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3TuesdayMarch182014ChiefallegessignatureforgedoncariboutagsRCMPlaunchesinvestigationintoallegationsbyYellowknivesDeneByMEAGANWOHLBERGRCMPareinvestigatingallegationsthatemployeesoftheNWTdepartmentofEnvironmentandNaturalResourcesENRforgedthesignatureofYellowknivesDeneFirstNationYKDFNChiefEdSangrisonrecentlyawardedBathurstcaribouhuntingtags.ThechieftoldTheJour-nalthatYKDFNhadnotyetcometoanagreementwiththedepartmentwithrespecttothisyearsrestrictedcari-bouharvestwhenhebeganhearingfrommembersthattheywerebeingawardedtagswithhissignatureonthem.ThechiefandcouncildidnotauthorizeENRtogiveoutthosetagsonourbehalfwithoutouragreement.Whentheysawpeoplehuntingouttheretheystartedgiv-ingthemtagswithoutourpermissionsoitsjustlikeforgeryhesaid.Mynamemysignaturewasontheyearpreviousandwedidntsignanyagreementfor2013-14butstilltheywentandis-suedthosetagswithoutourpermission.AndtheywereissuingitthemselvesfromtheirofcenotoutoftheFirstNationsofce.Since2010YKDFNandENRhavemadeagreementsforarestrictedharvestoftheBathurstherdasaconserva-tionmeasureuntilalong-termmanagementstrategycouldbedeveloped.EachyeartheFirstNationisgiven150tagswhichitadministersitself.ThisyearhoweverSangrissaidmembersstartedtoseethecontinuedrestrictionandtagsystemasunfairandwantedtobeabletousetheirtreatycardsashuntingIDratherthanGNWT-issuedtags.SangrissaidthetwopartiescametoanagreementbeforeChristmasthattreatycardswouldsufce-anagreementhesaidiscontainedwithincorrespondencesharedwiththeRCMPonTuesday.ButafterChristmaswhenhunterswentoutonthelandSangrissaidENRofcersdemandedtheyhavetagsonseveraloccasionsseizinggunsandmeat.AfterthatthechiefallegesENRbeganal-locatingtagsonitsown.ENRMinisterMilten-bergerdeclinedtocommentontheRCMPinvestigation.RCMPspokespersonCpl.BarryLedouxsaidthein-vestigationisinpreliminarystagesanditistooearlytotellifchargeswillbelaid.SangrissaidtheFirstNa-tionsconcernisnotaboutconservationbutabouttreatyrights.Theycannotsaywerenotconcernedaboutconser-vation.Weco-operatedwiththemsince2010.Forthesakeofconservationwellharvestonly150.Theresnoproblemwithusconservingforfuturegenerationshesaid.Itsthementalitythatwecannothuntcaribouperioddoesntsitwellwithus.Itdoesntfollowourprotocolandourtreatyhasbeenin-fringeduponbythoseleg-islations.Iftheywanttositdownandhavethisdiscus-sionaboutfutureharvestingallocationswereopentothat.Werenotshuttingthedoorsandsayingweregoingtokilleverycaribouthatswalkinginthebush.Sangrissaidtherearenomeetingscurrentlyplannedwiththedepartment.Hesaidtheincidentsleadinguptotheinvestigationhavenowputintoquestionacommunityhuntthepartieswerework-ingonorganizingtogetherandtaintfuturediscussions.Thisthingmakesmefeellikeresidentialschoolalloveragain.Wewerentallowedtotalkourlanguagewewerentallowedtofollowourtradi-tionalculturewithresidentialschool.Nowtheyrerestrict-ingusnotallowingustohuntstufflikethishesaid.Igetthesamefeelingalloveragain.PhotoAlexHallThisthingmakesmefeellikeresidentialschoolalloveragain.Wewerentallowedtotalkourlanguagewewerentallowedtofollowourtraditionalculture...Nowtheyrerestrictingusnotallowingustohunt.ChiefEdSangrisYellowknivesDeneFirstNationRestrictedharvestoftheBathurstcaribouherdhascausedstrainedrelationsbetweentheYellowknivesDeneFirstNationandgovernmentoftheNorthwestTerritories.FirstNationslegalghtforPeelgoestotrialinJulyPoliticsFirstNationsByMARYWALDENThebattleoverthefutureofthePeelwatershedwillbefoughtinYukonSupremeCourtJuly7-11.Theve-daytrialwassched-uledafterlawyersforbothsidesmetbrieywithJusticeRonVealeintheprivacyofthecourtboardroomMar.11.ThesuitagainsttheYukongovernmentwasledinlateJanuarybyMayosNa-choNyakDunandDawsonsTrondekHwechinalongwiththeYukonConservationSoci-etyandCPAWS-Yukon.ThefourgroupssaythegovernmenthadnorighttodumpthePeelcommissionsnalrecommendedlanduseplanfortheirownplanwhichtheyargueviolatesthelanduseplanningprocessinthemod-ern-daytreaties.ThecommissionmadeupofappointeesfromtheYukonandFirstNationgovernmentsincludingtheNWTGwichinspentsevenyearsresearchinganalyzingandconsultingonhowtobestmanagetheYukonportionofthetransboundarywatershed.Itcameupwithaplantopro-tect80percentofthe68000sq.km.region-aplanwhichre-ceivedwidespreadpublicsup-portintheNorthandbeyond.Howeverthegovernmentsnewplanwhichwentintoef-fectJan.21replacesmostofthatprotectionwithareasthatallowindustrialdevelopment.Thelegalsuitwantstoseethecourtforcethegovern-menttoaccepttheoriginalplanbuttheYukongovern-mentdeniesitsdoneany-thingwrongbycomingupwithitsownapproach.AboriginalclaimsexpertThomasBergerisleadingthelegalchallengefortheFirstNa-tionsandconservationgroups.TheYukongovernmenthashiredBClawyerJohnHuntertodefenditshandlingoftheplan.NeitherBergernorHunterwereattheWhitehorsecourthearing.YukonlawyerStephenWalshwhoappearedforBergertoldre-portersthetrialdatewasagreedtobeforehandalongwithotherproceduralmatterssotherewerenodisagreements.Thehigh-proleprece-dent-settingcaseisexpectedtoattractattentionfromalloverthecountry.MeanwhilePeelprotec-tionadvocatesareplanningtosendamusicalmessagetotheYukongovernmentwhenMLAsreturntothelegislatureMar.25forthespringsitting.OrganizersofthePlayingforthePeelrallyhopetoattractpeopleandtheirinstrumentstoperformasthepoliticiansgetdowntobusiness.LastspringPremierDar-rellPasloskiusedhisopen-ingbudgetspeechtoattackconservationgroupsandtheirworkonthePeel.PoliticsFirstNationsFredKoeofFortMcPhersonproteststheYukongovern-mentslanduseplanforthePeelwatershedonJan.30.PhotoShaylaSnowshoe