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TuesdayApril1420157POLITICSFIRSTNATIONSPleaseleaveamessageat872-5543fordetails.WESCLEANNORTHERNSALESLTD.Ph867875-5100Fax867875-5155E-mailinfowescleannwt.comwebwww.wescleannwt.comSpayedNeuteredUp-to-datewithroutineshotsHousetrainedKitkatMaleAdultBrowntabbyLookingforanewhomeKitkatissoftandfriendlyandneedsanewhome.Sogivehimabreakforgoodnesssake.PleasestopbyandmakeKitkatyournewpet.ThePelicanRapidsGolfCountryClubiscurrentlyhiringClubHouseStaff.DropoffaresumeatLousSmallEngines.700PMThursdayApril232015RCLegioninFortSmithPremieragreestomeetwithDehchoFirstNationsThecomingmeetingsthismonthwillbethersttimethepartieshavemetface-to-facesinceFebruary.AlthoughDFNnegotiatorsalreadycalledforamediatortoassistwiththetalksNorwegiansaiditsunclearrightnowwhetherornotthatwillstillbeneeded.WhileDFNisntplanningtobringanen-tourageastheydidinFebruaryNorwegiansaidthemeetingswouldbetransparentandopentothepublic.DisputeoveramountoflandTheGNWTsofferwouldeithergiveDFNanareaoflandtotalling37500square-kmwithgeneralizedinterestofaround18percentinsubsurfacerightsforthewholeregionor33488square-kmwith100percentofsubsurfacerights.ThatofferisequivalenttothelandgrantedtheTlichoGovernmentfollowingitslandclaimne-gotiationsaccordingtotheGNWT.ButbasedoncomparisonstotheTlichowhichwasoffered39000square-kmofsurfacetitleNorwegiansaidanequaldealforDFNbasedontheirhigherpopulationcountshouldamounttoaround50000square-km.TheDehchoProcessnegotiationsfor-merlylimitedtothefederalgovernmentwerehandedofftotheGNWTlastyearasthenewauthorityforlandswaterandresourcesintheterritoryfollowingdevolution.TheGNWTsoffercontinuestobebasedontheregionalbreakdownwithintheoriginalByMEAGANWOHLBERGTheterritorialgovernmenthasagreedtocontinuediscussionswiththeDehchoFirstNationsDFNregardingtheirlandclaimprocessthismonthdespiteDFNsrefusaltoaccepttheGNWTsnalofferonlandquan-tumbythesetdeadlineofApr.6.InanemailsentlastweektheGNWTscheduledmeetingsinYellowknifefromApr.21to23inordertoassessthecurrentstatusofnegotiationsandprospectsforsuc-cessaswellasoptionsforaddressingout-standingmatters.DFNGrandChiefHerbNorwegiansaidheappreciatesthewillingnessofPremierBobMcLeodandhisteamofnegotiatorstoopenupadialogue.ItsagoodgestureagoodsignthattheydowanttomeetsaidNorwegianwhodidatourofDehchocommunitieslastweektobringthemuptospeedonthecurrentim-passeinnegotiations.Thepremierhadsaidtoushewouldhavethenegotiatorsgetbacktousandhesstandingbyhiswordwhichisgood.StillthemeetingsshouldntbetakenasanindicationthattheGNWThasagreedtoreturntothenegotiatingtableaccordingtothepremier.RatherMcLeodthinksallthreeparties-includingCanada-needtoregroupanddetermineifthereisareasonablebasisforresumingnegotiations.RecentGNWTeffortstoproposeaninno-vativeapproachtoaddressinglandquantumintheDehchohavemetwithnosuccessthepremiertoldTheJournalinanemailedstate-ment.WhiletheGNWTcontinuestopre-feranegotiatedsolutionthereneedstobeasharedwillingnessamongallthreepartiestoconcludeanagreementthatiscomparabletopreviouslysettledclaimsintheGwichinSahtuandTlichoregions.Talksbrokedownearlierthisyearaftertheterritorialgovernmentmadeclearthatitsrstandonlyofferonlandandsubsur-facerightsfortheDehchowouldbenalratherthanexibleasoriginallyindicatedinOctober2014.Norwegiansaidhewelcomestheoppor-tunitytoaddressthenatureoftheimpasseandndwaystomoveforwardbeforedelvingintothecontentiousissueoflandquantum.Idontthinkwewanttobetooaggres-siveoffthebatintryingtomoveeachothersagendasforwardhesaid.Therewillhavetosometimetoaddressthatkindofdisputemomentarilyandthenmoveontothebigissuethatsathand.SecondmisseddeadlineThisisthesecondtimetheGNWThaswaiveditsdeadlineinthetroublednegotiations.ThepremierrstindicatedinJanuarythattheDFNwasrequiredtorespondtotheofferbyFeb.20.ThatwasuntilDFNsnegotiatingteamcommunityleaderseldersandmembersstormedthelegislatureinFebruarysecur-inganadditionalmeetingwiththepremierandgettinganextensiononthesameofferwithanewdeadlineofApr.6.LatelastmonththePehdzehKiFirstNa-tioninWrigley-oneofthepartiestotheDe-hchoProcess-struckbackthreateningtopullsupportfortheGNWTsplanned82-millionbre-opticlinewhichwouldrunthroughtheirtraditionalterritoryifthegovernmentrefusedtonegotiatefurtherwithDFN.Dene-Mtisclaimdiscussedinthe1980sinwhichtheDehchoisallotteda24.5percentstakeofthelandquantumbasedonpopula-tion.AdjustmentsweremadetoreectthedepartureoftheKatlodeecheandAchoDeneKoeFirstNationsfromtheprocess.AccordingtotheGNWTtheofferisbig-gerthantheDehchosexpectedshareoftheDene-Mtisclaim.PhotocourtesyofParksCanadaItsagoodgestureagoodsignthattheydowanttomeet.Thepremieris...standingbyhiswordwhichisgood.GrandChiefHerbNorwegianDehchoFirstNationsTheNWTgovernmentandDehchoFirstNationsareatastandstillinnegotiationsovertheamountoflandtheFirstNationswillreceivethroughtheircomprehensiveclaim.