Yellowknife (Nov 08/04) - A showdown is brewing over aboriginal representation on the Northwest Territories Tourism board.

At the board's annual general meeting at the Explorer Hotel in Yellowknife Thursday, former premier and Aurora Village owner Don Morin stepped in at the last minute to stop the Northwest Territories Tourism board from watering down aboriginal representation on the board.

The tourism association has had great difficulty getting its aboriginal representatives to show up at board meetings, said president Jim Peterson. He said it has created problems achieving quorum and ensuring tourism board business can be legally undertaken.

As a result, the board attempted to pass an amendment that would increase the board's maximum size from 19 to 15. Under both the current number and the proposed adjustment, guaranteed aboriginal representation would stand at six.

The discussion was highlighted through a tense exchange primarily between Peterson and Morin.

Morin said the tourism board was funded as an aboriginal agency, and any attempts to water down aboriginal participation on the board should not happen without the consent of regional aboriginal governments and the GNWT.

"The bottom line is this amendment will water down aboriginal participation, said Morin.

"Address the problem of aboriginal participation. We have a board and have a problem, let's fix that problem."

In response, Peterson said, "We've had four aboriginal members not show up in two years. We have called and notified them ... 90 per cent of the time I don't have a quorum."

But Morin argued the board should wait until after having contacted regional aboriginal governments.

"Let's solve it, without watering it down, at the next AGM not this one," Morin said.

Boyd Warner with Adventure NWT Ltd., said the racial make up of the board is not the central issue.

"There's no preclusion," said Warner.

"In theory this board could be 100 per cent aboriginal. I don't see this as a racial thing. Should I be asking for equal representation for whites? This is not what it's about."

MacKay Lake Lodge owner Gary Jaeb said the organization refused to pay travel fees to the annual general meeting for Rea Letcher, one of the aboriginal board members. Jaeb ask the board to read Letcher's letter. The letter was not read.

Two-year no-show

Peterson responded by saying Letcher has not shown up for a board meeting in two years, and he wasn't about to pay travel expenses for a board member who had not shown up throughout that period.

Peterson added a letter was sent out in August to aboriginal governments asking for representatives on the board and since that time two new aboriginal representatives have been appointed.

Peterson couldn't explain why it took Northwest Territories Tourism close to two years to request more aboriginal participation.

"I don't know. I don't have a reason," said Peterson. "The onus was on them. The responsibility was theirs. Our plate was full. We had an organization to run. We did what we had to do. It's a two-way street. Why is it always us and not them?"

Suzan Marie, another aboriginal board member, was refused admission to a board meeting earlier in the week. Peterson said Marie was excluded because her membership fees were not paid up.

Marie said she pays her fees every year at the AGM, but Peterson said fees are due in the spring.

Resources Wildlife and Economic Development assistant deputy minister Doug Doan said the lack of aboriginal participation on the tourism board is a serious issue.

"RWED is prepared to commit staff and financial resources to assist in doing a consultation and finding a solution for all of us," he said.