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PoliticsFirstNations10TuesdayFebruary112014MarathonertohanddeliverProtectthePeelmessageCaribouLegstorun1200kmtoWhitehorsewithlettersforYukonpremierByMEAGANWOHLBERGCommunitiesontheNorthwestTerritoriessideofthePeelwatershedarepreparedtohanddelivertheirmessageofopposi-tiontotheYukongovern-mentonitsnewlanduseplanfortheregionifneedbestartingwitha1200-kmtrek.BradCaribouLegsFirthaGwichinultralong-dis-tancerunnerfromInuvikannouncedlastweekthatheispreparingtoruntheentireDempsterHighwayfromInuviktoWhitehorsethisAprilwithabag-andsupportcar-fulloflettersfromconcernedresidentstoYukonPremierDarrellPasloski.ImreallyworriedaboutwhatshappeningthereintheYukonandhowitsalleventuallygoingtocomeherethroughthewaterandtheairandthelandFirthsaid.Therecouldbelesscaribouandlesseverything.SoIthinkcarryingthatmes-sagegettingthekidstoun-derstandwhatthatmeansisimportant.LettersbeingacceptedattheGwichinTribalCoun-cilofceinInuvikhavealreadystartedcominginandCaribouLegssayshewillhavenoproblempick-ingthemup-alongwithanyinterestedrunners-alongtheroute.Imhopingmorepeoplewilljumponboardhesaid.TheYukonGovernmentrecentlyopenedup71percentofthepreviouslyun-touched68000square-kmPeelwatershedtodevelop-mentdespiterecommenda-tionsbythelanduseplan-ningcommissionbasedonthefeedbackofresidentstoprotect80percent.TwoYukonAboriginalgovernmentsalongwithtwoenvironmentalgroupshavesincetakenthegovernmenttocourtovertheplanwhichtheyarguecontravenestheYukonUmbrellaFinalAgree-mentlandclaim.TheGwichinTribalCoun-cillauncheditsownseparatelawsuitlastweek.Firthsaidthegovern-mentsdecisionallowingsomuchindustrialdevel-opmentintheregionputspeoplesculturehistoryandtraditionaltiestothelandatrisk.PeopledontunderstandthatyoucandrinkoutofthoseriversnowhereelseinCan-adacanyoudothat.Thatissorarethatyoucangointoarivertodayanddrinkac-tualwater.Thatswhatsinjeopardyhere.TheGwichinpeoplehavesuchaclosetietothathesaid.Itsimportanttoletpeopleknowwhatsatstakehere.CaribouLegsisjoinedbyhundredsofotherconcernedresidentsofAklavikInuvikandFortMcPhersonwhoaremountingtheirownpoliticalactionagainsttheYukonslanduseplan.InAklavik125peoplehavesignedandsentoffapetitiontoPasloskisof-cetheYukonenvironmentandindustryministersandMPsRyanLeefYukonandDennisBevingtonWest-ernArcticprotestingthePeelplan.Anotherpetitionon-lineatavaaz.orgismak-ingtheroundswithover7000signatoriescurrentlyaskingPasloskitoprotectthePeel.BobbieJoGreenland-Mor-gansaidpeopleinAklavikfeelignoredbytheYukongovernmentandwanttomakesuretheirdissentisnoted.ThewatershedissituatedmostlyintheYukonbutbe-causethetributariesconnectandowdowneventuallyitgoesthroughpartsoftheNorthwestTerritoriesandrightbyAklavikwhichisourmunicipalhomeandthendownintotheBeaufortSeashesaid.Asidefromtheculturalimportancewhatitalsocomesdowntoforusisahumanhealthissueshesaid.WelivehereanditsourhomeandthePeelisourdrinkingwatersource.Wewantthemtoknowwerehereandaskingthemtothinkbe-yondtheshort-termbenetslookingmoreatthelong