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OTTAWA
One NWT chief who attended last week's Crown-First Nation Gathering in Ottawa believes the event was a small step forward.

"My impression was there was a lot of ceremony and a lot of speeches made by both sides - government, (Assembly of First Nations) AFN and regional leaders, and past leaders of the AFN," said Salt River First Nation Chief David Poitras of the one-day meeting on Jan. 24. "But, all in all, from the whole process, I think we took a little baby step."

The meeting, which was designed to improve relations between First Nations and the federal government, brought together hundreds of chiefs from around Canada, AFN National Chief Shawn A-in-chut Atleo, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and a dozen or so federal cabinet ministers, Gov. Gen. David Johnston, and senior federal officials.

Poitras said the whole issue is too huge to make any dramatic changes as the result of just one meeting.

"There are over 600 bands across Canada in all different stages of development and with all kinds of varying agendas, so it would be difficult, I think, to make any kind of one sweeping change to make everybody happy," he said, although he added it was a good start. "At least the dialogue was there."

Poitras said, going into the gathering, he was looking for a strong commitment from Harper to look at working with First Nations to make some changes.

"Some people thought that the Indian Act should just be taken out, and a lot of people said, 'Well, you have to do it in little pieces because otherwise it might be chaos,'" the chief said. "I think what happened is what I expected. No big promises, but a start."

There were other NWT chiefs at the gathering including Bill Erasmus, national chief of the Dene Nation, Chief Jim Antoine of the Liidlii Kue First Nation in Fort Simpson, and Richard Nerysoo, president of the Gwich'in Tribal Council.

One of the chiefs who did not make the trip to Ottawa was Louis Balsillie of the Deninu Ku'e First Nation in Fort Resolution.

Balsillie noted the federal minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development doesn't seem that interested in meeting First Nations when he visits the NWT.

"Does he give us the time of day? No," the chief said. "He doesn't go to Yellowknife band offices and say, 'Hey, I'm here. Let's have a meeting.'"

Balsillie said it's also not that simple from a financial point of view for some chiefs to travel to Ottawa.

"Where does the money come from?" he said. "If the Dene Nation was paying for it, sure I'd go. If your home community has to pay for it, then you've got to think twice about that because it's a big cost."

The Fort Resolution chief doesn't think the Ottawa gathering accomplished much.

"I don't think anything changed," Balsillie said.

AFN National Chief Atleo called the gathering an important first step in renewing the relationship between First Nations and the Crown.

"We have emerged with a shared understanding that building stronger First Nations and a stronger Canada requires us to reinvigorate the original relationship that was based on partnership, sharing and trust," he said in a news release. "We have a commitment to act on key priorities guided by recognition and implementation of First Nations rights."

An outcome statement issued following the gathering commits the two sides to key principles and sets out immediate steps for action.

That includes working to strengthen First Nations governance and moving beyond the Indian Act, improving financial arrangements, implementing treaties and treaty rights, advancing resolution of land claims, and reforming education.

"Fundamental change requires that we redouble our collaboration with First Nations to develop the elements upon which our renewed relationship will be based," Harper in stated in a news release following the gathering.

Harper committed to an ongoing dialogue, adding a progress report will be issued no later than Jan. 24, 2013.

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