Dehcho First Nations not impressed with federal gov't land claim offer

The federal government's latest land claim offer to the Dehcho First Nations (DFN) received an overwhelming thumbs down at the general assembly in Wrigley, N.W.T., this week.

Parts of the offer were made public in June.

• Dehcho First Nations given options in land, resource rights in latest federal land claim offer

The entire 223-page agreement in principlewas given to attendees at the assembly, and each of the First Nations' 10 member groups were asked for feedback on its 50 chapters.

OurDenelaws do not give any basis for giving away or selling our land to others.- Sharon Pellissey, director of lands,PehdzehKi First Nation

The chapters include governance on health, education, land, taxation and finances.

The majority of delegates rejected the offeror called for a counter-offer.

"Our Dene laws do not give any basis for giving away or selling our land to others," said SharonPellissey,director of lands for thePehdzehKi First Nation in Wrigley.

"We must abide by our elders, our ancestors, our law, our legal obligations that arise from our relationship with the land and, therefore, we cannot sell our land."

The Dehcho have been in land negotiations with the federal government for 19 years.

The new offer outlines two options. One has a $113-million cash settlement, with 48,000 square kilometres of surface and subsurface resource royalty rights, but no resource revenues from Crown land in the Mackenzie Valley.

The other option is the same cash settlement, but with a smaller land offer of 42,000 square kilometres of surface and subsurface rights, and a small share in mineral royalties from development on Crown land in the Mackenzie Valley.

Two federal land negotiators and one territorial land negotiatormet with the assembly on Wednesday.

Sambaa K'eFirst Nation in Trout Lakeand Ka'a'gee Tu First Nation in Kakisaasked for an additional six months to review the offer.

The Deh Gah Got'ieFirst Nation in Fort Providence also wants more time to discuss the offer with its members.

"We are landowners and we can not compromise the future of our children by giving that away," said Sam Gargan, council member for DehGahGot'ie First Nation.

Nahanni Butte absent from meeting

The NahanniButte DeneBand wasabsent from the assembly, even though organizers expected representatives to attend.

• 'We're done': Nahanni Butte pulls out of Dehcho First Nations

Delegates must now decide how to proceed with the federal government's offer.

A resolution is expected on Friday, the final day of the assembly.

Newly elected Grand Chief Gladys Norwegian urged for a collaborative approach.

"We need to discuss how we can move forward and work together. How we can help each other."