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TuesdayNovember2520143POLITICSABORIGINAL900AM-800PMALLDAYFRIDAYNOV.28KaesersStoresLtd.76-80BreynatSt.FortSmithNT867872-2345BLACKFRIDAYWINTERWONDERLANDSALE35OFFWINTEROUTERWEAR50OFFCHRISTMASDECORATIONSMtisdebatecutstocopewithnegotiationcostsMotiontoremoveeldersVPsfromnegotiatingtabledefeatedatAGMByMEAGANWOHLBERGAcontroversialmovetotrimdownthenegotiatingteamfortheNWTMtisNationasacostsavingmeasurewasdefeatedatlastweeksannualgeneralassemblyinFortSmithwheretheissueofscalprudencetoppeddiscussionpriorities.ThevastmajorityofvotingdelegatesopposedamotionmadebyHayRiverMtisCouncilpresidentWallySchumannseekingtolimitthenegotiationteamtotheMtisNationpresidentthelocalMtiscouncilpresidentsthechiefne-gotiatorlegalteamandlandteameliminatingeldersandvicepresidentsfromthetable.WhileadmittingthemotionwasbyfarthemostcontroversialtobedebatedlastweekSchumannsaidthenationneedstocon-sidermoneysavingmeasuresinlightofthemountingcostsofongoingmeetingswiththefederalgovernmentonlandsandresources.Delayshavecontributedtothecostlinessofnegotiations.SixteenneighbouringAb-originalgovernmentsthrewawrenchintotheMtisclaimprocessin2012byrequest-ingconsultationwithCanadaontheMtisagreement-in-principleAiP.AccordingtotheMtischiefnegotiatorJakeHeronatotalof26millionhasbeenborrowedtoreachthecurrentpointinnegotiations.ThoughmoneyborrowedbeforethesigningoftheAiPwillnotbesubjecttointerestthenationisex-pectedtorepaytheprincipalowedaswellasin-terestonanymoneyborrowedafterthesigninguntiltheeffectivedateofthenalagreement.ThefederalsteeringcommitteeandtheNWTgovernmenthavesinceapprovedtheAiPwhichisnowbeingconsideredbycabinetonbehalfofCanadabeforeitwillbesignedbyallparties.WiththeAiPdonetheMtisarenowpre-paringforthenalpushtoresolvethe50re-mainingmake-or-breakissueswithCanadabeforearrivingatanallandandresourcesagreement.ThoseincludebigticketitemslikelandselectioninWoodBuffaloNationalPark.Schumannsaidhavingfewerpeopleatthetablewouldincreasetheefciencyofnegotiations.Withalargegroupofpeoplewerespend-ingalotoftimeondiscussingissuesrecyclingissuestalkingitthroughanditsgotustowherewearewevegotourAiP.Fiftypuntedissuesmeanstherearesomeveryhardnegotiationscominghesaid.Ithinkwithasmallerteamatthetable...itsgoingtohelpuscondensene-gotiationstoashortertime.Afternegotiationstheteamwouldbeex-pectedtoholdalargerdiscussionintheircommunitiestoupdatethe3000membersofthenationincludingtheeldersandgetfeedbackSchumannsaid.Butmostaroundthetabledisagreedsayingtheelderswhowereresponsibleforgettingthenationtoitscurrentstageaddpowertothenegotiatingteam.IfeelthatthemorepeoplegowhatweredoingnowwiththestatusquogivesusmorestrengthsaidCara-LynnBaileyofHayRiver.Bytakingtheelderswithusitmakesusstron-ger.Itgivesuspower.Withouttheirknowl-edgeandhistorywewouldntbeheretoday.FortSmithMtisCouncilpresidentKenHud-sonsaidtheconversationisanimportantonetohavebutthoughtSchumannsmotionwasprematureconsideringthenegotiatingteamisstillintheprocessofconrmingwhatthefederalgovernmentisgoingtopayfor.HudsonsaidpreviousconversationsindicatedCanadawouldbepayingfortheMtisself-governmentnegotiationsanduntilanythingisdecidedtheteamshouldbeleftthesizeitis.VicepresidentsarealsooftenforcedtogoinplaceofpresidentsandsoshouldbekeptanactivepartoftheconversationHudsonsaid.Delegatesdidvoteunanimouslyinfavourofexpediencyontheupcomingnalagreementnegotiations.AresolutionalsoputforthbySchumannpushesMtisleaderstomakeeveryefforttoschedulemonthlyfour