Doug Ashbury
Northern News Services

NNSL (Jun 15/98) - Aboriginal leaders and the resource industry could be on the brink of a new way of doing business in the North.

Both sides recognize they will have to work in partnership with a unified purpose if Northerners are to get optimum benefits from the North's vast untapped resources.

Dogrib Grand Chief Joe Rabesca acknowledged resource development is playing a bigger role in the four communities he represents.

"In our communities, slowly our young people are moving toward education. One year ago, five students were down south (in colleges or universities). Because of BHP diamonds and Diavik diamond mines there are now 55 students," he said.

Rabesca said traditional forms of income, specifically trapping, have dwindled and the Dogrib have moved to set up economic development partnerships.

"I'm willing to work with anybody who is interested in working with aboriginal groups," he said. Rabesca even suggested some aboriginal leaders are looking at setting up a financial institution.

Rabesca made the comments at a joint aboriginal-industry economic development forum held at the Explorer Hotel in Yellowknife last week.

He said it was the first time he has participated in a forum of this type.

The Dogrib Group of Companies, Deton'Cho Corporation, Kitikmeot Corporations and the NWT Chamber of Mines sponsored the forum, which was funded by the GNWT and the federal Department of Indian and Northern Affairs. The forum cost about $55,000.

Delegates resolved to form a task force to include NWT Chamber of Mines and aboriginal representatives. The task force will ultimately present its vision of resource economic development to Indian Affairs and Northern Development Minister Jane Stewart.

Deton'Cho Corporation president Darrell Beaulieu, Kitikmeot Corporation president Charlie Lyall and North Slave Metis Alliance president Clem Paul were other aboriginal leaders who spoke at the forum.

"Development continues to be challenged by lack of access to capital. Collaborative initiatives are needed," Beaulieu said.

Some aboriginal groups do not have land claim money which could be used to fund development projects.

Lyall said the North is poised for change because industry and aboriginal groups are both talking development. "I think government and industry know where we stand. Industry has our support. Here's a chance for industry to drive the economy," he said.

Paul said he was initially skeptical of the forum because many people are fed up with attending meetings and individual groups with individual points of view may doom the process.

He suggested the Metis would like to be involved with a process that looks at the bigger picture.

"We can't continue to do the same thing and expect different results," Paul said.

"I've been working in the North for 25 years, I've never seen all these groups come together and say we'd like to see resource development," Eric Christensen said.

Christensen, who runs a consulting company in Yellowknife, prepared a 34-page paper on aboriginal-industry resource development for the two-day conference at the Explorer Hotel.

Christensen said the conference stems from changes expected at the federal and territorial levels.

The federal government and the GNWT are expected to develop new aboriginal economic development strategies this year.

Stewart challenged the North last fall to come up with a plan, Christensen said.

The forum-generated plan, to be presented to Stewart is expected to cover aboriginal corporate capacity, equity capital and financial support, resources and transportation as well as education and training.

The key, according to a former provincial premier, is unity of purpose. Former Newfoundland premier Brian Peckford suggests Northerners must "demonstrate cohesiveness."

Peckford, premier from 1979 to 1989, who currently runs a B.C.-based company, recently began consulting for Nuna Logistics, the firm which is part-owned by the Kitikmeot Corp. and pursuing road and port infrastructure development in the Kitikmeot.

When it comes to economic development, Peckford said if a "collective and common message" is not handed to Steward, then the federal government will have an out.

"Divisiveness excuses the federal government from doing anything," he said.

"It's the natural ebb and flow of politics and economics of this country."