Jorge Barrera
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Nov 19/01) - Deh Cho Grand Chief Michael Nadli said he expects a royalties sharing agreement with the federal government next summer.

"Hopefully by this summer, we'll have an interim resource revenue sharing agreement with the federal government," said Nadli during a stop in Yellowknife for land and resource revenue negotiations with the federal government.

Nadli said he expected positive moves in Yellowknife to lay the ground-work for an agreement with the federal government over resource revenue sharing.

Nadli said the Deh Cho Nation is united anew in solidarity opposing constructing of the Mackenzie Valley pipeline under current terms.

Around 40 per cent of a proposed pipeline from the Beaufort Delta through the Mackenzie Valley cuts through Deh Cho territory.

The Deh Cho wants their own royalty deal with the federal government.

They want half the royalties which could earn them $2 billion.

After an in camera meeting during leadership talks the week of Nov 5, Nadli said the wavering Fort Simpson band reaffirmed its commitment to the Deh Cho process and opposition to the pipeline unless the Nation gets its own deal with the federal government.

"(Fort Simpson Chief Rita Cli) reaffirmed her support for resolution (signed in Wrigley)," said Nadli while in Yellowknife for land and resource revenue negotiations. "She wanted to strengthen the resolution even more."

Nadli said Cli wants all Deh Cho Nation members to have a say in the future of a pipeline cutting through their land.

The Wrigley resolution opposing the pipeline under current terms was singed this summer by the Deh Cho Nation.

In it, harvesters have the right to veto the pipeline construction.

Nadli said the Nation is organizing a strategic planning session to formalize a game plan.

The Deh Cho Fort Liard band recently jumped to the Aboriginal Pipeline Group which just signed a deal with four major Oil Companies to build a pipeline.