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3TuesdayJuly12014HappyCanadaDayFromMayorMarkHeyckCityCouncilandtheCityofYellowknifeyellowknife.caContinuedfrompage1.InnorthernAlbertatheLubiconLakeNationmettheverdictwithamixofreliefandhappinessaccordingtocommunicationscoordina-torGarrettTomlinsonwhosaidthedecisionafrmsthenationspositioninongoingcourtactionsagainstresourcedevelopmentwithoutconsent.WevebeenawaitingthisdecisionandwatchingtoseehowitcomesdownanditsagreatdecisionTomlinsonsaid.TheLubiconLakeNationwhoseterritoryhasbeenthesiteofconictsoveroilandgasdevelopmentfordecadesassertsthatitneversignedatreatywiththeCrownandstillretainstitletoitsland.ThatsahugewinforusintheLubiconbecauseourentireterritorysabout10000squaremilesasopposedtothe95squaremilessetasidebytheAlbertagovernmentforLubiconreservelandsin1988.Soforthecourttorecognizethatwehavetheprimaryuseoverthat10000square-mileterritorybeforethegovernmentandbeforeindustrywhenwehavesomuchoilandgasactivityherewithnoconsultationandac-commodationisahugewinforusTomlinsonsaid.SupremeCourtrulinggoodnewsforFirstNationsPoliticsFirstNationsRulingrsttoupholdclaimtotitleThoughotherrulingslikeSparrowDelgamuukwandHaidahavesetoutbroadprinciplestofollowinAb-originaljurisprudencesuchasthedutytoconsultthisisthersttimethecourthasupheldaclaimtotitle.Nowthatitsbeenestab-lishedthatthecourtsarewillingtorecognizetitleAboriginalgovernmentshavetheoptionofgoingtothemtodosoincaseswheregov-ernmentsrefuseInnessaid.WhatthisdoesissayclearlythatwhereAboriginaltitleisestablishedorwhereitsbeenassertedandprovengovernmentshavetoobtaintheconsentoftheAboriginalgroupsbeforedevelopmentcanproceed.Thatshuge.Thedecisionsetoutathree-pointtesttodeter-minetitleunderwhichthefollowingareconsideredoccupationcontinuityofhabitationonthelandandexclusivityinthearea.Undertherulingtitlemeanstherighttobenetfromthelandincludingtherighttouseitenjoyitandprotfromit.Unlikeindi-vidualpropertyownershipAboriginaltitleintendsthatlandbeheldforthecommonbenetofthegroupasawholeanditsfuturegenerations.ThatsaidthejudgesruledthattitledoesnotgiveFirstNationsabsolutevetopowerwithrespecttoindustrialde-velopment.Developmentcanstillproceedifthegovern-mentcanprovetheneedforitispressingandsubstantialandmeetitsduciarydutytotheAboriginalgovernmentaswellassection35oftheCanadianConstitution.TheycanonlyjustifytheirinfringementswhereitachievesreconciliationorinotherwordstheyhavetodosoinawaythatbalancestheneedsofCanadianswiththerightsofAboriginalpeopleInnessaid.IncaseswheretitlehasnotyetbeenproventheCrownisstillrequiredtoconsultingoodfaithandwhereap-propriateaccommodateAb-originalconcerns.TomlinsonsaidtherulinggivesfoddertotheLubiconinsomeofitsactivecourtcasesagainstboththefed-eralandprovincialgovern-mentsoneofwhichwasledin2013andcloselymirrorstheTsilhqotincase.InitsrulingthecourtfoundtheBCgovernmenthadbreacheditsduciarydutytoconsultwiththeFirstNationandhadnoeconomicjusticationforissuinglog-gingpermitsonthelandwhichcausedtwodecadesoflegalbattles.Itscitingalmostex-actlywhatthisdecisioncamedownwithwhichisresourcedevelopmentwith-outconsultationandlackoftitletothelandsandfailuretonegotiateingoodfaithTomlinsonsaid.Wehopethisprecedentreallybacksupthecurrentcasethatwehaveinthecourtandwellbeindiscussionwithourcurrentcounsellookingatnewactionstolaunchinlightofthis.Wehopethisprecedentreallybacksupthecurrentcasethatwehaveinthecourt.GarrettTomlinsonLubiconLakeNationPhotocourtesyofLubiconLakeNationLubiconLakeNationcurrentlyembroiledinalegalbattleagainstresourcedevelopmentonitstraditionalterritorysaysthecourtrulingisahugewinforitsowncase.ByDONJAQUEThecommunityofKakisaremainsinastateofvolun-taryevacuationfromamas-siveforestrethathasbeenthreateningitforaweekandremainsoutofcontrol.Thevoluntaryevacua-tionrecommendationwasissuedFridayandalmostallthenearly60inhabitantsofthecommunityleftontheirown.The13-kmaccessroadintothecommunityremainsclosed.TheterritorialparkatnearbyLadyEvelynFallsontheKakisaRiveraswellasSombaaDehTerritorialParktothenortharealsoclosed.AsofpresstimeMon-dayHwy.5withaccesstoKakisaevacuatedmassivereoutofcontrolEnvironmentWildreYellowknifeandthesouthremainedopenalthoughclo-suresduetolackofvisibilityfromsmokeareapossibility.The40000-hectarefirethreateningthecommunityisbeingpoundedbyreghtingresources.EnvironmentandNaturalResourcesdepartmentspokespersonEllaStinsonsaidcrewsfromAlbertahavebeenintegratedintosevenNWTreteamsandthereareanotherfourlocalrecrews.Firebreaksarebeingcreatedaroundthecom-munityandbackburnsarebeingexecuted.Shesaidaircraftarealsoattackingthere.OnehundredandthreereshavebeenloggedintheNWTsofarinwhatisstackinguptobeaverybusyreseason.MassiveresrimthenorthernandeasternsideofGreatSlaveLake.ConditionsremainhotanddryinboththeNorthandSouthSlaveregions.Kakisaistheonlycommu-nitythreatenedbyanNWTresofar.Thereareanum-berofcabinsencroachedbybigresatConsolationLakenortheastofYellowknifeandFortRelianceintheEastArmofGreatSlaveLakewhicharealsobeingactioned.Stinsoncautionedthepub-lictobeawarethatbecauseofhotdryconditionstouseresonlywhenabsolutelynecessaryandthentobeverycareful.PhotoHerbHuntAwaterbomberpicksupaloadonConsolationLakewherearebroketwoweeksagothreateningcabinsaroundthelake.