-daynegotiationsessionswiththegovernmentsoftheNWTandCanadaratherthanthecurrentscheduleofbi-monthlytwo-daynegotiations.IfwedontaskthegovernmenttomakethemovetoexpeditetheprocesswewillspendanotherveorsixyearsandImnotwillingtospendanother7-8millionofourmoneyandndwevespentmorethanhalfourmoneyonnegotiationsSchumannsaid.Imlook-ingtoatleasthaveaconversationwiththegovernmentsthatareatthetablewithus.PhotosMeaganWohlbergHayRiverMtispresidentWallySchumannarguesinfavourofasmallernegotiatingteamfortheMtisNation.FortSmithMtispresidentKenHudsonsaidtheconversationaboutcostsavingisimportantbutpremature.Continuedfrompage1.ArstmeetingtodiscussthepolicyhasbeenscheduledforJanuary.ThosebeingconsultedonthenewregulationsincludeAboriginalgovernmentsthevariousboardsestablishedundertheMVRMAfederalandterritorialgovernmentdepartmentsandin-dustryassociationsincludingtheCanadianAssociationofPetroleumProducersandtheNWTNunavutChamberofMines.TheinclusionofindustryRedverssaidisapointofconcernforAboriginalgovernments.ThoughseveralFirstNationsrequestedthatAANDCmaketheminutesofthoseconsultationsavailableforviewingthedepartmentrefused.ThereissomeconcernthatCanadaiscon-sultingprivatelywithindustryonanissueofdirectandimmediateconcerntoFirstNationgovernmentsRedverssaid.AnumberoftheFirstNationgovernmentsindicatedthattheyrenetohavetheircommentssharedwithothersandkeepitanopenprocess.TheissueisfulllingaconstitutionalobligationwhywouldthatneedtobeasecretprocessAANDCindicatedthatitstandsbehindtheconsultationapproachandfeelsitmetitscon-sultationobligationsontheMVRMAandwel-comesAboriginalorganizationstosharespe-cicconcernsabouttheconsultationapproach.FearsregulationswillmimicAlbertaNewAboriginalconsultationlegislationwasrecentlyenactedinAlbertadespitestrongoppositionfromFirstNationsandMtisintheprovincewhosaidthepolicyunderminestheirrights.UnderthenewrulesAlbertasetupasinglewindowofcewiththepowertodecidewhatprojectsrequireconsultationwhichFirstNationsshouldandshouldnotbeconsultedIndustryinclusioncausesconcernwhatlevelofconsultationisrequiredandatwhatpointconsultationissufcient.Becausetheofceisunequippedtodealwithquestionsofconstitutionallawconcern-ingSection35AboriginalrightsFirstNationsandMtisinAlbertanowmustgothroughthecourtstocontesttheadequacyofconsultation.StephaniePooleAkaitchoIMAcoordinatorfortheTreaty8TribalCorp.whichrepresentsfourAkaitchoFirstNationsworriesthenewfederalregulationsfortheNWTwillbesimilar.ShesaidmostFirstNationsalreadyhavetheirownconsultationpoliciesandisconcernedthosewillbeoverriddenbythenewregulations.FortheAkaitchoDeneFirstNationseachoftheFirstNationshastheirownwaythattheyareconsulted.SomeFirstNationsmightwantyoutocomeintothecommunityandhaveameetingsomeareverybusyandmightwaituntilyourefurtheradvanced.SoitsnotliketheresablanketpolicyforAkaitchobutwedoupholdourindigenousrightsourrightstofreepriorinformedconsentPoolesaid.OtherregulationsindevelopmentAboriginalconsultationisonlyonesetofnewregulationsstemmingfromamendmentstotheMVRMAandTerritorialLandsAct.OtherregulationsinprocessconcernadministrativemonetarypenaltiesandcostrecoveryaswellaswhatAANDCtermsasminoramendmentstoexistingregulationsonlanduseandwaterpre-liminaryscreeningrequirementsforprojectsandexemptionlistregulations.Poolesaidtheregulationscouldhavesigni-cantimpactsonthewayprojectsareapprovedsuchasthelifeofwaterlicenceswhichcouldallowpermitstolastfortheentirelifeofmajorprojectslikediamondmines.Thosearenotminortousshesaid.POLITICSREGULATORY