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PoliticsFirstNations7TuesdayJuly222014Photoswantedfor2015FortSmithPetDeskCalendarFillingupfastGetyourpicturesinsoonIfyouwouldliketohavephotosofyourpetstakenarrangementscanbemade.PleasecallChrisat872-5547.BecauseofthehighvolumeofrequestsSpecialconsiderationwillbemadeforpetsnotinpreviouscalendars.Pleasesubmitphotosoflivingpetsonly.Thereisnofeetohavephotosinthecalendar.IfyouhaveanyquestionsorneedmoreinformationpleasecallChrisat872-5547oremaildewolfnorthwestel.netDeadlineisAugust31ThisadsponsoredbytheNorthernJournalDehchoFirstNationseyeingupdevolutiondealByMEAGANWOHLBERGTheDehchoFirstNa-tionsDFNhaveyettosignontothedevolutionagreementbutthatcouldallchangeinthenextfewweeksiftalkscontinuetogowellwiththeterritorialgovernment.GrandChiefHerbNor-wegianrecentlytoldTheJournalthattheregionisrightnow90percentonitswaytobecomingasignatoryofthedevolutionagreement.Thatsaidtheirproxim-itytoanagreementwaversfromdaytodayasnegotia-torstrytoworkouttheon-goingconflictoverlandintheDehchoregionhesaid.Itcomesanditgoes.TherearetimeswhenwearereallycloseandsomedayswhenwearequiteabitapartNorwegiansaidlastweek.Itslandquantumthatsofcoursethebigone.Asyouknowdevolutiontransferredmanagementoflandstotheterritorialgovernmentandofcoursethatkindofmanagementwastransferredtothemwithoutoursupport.Sonowwhatwerehavingtodoissitdownwiththeseguystoclarifywhatkindofroletheterritorialgov-ernmentsgoingtohaveonourlandsinourterri-tory.Itsaboutthesizeoflandthatwewouldretainforourselves.Underthediscussionoflandcomesissuesofsur-faceandsubsurfacerights.DFNwantstoseealargeportionofsurfacerightsgototheDehchoparticu-larlytheareaconnectingthecommunities.AswellDFNwantstoensureownershipofmuchoftheareasunder-groundresources.Ofcoursetheterritorialgovernmentwouldlovetogettheirgrubhooksonthose...andofcourseweregoingtoneedthatforourselvestobeabletosustainourselvesforthenexthundredyearsNor-wegiansaid.Thosekindsofdiscussionsaretediousandverydetailedandtechnicalsometimes.TheDehchosinvolve-mentindevolutionhasbeencomplicatedbythefactthattheregionslandclaimne-gotiationswiththefederalgovernmenthaveyettobenalizedthoughthegrandchiefsaysitisalsoataboutthe90percentmark.LastyeararoundthistimeNor-wegiansaidDFNwasntyetbuyingintothedevolutiondealbasedonunfinishedbusinesswithCanada.NowNorwegianseesanimportantallyintheterrito-rialgovernmentthatmayhelpspeedalongthelandclaimnegotiationsthathavebeenongoingsince1999.Forthelongesttimewestoodatthesidelineswatchingdevolutionun-foldandofcoursemostoftheregionshavelandclaimagreementssoitseasierforthemtotaketheagreementandputitintoeffect.IntheDehchowestillhavenotarrivedatanykindoflandclaimagreementsoforusitwassomethingthatwehadtogureouthowwewantedtomoveforwardNorwe-giansaidattherecentDeneNationalAssemblyinFortSmith.NorwegiansaidDFNstillhasdiscussionstocompletewithPremierBobMcLeodandtherestofcabinetbuthopesthetwopartieswillbeabletotakeonCanadaonsomeofthebigissuesbeforethem.Itsaboutalignmentaligningourselvesincol-laborationwiththegovern-ment...WefeelweneedtodothatitsanopportunitytomakesomeheadwayNor-wegiansaid.OfcialswiththeNWTgovernmentwouldnotcom-mentonthespecicsoftalkswiththeDehcholeadershipbutsaidadealhasyettobenalizedandthatnosign-ingeventisbeingplannedatthispoint.Itsaboutalignmentaligningourselvesincollaborationwiththegovernment...Wefeelweneedtodothatitsanopportunitytomakesomeheadway.GrandChiefHerbNorwegianDehchoFirstNationsPhotoFelixIsiahDehchoFirstNationsGrandChiefHerbNorwegiansaysissuesoflandquantumsurfaceandsubsurfacerightsremainthebiggestdetailstoworkoutwiththegovernment.LutselKesignsIBAonGahchoKudiamondmineByMEAGANWOHLBERGAnotherFirstNationhassignedoffonDeBeersproposedGahchoKudia-mondmineintheNorthwestTerritories.TheLutselKeDeneFirstNationLKDFNreachedanimpactbenetagreementIBAwithDeBeersandpart-nerMountainProvinceDia-mondslastweekfortheminelocated280kmnortheastofYellowknife.TheagreementestablishesaframeworkforthecompanyandFirstNationtoworkto-getheroverthelifeofthemineputtingparticularfocusoneconomicparticipationformembersofLKDFNintheconstructionandoperationofthemine.AccordingtoDeBeerstheIBAprovidescertaintythattrainingjobsandbusinessopportunitieswillbemadeavailabletotheFirstNation.OurrelationshipwithLut-selKeisimportanttousandthisImpactBenetAgreementconrmsourcommitmenttoworktogetherforthebenetofLutselKeDeneFirstNa-tionmembersasweadvancetheGahchoKuProjectandbuildamineGlenKorop-chukchiefoperatingofcerforDeBeersCanadasaidinapressrelease.LastAugustimpactedFirstNationsaskedforthefederalgovernmenttohaltapprovaloftheminebasedonconcernsthattheMackenzieValleyEn-vironmentalImpactReviewBoardsrecommendationsdidnotadequatelymitigatetheadverseenvironmentalandsocialimpactsoftheprojectwhichincludedwaterqualitycariboutraditionallanduseandotherissues.Thefederalgovernmentgavetheminethego-aheadlastOctoberfollowingwhichtheTlichoGovernmentandYellowknivesDeneFirstNationadvancedwiththeirownIBAsontheprojectinFebruary.TheNorthSlaveMtisAl-liancehadalreadyenteredintoanagreementwiththecompanypriortotheminesapproval.DeninuKueFirstNationinFortResolutionhasyettosignadeal.LKDFNChiefFelixLock-hartexpressedcondenceintheagreementwithDeBeersinaddressingtheFirstNa-tionsconcerns.IfweworktogetherwiththeotherFirstNationsthenwewillbepowerfulhesaid.Thisagreementensuresthatwehaveourfamiliesoutonthelandusingourland.Weareshapingresourcedevelop-mentthewaywewantitac-cordingtoFirstNations.Wearegoingtobemonitoringit.TheGahchoKumineisexpectedtoemploycloseto700peopleduringitstwoyearsofconstructionand400duringoperations.WeareshapingresourcedevelopmentthewaywewantitaccordingtoFirstNations.Wearegoingtobemonitoringit.ChiefFelixLockhartLutselKeDeneFirstNationDeBeersCanadaChiefOperatingOfcerGlenKoropchukpresentsagiftofapaddlepaintedbyLutselKeartistJohnRomboughtoLutselKeDeneFirstNationChiefFelixLockhart.PhotocourtesyofDeBeersIndustryMining