by Ralph Plath
Northern News Services

FORT SIMPSON (Feb 14/97) - Changes to the way regional training dollars are being administered are confusing some residents, says the chairperson of the Dene Tene Training Authority.

"A lot of communities don't know what's going on," Don Antoine explained earlier this week.

At a Dene Tene meeting in Fort Providence last month residents brought up their concern and want to make clear to the public how the funding has changed, he added.

In the past, residents and organizations used funding from the Pathways program, which was administered by Human Resources Development Canada, for training needs,

That ended last year. The money is now controlled by the Dene Tene Training Authority, and use of the funds is determined by each community through the local training authorities, which were also created last year.

The Deh Cho region, which also includes Hay River, Kakisa and West Channel, was allotted about $1 million by the federal government this fiscal year -- April of 1996 to March 1997 -- with communities receiving their portion on a per-capita basis.

This year, for example, Fort Simpson received $288,686, Fort Providence $247,020 and Fort Liard $151,783.

Residents and organizations can apply to use the funding for youth training, pre-employment training, adult basic education and life skills programs. The money is also used to co-ordinate on-the-job training and services such as professional development and work experience.

"It is an aboriginal training fund," Antoine also pointed out.

Changes to the funding strategy are still on-going. Antoine said getting the project running smoothly is frustrating since the federal government hasn't given any funding for administration, training of staff members, or resources.

HRDC is currently trying to secure some funding for the training authority. In the mean time, some of the smaller communities are suffering, since they also have to deal with expensive tuition fees.

"The smaller communities don't have that much money because of the high cost of education," Antoine said.

Still, Antoine is optimistic the changes will mean clients should have an easier time getting funding, and communities will be able to customize their own training programs.

The agreement between the federal government and aboriginal organizations was formalized last month after the Deh Cho First Nations and other native groups across Canada began pushing the government for control over funding dollars over the past several years.

The agreement ends in 1999, and that has Antoine worried.

"There is a lot of work to be done in such a short time," he said. "We need long-term planning. It will give us more time to prove ourselves."

"This is supposed to lead to self-government," he added. "But what happens after 1999?"