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Dettah (July 09/01) - The Akaitcho territory will be without a grand chief for at least another year and likely longer.
"We'll probably just do away with it," said Ndilo chief Peter Liske, who initiated the decision to postpone selection of a grand chief Friday in Dettah at the Akaitcho annual general assembly.
 Peter Liske |
"Look at what's happening with the Dogribs and the Deh Cho," Liske said. "The grand chiefs take away power from the regular chiefs.
The six Treaty 8 communities that make up the Akaitcho territory have been without a grand chief since Felix Lockhart resigned from the post two years ago.
The issue that drew the most debate on Friday, was the boundary dispute with the Dogribs.
The eastern boundary proposed by the Dogribs in their land claim, set to be finalized this year, has generated a lot of bad blood between the two aboriginal governments.
After making a presentation at the assembly, Dene Nation national chief Bill Erasmus was peppered with questions about his stand on the issue.
Erasmus said the boundary between Treaty 8 and Dogrib Treaty 11 was sealed in a peace treaty between Dogrib chief Edzo and Yellowknives chief Akaitcho at Boundary Creek, more than a hundred years ago.
"We have evidence of that, we have letters ... I think if you went to court you would win," said Erasmus.
The national chief said he supports the Akaitcho in its battle to have the Dogribs recognize the historical boundary.
Liske said the Akaitcho territory, in particular the Yellowknives Dene, is two steps away from taking the matter to court. They have given the Dogribs until this Thursday to provide a map of the Treaty 11 'primary use area' and a definition of what that means.
If that fails to resolve the issue, the Yellowknives plan to take up Indian Affairs Minister Robert Nault on an offer he reportedly made to Edjericon to join them and Dogrib leaders on a retreat in an attempt to settle the dispute.
