Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 10
Page 11
Page 12
Page 13
Page 14
Page 15
Page 16
Page 17
Page 18
Page 19
Page 20
Page 21
Page 22
Page 23
Page 24
6TuesdayJuly22013MtiscaribourulingsetslegalprecedentinCanadaByMEAGANWOHLBERGForthersttimesincethePaulettecaveat40yearsagoaNorthwestTerritoriescourthasruledonAboriginalrightswithitsdecisionconrmingtheNorthSlaveMtisAlli-ancesNSMArighttoharvestBathurstcaribou-adecisionthatcouldimpactthegroupsongoinglegalbattlewiththefederalgovernment.Theprecedent-settingcourtdecisioncamethroughafteroverayearofdeliberationontheeveofAboriginalDayaf-rmingtheCrownsduty-andfailure-tomeaningfullycon-sultwiththeNSMAwheninresponsetotheBathurstherdsdeclinetheGNWTalongwiththeTlichogovernmentagreedtolimittheannualharvestto300caribou.Whiletagsweresplitbe-tweentheTlichoandYellow-knivesDeneFirstNationtheNSMAwasleftoutoftheal-lowableharvest.NWTSupremeCourtJus-ticeShannonSmallwoodap-pliedthePowleytest-alegaltesttodeterminewhetherornotMtishaveprimafacierights-forthersttimeinNWThistoryconcludingNSMAmembersdoinfacthaveclaimtoAboriginalrightsunderSection35oftheCon-stitutionintheareanorthofGreatSlaveLake.InherrulingshefoundthatancestorsofNSMAmembersincludingFrancoisBeaulieutravelledhuntedshedguidedandtrappedintheareawhereNSMAmemberscontinuetoexercisetheirrights.Itsaverysignicantvic-toryNSMApresidentBillEngesaid.WearetheonlyMtispeopleintheNorthwestTerritoriesthatnowhaveju-diciallyafrmedSection35AboriginalrightsandtheresnownoquestionthattheareanorthofGreatSlaveLakeisthetraditionallandsoftheNorthSlaveMtispeople.SmallwoodorderedtheGNWTtoimmediatelyconsultwiththeNSMAandprovidereasonableaccommodationthroughnegotiationwithre-specttomanagementoftheBathurstherd.ThevictoryfortheMtismarksthersttimeinCana-dianjurisprudencewhereaMtisorganizationhassuc-cessfullyprosecutedacon-sultationandaccommoda-tionlawsuittherebysettingthefoundationforotherMtisgroupsinCanada-alongwithFirstNationsandInuit-touseasameanstoremedywrongfuldecisionsmadebytheCrown.Therulingnowhasthepotentialtoimpactanon-goinglegalsuittakenbytheallianceagainstthefederalgovernmentfollowingade-cisionbyAboriginalAffairsandNorthernDevelopmentAANDCMinisterBernardValcourtstatingthatNorthSlaveMtisarenotadistinctrights-bearingAboriginalgroupintheregion.EngeonbehalfoftheNSMArecentlytookthemattertoafederalcourttohaveajudgedecidewhetherornotthegrouphasenoughevidencetoproveithasprimafacierightsinthearea.Thatdecisioncouldimpactthealliancesclaimtoresourcerevenuesfromdevolutionalongwiththeabilitytone-gotiateitsownlandandre-sourcesagreement.Icantpredicthowthegov-ernmentofCanadaisgoingtoreacttothisdecisionbutwhatIcansayisthatgov-ernmentalongwithcitizenshavetorespectthelawandrightnowthelawsaysthattheNorthSlaveMtispeoplepossessSection35Aborigi-nalrightshesaid.EngesaidtheAANDCministertoldtheNSMAinaNovember2011letterthattheapproachhewouldtakeregardingincludingtheMtisindevolutionnegotiationswouldhingeuponwhetherornotNSMAmembersweredeemedtoberights-bearing.NowwehavesecuredadecisionfromtheSupremeCourtoftheNorthwestTer-ritoriestotheeffectthatweareindeedSection35Aborig-inalrightsholders.HedidnttelluswhatkindofapproachhewouldtakewithusbutitcertainlyisdifferentthantheonehehastakenwhichistoexcludeusandignoreusEngesaid.Wehaveanexpectationthattherightthingtodonowisrespectthedecisionandundertakeanegotiationwithuswithaviewtoincludeusundertheauspicesofthede-volutionagreement.Thatswhatwethinkheshoulddoandthatswhatwewouldex-pecthisapproachtobe.LegalcounselfortheNSMAChrisDevlinofDev-linGailusBarristersandSo-licitorsinVictoriaBCsaidhehopesthefederalgovernmentwilltakeheedoftherulingandamenditsdecisionratherthanproceedthroughaseriesofexpensivelawsuits.AtsomepointboththeGNWTandfederalgovern-mentaregoingtohavetochangetheirpolicydecisions.ItsonlyamatterofpolicythatpreventsthemfromnegotiatingwiththeNSMA...Onewouldliketothinkthatresponsiblegovernmentswilllistentotheopinionsofthecourtandchangepolicyaccordingly.Thatstheinstitutionaldia-loguethatssupposedtohap-penbetweenthecourtsandthelegislatureandtheexecutiveDevlinsaid.SoIhopethatitdoesnttakeaseriesoflawsuitsbeforerea-sonablepeopleinbothlevelsofgovernmentsayPerhapsourcurrentpolicyisntthebestone.PoliticsAboriginalFilephotoNorthSlaveMtispresidentBillEngehopesthefederalgov-ernmentwilltakeheedoftheNWTSupremeCourtruling.THANKYOUtoeveryonewhocameouttoenjoyCanadaDayinFortSmithFormoreinformationcontacttheRCCat867872-4RECThankyoutothesponsorsvolunteersandstaffwhomadethedayasuccessTheRustyRavenMurrayandKarenScottTownofFortSmithRecreationStaffKaesersNorthwesternAirLeaseNorthernStoreLousSmallEngines