogribcomprehensivelandclaimandselfgovernmentnego-tiationsheadded.DespiteIrwinsinstruc-tionstheNSMAwentaheadwithasecondattemptfol-lowingbotharestructuringofitsownexecutive-afteroustingitsrstpresidentClemPaulfromtheposi-tion-andtheappointmentofanewfederalminister.LikeIrwinhissucces-sorJaneStewartsaidin1999TherewillnotbeaseparateMtis-onlylandclaimprocessintheNorthSlaveregion.Engesaid90percentoftheNSMAmembershipareeligibletobepartofeithertheTlichoSahtuorNWTMNlandandresourceagreementsbutdeservetohavetheirownclaimintheirownregion.WhyarewebeingtreateddifferentlyintheNorthSlaveareathanourotherMtiscounterpartsWebelieveAANDCistreatinguswithadoublestandardEngetoldTheJournal.Attheendofthedayinthenameofequalityfair-nessandwhatsrighttheNorthSlaveMtispeoplehavetherighttochoosewheretheywanttoasserttheirrightsintheNWT.NSMAformedtostartclaimsprocessTheNSMAwasformedin1996withtheintentionofrealizingalandclaimandself-governmentagree-mentforitsbeneficiaries.ForthefirsttwoyearstheorganizationwasbesetwithinfightingamongmemberswithaneventualcourtcaseremovingPaulfromtheexecutiveandal-lowingEngetostepupintothepositionwithSholtoDouglasasvicepresident.Duringthefirsttumul-tuousyearswhichsawaproliferationofoverlap-pingandconflictingMtisorganizationspopupinYellowknifeentirefami-lieslefttheNSMAsmem-bershipmanytojointheSouthSlavenegotiationsorTlichoclaimasinstructedbyIrwin.Yearslaterin2004EngeandDouglastriedvigorouslytohavetheNorthSlaveMtisclaimattachedtotheTlichoclaimsprocessbutwereunsuccessful.CourtcasesongoingOnMar.5theNSMAlaunchedajudicialreviewapplicationagainstthefed-eralgovernmentoveritslackofinclusionintheNWTde-volutionagreement-in-prin-cipleAiP-threeweeksafterreceivingtheletterfromAANDC.AdraftagreementoftheAiPwassignedaweeklaterfollowingthecompletionofnegotiationswithCanadaonMar.11.ThoughtheNSMAwasoriginallyincludedindevo-lutiondiscussionsin2002aspartoftheAboriginalSum-mit-acoalitionthathadac-tiveparticipationfromallNWTAboriginalgovern-mentsexcepttheDehchoFirstNations-itsinvitationtositatthetablewaseven-tuallyrescinded.BeforedisbandingtheAboriginalSummititselfchangeditsmembershiprulessoastoincludeonlythoseAboriginalgovern-mentsrecognizedbythegovernmentofCanadaasadistinctpeoplewithresolvedorunresolvedclaimsof-cialsattheNWTdevolutionofcetoldTheJournalinanemail.ThisdisqualiedtheNSMAfrommembershipintheAboriginalSummit.AftertheAboriginalSum-mitdisbandedin2005therecognizedgovernmentsthathadbeenapartoftheAboriginalSummitpartici-patedindevolutionnegotia-tionsindependently.ButinlateMarchEngesaidNSMAreceivedalet-terfromboththeGNWTandthefederalgovernmentset-tingupameetingtoconsultwiththeNorthSlaveMtisondevolution.ThatmeetingistotakeplaceonApr.24.HesaiditsconfusingthathisgroupisnowbeingsoughtforconsultationasanAboriginalgovernmentwhenjustweeksearlieritwastolditdoesnothaveconstitutionallyguaranteedAboriginalrights.Werestilltryingtoclar-ifyfromthemwhatratio-nalethereisforconsultingwithusinlightofthefactthattheysaidwedonthavesection35rightshesaid.WerealittlemystiedastowhatkindofconsultationtheCrownhasinmind.TheNSMAalsohasanon-goingcourtcaseagainsttheterritorialgovernmentoveritsexclusionfromthegroupsallowedtohuntBathurstcar-ibouforwhichthereremainhuntingrestrictions.TheMtiswereleftoutoflastyearslimitedharvestwhichwasopenedonlytoTlichoandYellowknivesDenehunters.EngearguedbeforetheNWTSupremeCourtlastJulythattheNSMAshouldhavebeenconsultedonthecaribouhuntingissuebasedontheirAboriginalrights.JusticeShannonSmallwoodhasyettomakearulingonthecase.Boththefederalandterri-torialgovernmentsdeclinedcommentonbothcasesbe-causetheyarebeforethecourts.EngesaidtheNSMAwillcontinuetogothroughthelegalprocessifthatstheonlyrouteavailabletothemtoberecognizedasadistinctAboriginalgroup.Werenotgoingtogoaway.Weregoingtoassertourrightsanditsunfortu-natethatourrightsarebeingdeterminedthroughthecourtsystemsnowhesaid.NorthSlaveMtisAlliancepresidentBillEngesaysthegovernmentisgivingmixedmes-sagesbydenyingthemsection35rightswhilewantingtoconsultwiththemondevolution.PhotoMeaganWohlbergPoliticsAboriginal