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6TuesdayJuly162012PoliticsFirstNationsByMEAGANWOHLBERGAndthentherewereseven.LiidliiKueFirstNationLKFNannouncedlastweekitisleavingtheDehchoprocessvialettertoDehchoFirstNa-tionsDFNGrandChiefHerbNorwegianmakingitthefourthandlargestcommunityintheregiontoabandonthecompre-hensiveclaimnegotiationsinrecenthistory.LKFNChiefMinnieLetcherinformedNorwegianinaletterdatedJuly4thatchiefandcoun-cilwereunhappywiththeor-ganizationalstructureofDFNandperceivedlackofsupportgivenattherecentDehchoAs-semblymeetingsJune25-27inFortProvidence.AttemptsmadebypreviousLKFNchiefstoseekchangestotheDFNorganizationwerenotmetwithsupportbythechiefsofthedayandtheor-ganizationalstructurehasre-mainedunchangedforthepasteighteen18yearsthuslead-ingustobelievethatthereisnotawillingnesstoriseabovemediocrityLetcherwrote.ShesaidLKFNlackscon-dencethatDFNcanrepresenttheminallpoliticalactivitiesrelatedtolandsandrights.ThedecisionhasraisedcontroversyamongsomemembersofLKFNcouncilwhosaythedecisionwasmadewithouttheirinput.IhavenotseenthelettercouncillorJonathanTsetsowroteontheonlineDehchoProcessfacebookgroup.Theproperprocessforthesedecisionshasnotbeenfollowed.Asacoun-cillorIlearnedofthisthroughfacebookandthatisnotappro-priateprotocolforcorrespon-dencefromchiefandcouncil.Itismyviewthatadecisionofthismagnituderequiresstrongsup-portfrommembershipatlarge.Thisshouldnothavebeendonethewayitwasdone.ThisletterwasnotdiscussedbycouncilquorumnomotionorBCRsupportsthis.Itisnullandvoideveryoneheadded.CouncillorCindyBrowningsaidshealsocouldnotremem-berthatdecisionbeingmadeatthelastcouncilmeeting.AttemptstoreachLetcherforcommentontheletterwereunsuccessful.Membersalsocomplaintheywerenotproperlycon-sultedonthematter.Asamemberofthiscom-munityIdontbelieveIwascon-sulted-andthisformoflead-ershipIdisagreewith.Consultyourmembersrstbeforeyoumakesuchhastydecisionsthenifitsunanimousthengoforth.Thisisnottransparencyorac-countabilityLKFNmemberSharonNahanni-Allensaid.Othermembersquestionedthevalidityoftheclaimspro-cessasitcurrentlystandssayingthecomprehensiveclaimbeingworkedtowardsisafarcryfromtheoriginalDehchoProcessoriginallybasedontheDehchoDeclarationwhichwasintendedtoestablishaDenegovernmentfoundeduponthetreaty.ThecomprehensiveclaimsprocessrequiresthatAborig-inalgovernmentsextinguishtitleovertheirlandswhicharehandedovertoCanadaandseesFirstNationseffectivelybecomemunicipalitiesintheterritory.ThefirstandconsistentlieperpetratedbyDFNistocallnegotiationsbasedontheComprehensiveClaimsPolicytheDehchoProcesssaidReneLamotheaformercontractorforDFN.TherehasntbeenaDehchoProcessinitsoriginalintentforseveralyearsnow.FortLiardsAchoDeneKoebandwasthersttoleavetheprocessin2008.LastyearitwasjoinedbyPehdzehKiFirstNationoutofWrigleyfollowedbytheKatlodeecheFirstNa-tionfromHayRiver.RemainingcommunitiesincludeFortProvidencetheWestPointFirstNationofHayRiverJeanMarieRiverKakisaNahanniButteTroutLakeandTulitasBegaaDehShuhTahGotieband.LiidliiKueleavesDehchoclaimsprocessLargestFirstNationinregionisfourthtoabandonnegotiationsIndustryMiningByMEAGANWOHLBERGTheNorthSlaveMetisAllianceNSMAbecametherstAboriginalgrouptosignanimpactbenetagree-mentIBAfortheproposedGahchoKudiamondminestillawaitingreviewboardapproval.Co-ownersofthemineDeBeersandMountainProv-inceDiamondsannouncedthenalizationofIBAne-gotiationslastWednesday.Theagreementestablishesaframeworktooptimizeem-ploymentbusinessopportu-nitiestraininganddevelop-mentandnancialbenetsforalliancemembers.TheNorthSlaveMtisAlliancewillbeinreceiptofanannualpaymentaswellasgivenpriorityhirewhenitcomestopositionsatthemineNSMApresidentBillEngetoldTheJournal.ThoughEngecouldnotdisclosetheannualmonetaryNorthSlaveMtissignIBAwithDeBeersforGahchoKuamounttobereceivedfromthecompanyhesaidhefelttheagreementwasverysatisfactory.Restassuredwerecom-fortablewiththeamountDeBeersagreedtoprovideuswithhesaid.IntheagreementDeBeerscommitstoprovidingNSMAmemberswithtrainingop-portunitiesintheformofapprenticeshipsaswellasscholarshipmoneyforcon-tinuingeducation.AswellNSMAwillbegivenpreferentialtreatmentwhenitcomestoawardingcontracts.DeBeerswillprovideNSMAwithalistofbusinessopportunitiesandafforduseveryopportunitytoapplyforthose...WellbegivenpriornoticebeforetheyputanythingupfortenderEngesaid.Itsanopportunityforustosecuresomebusinessandgrowthebusinessesthatwealreadyhaveinplace.Beyondthattheagreementalsoconsidersnancialas-sistancefromDeBeersforNSMAeventssuchasthenationalAboriginalDaycelebrationsinYellowknifewhichweresponsoredbythecompany.DeBeersisbeingagoodcorporatecitizenandwillbelookingatNSMAeventsandpossiblyprovidinguswithfundingsupportEngesaid.Theagreementisthesec-ondtobesignedforthemineinthelastmonth.Thecom-panyandterritorialgovern-mentpennedasocio-eco-nomicagreementonJune8inYellowknife.MountainProvinceholdsa49percentstakeintheproj-ectalongwithventurepart-nerDeBeerswhichowns51percent.TheGahchoKuminesiteislocatedatKen-nadyLakeapproxi-mately280kmnortheastofYellowknife.Thediamondmineisesti-matedtohaveaminelifeof11yearswillemployupto700peopleduringconstruc-tionandapproximately400peopleduringoperationsandwillproduceanaverageof4.5millioncaratsperyearoveritsminelife.PhotoDeBeersGlenKoropchukrightofDeBeersandBillEngepresidentoftheNorthSlaveMtisAlliancesignanimpactbenetagreementfortheGauchoKumine.