Jorge Barrera
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (June 21/02) - Grand chiefs of two nations embroiled in a long-running boundary dispute signed a tentative agreement earlier this month after a face-to-face meeting in Yellowknife.

On June 11, Dogrib Grand Chief Joe Rabesca and Deh Cho Grand Chief Michael Nadli met in the boardroom of the Dene Nation and drew "a line across a map" -- something their negotiation teams could not do despite numerous attempts.

"We reached something. There is a map we drew a line on," said Rabesca.

The signed document is currently locked in a safe inside the Dene Nation office.

Nadli and Rabesca said they did not want to make details of the agreement public until it is official.

"It's a working document," said Nadli.

"We are close to finalizing."

The boundary dispute cantered on the Horn Plateau region, which sits northwest of Yellowknife.

In the last four years talks over the issue intensified as the Dogrib neared the end of their land-claim negotiations and the Deh Cho struck out on their treaty entitlement negotiations.

Local working groups and negotiation teams failed numerous times to reach an agreement on the issue. Earlier this winter, Deh Cho chief negotiator Chris Reid raised the spectre of federal involvement for a final settlement.

"Now we bring it at the highest level and have the two Grand Chiefs settle it," said Nadli. "To know it can be achieved at this level is positive."

Rabesca also praised their ability to settle the thorny issue of boundaries nation to nation.

"We don't need court. This is better," said Rabesca. "(Court) is going to hurt someone and it could go either way."

The remarks seemed to point straight to the Akaitcho Nation who recently launched a court challenge against the Minister of Indian Affairs over their boundary dispute with the Dogrib.

While details of the tentative agreement are sparse, it seems the two sides reached an overlapping boundary agreement.

"Nadli and the Deh Cho can go hunting in Dogrib area for caribou, and they are more than welcome, and I can go moose hunting in their area," said Rabesca.

No date for a final agreement has been set yet.