Dave Sullivan
Northern News Services

Kakisa (July 02/01) - Conflicts between old values and new stand in the way of a decision on a gas pipeline through traditional Deh Cho territory.

At the ninth annual assembly of Deh Cho First Nations last week, elders reminded delegates how the land is sacred and belongs to nobody, while young leaders pleaded for aboriginal communities to catch up to the times and cash in on pipeline benefits.

Chief Pat Martel

Delegates said they felt tremendous pressure to make a decision soon, and one they hope their grandchildren would not regret.

"It's not going to look good for us in the future if we say we can't do it," Hay River Chief Pat Martel said.

Spokespersons for small communities said that they are being bypassed when it comes to economic benefits and residents continue to struggle without jobs or decent houses.

Chief Leon Koniseta of Nahanni Butte said the small communities also cannot afford to hire experts who can negotiate economic benefits with resource companies.

"We want oil company contracts. We can't go back into the bush," Koniseta said.

Trout Lake Chief Dennis Deneron said three or four oil companies approach him every month, but "we don't even know how to talk to them."

While he and other chiefs expressed frustration at standing by, others urged the Deh Cho government to think like the Innuvialuit who have started large corporations.

But among those who favour development there is concern that the proposed agreement with oil companies is flawed.

Deh Cho's chief negotiator Chris Reid said a pipeline agreement signed by members of the Aboriginal Pipeline Group conflicts with the Deh Cho Process, a drive for self-government that will take another decade to complete.

The agreement "will take control away" because it calls for a environmental assessment controlled by the federal government rather than local authorities, Reid said.

"Nobody represents aboriginal interests...the purpose of the Deh Cho Process is to ensure that you have control over a project like this."

Deh Cho negotiators working with oil companies disagreed with Reid, and said the agreement is flexible. Doug Cardinal urged leaders not to toss out negotiations that took 18 months.

Reid warned that once a pipeline is approved, there will be no leverage left to use for negotiating royalties.