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PoliticsFirstNations2TuesdayJuly152014NEWSBRIEFSFinancialirregularitiesexaminedbyfedsinFortMcPhersonAFinancialCrimeSectionoftheFederalInvestigationsunitfromYellowknifehasbeencalledtoFortMcPhersontoinspectpotentialscalproblemswithinthehamlet.InMarch2013localRCMPreceivedacomplaintnot-ingtherewereallegedirregularitieswiththecommu-nitysnances.Itwasadvisedthatthehamletundergoaforensicnancialaudittoexaminetheirregularities.TheresultswereturnedovertotheRCMPwhothencalledintheFederalInvestigationsUnit.Theinvesti-gationisongoingandinformationregardingthecaseisbeingcollectedbyFortMcPhersonRCMP.ToddlersdeathinvestigatedbyNWTWorkersSafetycommissionTheNWTWorkersSafetyCompensationCommissionislookingintoaMayincidentthatleftonechilddeadinYel-lowknifeclosetoKamLake.Twoyear-oldSanaaMichaelChristensen-BlondinwaskilledwhileonthepropertyofthePaulBrothersweldingcompanyafteracompanytruckhitthetoddler.NocriminalchargeswerelaidfollowinganRCMPinvestigation.TheWSCCclaimsitislookingintotheincidenttodetermineacauseandpreventsimilaracci-dentsfromoccurring.IfanywrongdoingisuncoveredtheWSCCcanlaychargesundertheNWTSafetyAct.YWCAacceptingnamesubmissionsfornewwomenstransitionalhousingThenewwomenstransitionalhousingcomplexundertheworkingtitleofBettyHouseissettoopenon54thSt.inSeptemberandtheYellowknifeYWCAisaskingfornamesubmissions.TheywantapermanentnamethathonoursaNWTwomanlivingordeadwidelyrespectedinhercom-munity.Nominationformscanbefoundatywcanwt.cabyemailatgivingywcanwt.caorbyphoneat920-2777ext0.Formsshouldbesubmittedby300p.m.Aug.15.Thenamewillberevealedattheopeningofthecomplex.July2014www.hss.gov.nt.caEXP8312014IsYourHealthCareCardExpiringPeelwatershedtrialconcludesChiefsYukongovernmentawaitdecisionByMARYWALDENThomasBergerwasinneghtingformashedeliveredthelastfewpunchesinthePeellanduseplantrialheldinWhitehorselastweek.Aftercarefullycon-structingthecomplexlandclaims-basedcaseagainsttheYukongovernmentandthenlisteningtoitsdefencethe81year-oldlawyerbestknownforputtingalidontheMackenzieValleypipe-lineinthe1970ssteppeduptotakeanalswingortwo.Peoplecrammedintothemaincourtroomandtheoverowroomfedviavideolinkhungonhiseveryword.AlthoughitllbetwoorthreemonthsbeforehendsoutwhetheritwasenoughforaknockoutblowtheFirstNationsandenvironmentalgroupsherepresentedseemedtothinkitwas.Bergerhimselfwasabitmoretempered.Wethinkitsastrongcasebutitsuptothejudgetodecidehetoldthemediaafterthefour-daylegalex-travaganzawrappedJuly10.WethinkthecaseisonewhereitsimportanttoupholdtheintegrityoftheUmbrellaFinalAgreementYukonsmodern-daytreatyhesaid.ItsreallytheconstitutionoftheYukon.LanduseplanningfortheYukonportionofthetrans-boundaryPeelwatershedowsfromthatagreementunderwhichFirstNationsgaveuptheirrightto97percentoftheregionbelievingtheydbeabletoplayameaningfulroleinplanningandmanagingitslandandresources.TheYukongovernmenthasrenegedonthatdealBergerargued.Whenitdidntlikethewaythingsweregoingitsimplywalkedawayandwentoffonitsownlandplanningfrolichesaid.ItdumpedthePeelcommissionsplanwhichprotected80percentandreplaceditwithonethatprotectslessthan30percent.TheymayhavefeltthatwearethelandlordswecandowhateverwewantbuttheycantBergersaid.NorshouldthegovernmentgetawaywithblamingthePeelcommissionforthecurrentmesshesaid.Thecommissiondidwhatitcouldwiththeinformationithadaftersevenyearsofre-searchanalysisandconsul-tation.Itmadetoughchoicesjustnotthechoicesthegov-ernmentwantedBergersaid.Thegovernmentwasinvolvedwiththeappoint-mentoffourofthesixcom-missionmembers.Thecommissionsplanshouldnotbeleftwithablankpageunsignedbythegovern-mentoftheYukonhesaid.ThefouraffectedFirstNa-tionsincludingtheNWTGwichinhavealreadyap-provedthecommissionsplan.AlthoughnotapartytothislawsuittheGwichinTribalCouncilwasgrantedinterve-norstatus.Itusedtheoppor-tunitytoremindthecourtthatthewholepointoflandclaimswastofosterreconciliation.Theythrewthecommissionunderthebusbutitwastheircommissionhesaid.Althoughthelawsuitasksthecourttodeclarethecom-missionsplanastheonlyvalidPeelplangovernmentlawyerJohnHuntersaidthecourthasnojurisdictiontodothat.Ifthecourtdecidesthegov-ernmentbrokethelawthenthereisnoPeelplanandtheprocessmustreturntosquareoneHunterargued.Bergerontheotherhandsaidnotonlywouldthatwastenearlyadecadeofworkbutwouldrewardthegovernmentfordeliberatelythwartingtheprocess.Itwouldmakemoresensetomakeitgobacktowhereitlefttheprocessshortlyafterreceivingthenalrecom-mendedplan.ThecourtsjobhereistorestoretheproceedingstoalawfulfootingBergersaid.GwichinleadersjoinedYukonFirstNationchiefsonthefrontbenchtowatchthecaseunfold.Incontrastthegovernmentsentafewbureaucrats.Yukongovern-mentbackbencherVuntutGwitchinMLADariusEliasalsomadeabriefappearanceontheclosingday.IftheFirstNationsanden-vironmentalgroupswinthiscasethePeelwillbecomethelargestprotectedareainNorthAmericaBergersaid.Youknowwhenyoure81assomeofusareyourealizetheimportanceofpreservingwildernessorpreservinglandinitsnaturalstateBergertoldreporters.Weshouldhavewithinourcountryareasthatarepristineandremainpristine.Itsourobligationtosafeguardthemanditsourobligationtopassthemontofuturegenerations.Thatswhatthecommissionwastryingtodo.Weshouldhavewithinourcountryareasthatarepristineandremainpristine.Itsourobligationtosafeguardthemanditsourobligationtopassthemontofuturegenerations.ThomasBergerPhotoMaryWaldenYukonmediascrumlawyerThomasBergerafterthehistoricPeelwatershedtrialwrappedupinWhitehorse.