Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 10
Page 11
Page 12
Page 13
Page 14
Page 15
Page 16
PehdzehKiFirstNationtakesMackenzieValleyfibreopticcableprojectoffthetableTuesdayMarch2420153POLITICSFIRSTNATIONSPlatinumSponsorAgreementameanstoaddressresourcedevelopmentContinuedfrompage1.BeforeputtingpentopaperMcLeodtookanopportunitytotoutresourcedevelopmentintheNWT.IlikemanyNorthernersandPremierPrenticeunderstandthatsocialandeco-nomicdevelopmentintheNWTandinmuchofCanadadependsonamanagedsustainabledevelopmentofourrichstorehouseofnaturalresourceshesaid.TheNorthwestTerrito-rieshasawealthofresourcesincludingoilandgasmineralsdiamondsandbasemetalsthathavethepotentialtocontributesubstan-tiallytoterritorialandnationalprosperitytocreatejobsandeconomicopportunitiesforNorthernersAlbertansandCanadians.Weneedtocarefullymanagehowweusethoseresourcesensuringwearedevelopingthemresponsiblyandcreatingsustainablelong-termbenetsforallourpeople.IndeedanymishapsthatoccurintheMackenzieBasinwhichencompassesAl-bertastarsandscouldimpactpeoplelivingthroughoutnorthwesternCanada.TheMackenzieRiverBasinisthe10thlargestintheworldandcovers1.8millionsquare-kmroughly20percentofCanadaslandmasssaidMcLeodhighlightingtheba-sinsnationalsignicance.ItincludesthreemajordeltastheMackenzieDeltatheSlaveRiverDeltaandthePeace-AthabascaDeltawhichhasbeendesignatedasawetlandofinternationalsignicance.TheMackenzieRiverprovides11percentofthefreshwaterthatowsintotheArcticOceanplayingacriticalroleinregulatingoceancirculationandArcticclimatesystems.Approximately80percentoftheNorthwestTerritoryswaterowsthroughAlberta.Ave-yearreviewperiodisbuiltintotheagreementatwhichpointmemberswillmeetuptodetermineifamendmentsarenecessary.WerecognizethisisgoingtobesomethingofalivingdocumentitsnotgoingtobedoneonceandyouneverlookatitagainMilt-enbergersaid.Theressomuchhappeningintheworldwithclimatechangedevelop-mentpoliticsglobalwarmingwhoknows.Wehavetobeabletobenimbleenoughtoadjustifweneedto.BuildingaframeworkforfuturewateragreementsWhiletheNorthwestTerritoriesteamcanrestonitslaurelstodayitwillbebackworkingontheseotherwateragreementsMiltenbergersaid.TheGNWThasbeenworkingwithseveralotherprovincestoestablishseparatebilat-eralwatermanagementagreementsalongtheMackenzieBasinandbeyond.BCisbasicallycompletewerejustwaitingforthemtonishtheirinternalprocessMilt-enbergersaid.HebelievesagreementswithSaskatchewanandYukonmaybewrappedupasearlyasMayandisintheearlystagesofnegotiatingwithNunavutonaseparatewatershedagreement.WellhaveallthebordersintheNorth-westTerritoriescoveredoffbycooperativetransboundarywateragreementswhichwouldbearealpositivepolicystepforushesaid.Wewouldbetheonlyjurisdictioninthecountrythathasthat.ByDALICARMICHAELUpsetbybullytacticsusedbytheGNWTduringongoinglandclaimsandgovernancenegotiationsonegroupfromtheDehchoFirstNationsDFNhasdecidedtospeakoutbypull-ingtheirsupportfornewinfrastructuredevel-opmentontheirlands.WiththeDehchoProcesshanginginthebal-ancePehdzehKiFirstNationPKFNinWrig-leyisthreateningtohaltthedevelopmentofthe82-millionMackenzieValleybreopticcablethatissettorunthroughtheirregionwhichisundernegotiation.ItiswithregretthatweinformyouthatthePKFNwillnotbeabletoaccommodatenorsupportthisprojectcrossingoverourassertedtraditionallandstillsuchatimeasGNWTre-solvestheimpassewithDehchoFirstNationssaidPKFNChiefTimLennie.Weareverydis-appointedinthegovernmentsinabilitytoad-equatelydealwithourlandsrightsissues.Wehavebeengivenatakeitorleaveitofferbyyourgovernmentwhichwedonotsupport.InaletterLenniealsoinformedGNWTof-cialsthattheyarenotwelcomeinPKFNterri-torysolongasnegotiationsarehalted.TheCrownhasalegaldutytonegotiateingoodfaithwithusLenniesaid.Theycantsimplyissueultimatumsandthenabandonnegotiationsandthreatentoterminateourex-istingagreementsbutthatisexactlywhattheyaredoing.ThisisntthersttimePKFNhasbeenout-spokenabouttheDehchoProcess.In2012thebandsteppedawayfromnegotiationsstatingthatnothinghadbeenachieved.ThatsthekindofstuffthatcommunitiesareresponsibleforandifthatswhattheyfeelneedstohappeninordertogetgovernmenttolistenthatsanimportantthingandIstandbehindthem100percentsaidDehchoGrandChiefHerbNorwegian.TheDehchoProcesshasbeenongoingsince2001.InOctobertheGNWTofferedtheDFNandits3600populationatotalof37500square-kmoflandwithgeneralizedinterestofaround18percentinsubsurfacerightsforthewholere-gionor33488square-kmwith100percentofsubsurfacerights.ThisiscomparabletotheTli-choAgreementof2001whichestablishedalandbaseof39000square-kmfor3200citizens.TheDFNarguedthatgoingbycalculationswhichallottedtheTlichotheirlandtheareaofDFNlandsshouldtotalaround50000square-km.InJanuaryPremierBobMcLeodsuspendednegotiationsoverthelandquantumdebatesstatingtheGNWTslandofferrepresentsthefullextentofGNWTexibility.IfthisofferisunacceptabletotheDehchothenIsuggestthatweacknowledgethatnegotiationshavefailedtoresolveourdifferences.Theyweregivenadead-lineofFeb.20torespondtowhatDehchoGrandChiefHerbNorwegianiscallinganultimatum.ThismessagewasreiteratedbyMcLeodsev-eraltimesinameetingbetweenthepartiesonFeb.11andinaletterdatedFeb.20.Thedead-linewasextendedtoApr.6.TheDFNhavesoughtmediationwithboththefederalandterritorialgovernmentsonthematter.AsofpresstimeCanadahadagreedtoreturntothetablewithamediatorbuttheGNWThadnotreplied.WeretryingtogetgovernmenttomoveandgetthemtoseeoursideofthepictureNorwe-giansaid.Webelievethatwhatweveputonthetableisfairandthattheyneedtoacknowl-edgethatsothesoonerwecanresolvetheseis-suesthentheDehchocorridorwillbeopenforbusinessagain.InanopenletterNorwegianchallengedMcLeodtoapublicdebateinFortProvidencetoaddresstheproblems.Itswrittendownitsasgoodascarvedintomarblehesaid.ItsacallthatisseriousandwejustneedtogeteverythingoutinthepublicandtoshowthatwereseriousabouttryingtomoveforwardwiththestuffthatweredoinghereintheDehcho.TheGNWTdoesnotfeelthatallegationsexchangedinthemediaisservingthepeopleoftheDehchowell.OurpreferencehasalwaysbeenforanegotiatedsolutionPremierMcLeodstated.WehavemadeagenerousoffertotheDFNthatisconsistentwithpreviouslysettledclaimsthroughouttheNWTandencouragethemtoconsiderit.DetailsofthatofferhavebeenmadepublicintheinterestsofclearingupconfusionandmisinformationabouttheGNWTofferbutwebelievethatnegotiationsshouldbeconductedinaforumspecicallyintendedforthatpurpose.MLAsspeakoutinsupportofDehchoMLAsMichaelNadlifromtheDehChoandKevinMenicochefromNahendehhavespo-kenoutonbehalfoftheDFNinthelegislature.Bothexpressedtheirbeliefthatmediationbetweenthetwogroupsmustbeseriouslycon-sideredinordertocometoanagreementandhopefullyrepairtheirrelationship.ItismybeliefthatthenegotiationsprocessisaboutworkingoutissuesandarrivingatacommonpointofmutualinterestsaidNadli.Beforeabandoningthenegotiationsalloptionsshouldbeexploredinthebestinterestsofmov-ingnegotiationsforward.AftermanyyearsofnegotiationtheysimplycannotabandonallthehardworkandeffortsbybothpartiesespeciallywhentheDehchoissoclosetocompletingtheirnegotiationssaidMe-nicoche.Theremustbeacreativeanduniquewaythattheremainingissueoflandquantumcanbeovercome.PhotoDeneNationChiefTimLenniePehdzehKiFirstNation