-termandfuturegenerations.Greenland-MorgansaidfolksinAklavikwillde-nitelybesendinglettersforFirthtotaketotheYukonlegislaturethisspring.FirthwhoranfromFortSmithtoYellowknifelastfallhasbeenpracticingwithrunsintheMackenzieDeltaregionheadinghalfwaytoAklavikduringtheChrist-masholidays-atripheplanstonishinthenextcoupleofweeks-andtoTsiigehtchiclastweekend.HislatesttrektoTsi-igehtchic-theequivalentofthreemarathons-tookatotalof20hoursbutthe-9Cweatherandsoftpowderysnowmadeitanenjoyableoutinghesaid.ItwasoneofmybestrunsintheArcticsofar.HeplanstoheadtotheSahtucommunitiesthismonthinpreparationforlon-gerrunningdays.Long-distancerunnerBradCaribouLegsFirthisdedi-catinghisnexttrektotheprotectionofthePeelwatershed.PhotocourtesyofBradFirthGwichinTribalCounciljoinslawsuitagainstYukonByMEAGANWOHLBERGGwichinTribalCouncilGTCleadersannouncedlastweektheywillbetak-ingtheYukonGovernmenttocourtoveritsnewlanduseplanforthePeelwatershedarguingtheplanviolatesrightsestablishedthroughvariousCrown-recognizedagreements.GTCvicepresidentNor-manSnowshoesaidtheYu-konsregionalplanforthe68000square-kmareadoesnottakeintoaccountthecon-cernsoftheGwichinandgoesagainstlanduseplan-ningprocessrequirements.ThePeelRiverwatershedisinoursharedtraditionalter-ritorywiththeNorthYukonFirstNationsofNachoNyakDunTrondkHwchinandVuntutGwitchinSnowshoesaid.InherentrightstohunttrapshandtohaveaccesstowaterareprovidedforintheTransboundaryAgreementoftheGwichinComprehensiveLandClaimAgreement.TheGwichinalsohasfeesimpletitletolandinthePrimaryUseArea.HesaiditalsoviolatestheconnectionGwichinpeoplehavetothewatershedes-tablishedthroughthePeelRiverPreservein1921thecreationoftheFortMcPher-sonGroupTrappingAreaintheearly1950sandthepro-tectionofGwichinrightsenshrinedwithintheYukonTransboundaryAgreementof1992.ThoserightsguaranteedtheGTCaspotinthelanduseplanningcommissionsveyearsofconsultationsacrosstheregionwhichpro-ducedareportrecommend-ing80percentprotectionforthewatershed.Unhappywiththerecom-mendationstheYukonGov-ernmentfollowedupwithitsownconsultationsinthecom-munitiesandreleasedanewplanlastmonthofferingup71percentofthepreviouslyuntouchedareatodevelop-mentfollowingtheremovalofthestakingbanonJan.21.TwoYukonFirstNationsandenvironmentalgroupsledsuitagainsttheYukonGovernmentinlateJanuarystatingtheplanforthePeelviolatestheUmbrellaFinalAgreementthelandclaimforYukonFirstNations.ThoughnottiedinwiththeexistinglawsuitSnowshoesaidtheGTCscasewillbesupportiveoftheactionledbytheNachoNyakDunandTrondekHwechinFirstNa-tionsinYukon.SnowshoesaidtheGTCagreedwiththecommissionsreportandwasoptimistictheplanningexercisewouldprotectGwichinrightsbutnowcondemnsthegovern-mentsdrasticallyanduni-laterallyrewrittenplan.TheYukongovernmentsnewplanwillallowsubstan-tialdevelopmentincriticalpartsofthePeelWatershedthreateningGwichinscon-tinuedconnectiontothissa-credareahesaid.Around100residentsofAklavikNWTprotesttheYukonGovernmentslanduseplanforthePeelwatershedinlateJanuary.PhotoJermeyMosherPoliticsFirstNations