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8POLITICSFIRSTNATIONSTuesdayFebruary102015ByMEAGANWOHLBERGTalksthatwerehopedtobringresolutiontotheissueofdevolutionfortheDehchoFirstNationsDFNendedinfrustrationlastweekaftertheterritorialgovernmentsofferonlandquantumwasrejectedbyFirstNationsleaders.DFNleadersmetforthreedaysinFortSimp-sontodiscussnextstepsintheDehchoPro-cesstheregionslandclaimnegotiationsthathavebeenongoingforover20years.ThoughdevolutionbecameeffectiveasofApr.12014theDehchohaveyettosignontotheagreementthattransferredpowersoverlandwaterandresourcestotheGNWT.GrandChiefHerbNorwegiansaidthattrans-ferhasnowbecomeabarriertoDFNnaliz-ingitslandclaim.ItsbeenanobstacleforusespeciallywhenweretryingtonalizetheDehchoProcessandourtalkswithCanadasothatsanissueweretryingtodealwithatthispointhetoldTheJournalonFriday.ThemeetingwasscheduledtoaddressanimpasseinlandclaimnegotiationswiththeterritorialgovernmentaftertheFirstNationsrejectedalandagreementofferthatwassub-stantiallysmallerthantheirask.NorwegiansaidthelandquantumthatwasnalizedforothersettledclaimantgroupssuchastheTlichoisrelativelylargerthantheoffermadeDFNdespitetheirlargerpopulation.WeregettingtheroyalshafthereNorwegiansaid.OurmembershipiswaylargerthantheTlichosoifwearetogetalandquantumitwillhavetoreectthat.WhattheterritorialgovernmentwasofferingwaswhattheTlichohadgotten.Sowerebeingshort-changed.NorwegiansaidDFNhasmadebigcon-cessionsinitsnegotiationslikedesigningalanduseplanfortheregionsupportedbytheGNWTbutsaidtheterritorialgovernmenthasrefusedtomovefromitsposition.GNWTnegotiatorswalkedawayfromtheDehchoProcesstableonJan.15.ThoughDFNwasreadytosignontodevo-lutionlastsummertheamountoflandhasstayedthestickingissue.Allalongtheterritorialgovernmenthasalwaysassertedtheywanted45percentoftheDehcholandbecausetherestofitisalltiedupinconservationsothe45percentthattheyrelookingatisreallyaterritorialgovern-mentkindoflandclaimhereintheDehchoNorwegiansaid.Thatwouldtotallyblockusout.Wewouldendupwithcrumbsifitcamedowntoadaywhenwestartedidentifyinglandsthatwewantedtokeepforourselves.TheGrandChiefpromisedtocontinuemeetingsthisweekinthecapitalinordertoresolvethestalemate.WeregoingtomarchtheDehcholead-ershiptoYellowknifeandweregoingtobemeetingrightacrosstheLegislativeAssemblyfromTuesdayrighttillThursdayNorwegiansaid.Werehopingthatthepremiercouldbeabletocomeoverandhaveadiscussionwiththeleadershipandtrytonarrowthegaponthisissue.TheJournalreachedouttotheGNWTforcommentbutreceivednoresponseasofpresstime.DehchodevolutiontalksendinfrustrationGrandChieftakinglandnegotiationstopremierinYellowknifePOLITICSFIRSTNATIONSByMEAGANWOHLBERGTwoYellowknivesDeneFirstNationYKDFNmemberspleadedguiltylastweektochargesofillegalwoodandcaribouharvesting.FormerNDilochiefFredSangrisandhunterPaulBetsinachangedtheirpleastoguiltyinterritorialcourtlastTuesdayagreeingtopaytheirnesratherthantaketheissuetoahighercourtoverallegedtreatyrightviolations.Sangriswasned230forcuttingrewoodonYKDFNterritorywithoutapermitwhileBetsinawasned460forhuntingcaribouwithoutatag.ThoughtheFirstNationoriginallythreatenedtotaketheissuetotheSu-premeCourtChiefEdwardSangrissaidYKDFNhasdecidedtofightforitsmem-bersrightsatthenegotiatingtableinsteadwheretheFirstNationandtherestoftheAkaitchogovernmentareattemptingtosettlealandclaim.Whyspend100000onacourtcasewhenweretryingtogetadenitiveagree-mentwithintheAkaitchoprocessItsbet-tertopaythenenowandthenarguethatcaseatthemaintablewherewerebasingouragreementontreatyimplementationthechieftoldtheJournallastweek.Sangrissaidhestillstandsbyhismem-bersrightsandcalledtheGNWTsactionsludicrous.Whyisthegovernmentchargingourpeo-plewhenthewoodpermitisfreeheaskedlaughing.Theyshouldhavenevereverchargedourpeopleforharvestingwoodtoheatuptheirhome.Thatsridiculous...TheyretryingYellowknivesdropghtagainstharvestingchargestoimposethingsonusthatwenormallyhavedonesincetimeimmemorial.SangriscasewasscheduledfortriallastDe-cemberbutwasdelayedafterhislawyerJimJodouinrequestedadditionaltimeinordertogathertestimonyfromeldersandhistori-caldocumentssupportingYKDFNsrightsunderTreaty8.AccordingtoJodouintheCrownstatedinitscasethatitnolongeragreesTreaty8extendsnorthofGreatSlaveLake.PayingnessetspoorprecedenttreatyexpertNoteveryoneagreedwiththedecisiontodroptheghthowever.Elderandfor-merlandclaimnegotiatorFrancoisPauletteservedasanexpertwitnessontreatiesatatrialinvolvingasimilarmatterwhereelderBenoitNoelofDettahwasbeingchargedwithhuntingcaribounearIngrahamTrailoutsideofYellowknife.Noelcameoutvicto-riousinthatsuit.PaulettesaidthetwomembersthatwerechargedshouldhavearguedCanadastreatyobligationincourtandthattheirFirstNa-tionsshouldhavebackedthemnancially.HesaidacquiescingtotheGNWTinthiscasewillmakeithardertoghtforthoserightsatthenegotiatingtable.Whentheygobacktothetabletheyhavenowagreedtodomesticlaw.Treatiesarein-ternationalinstrumentsandthesetreatiesarebilateralwiththeCrownPaulettesaid.Whatitmeansistheywillcontinuecharg-ingFirstNationsundertheirlawsothenextpersonwhogoesouttohuntcaribouorcut-tingwoodwillbecharged.Whenyougotothetabletonegotiatethebigpicturethenegotiatorwillcomebacktoyouandsayyouveagreedtoupholdthedo-mesticlaw.Youvecompromisedbigtime.FormerYellowknivesDenechiefTedTsettawhohasalsobeenchargedwithillegallyhuntingcaribouappearedincourtlastTuesdayandplanstofighthis-chargesincourtthoughatrialdatehasyettobeset.FilephotoPhotoJackDanylchukFormerYKDFNchiefFredSangrisholdstheaxeheusedtoharvestrewoodtoheathishomeinNdilo.Sangriswaschargedfornothavingapermitandpaidthenelastweek.DehchoFirstNationsGrandChiefHerbNorwegiansaystheterritorialgovernmentisshort-changingtheDehchowhenitcomestotheirlandquantumoffer.