Erasmus calls devolution illegal, says Dene not collectively consulted
'They said it was a done deal, that was the message a few years ago,' Dene National Chief Bill Erasmus
Joseph Tunney
Northern News Services
Thursday, August 4, 2016
LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON
Dene National Chief Bill Erasmus has called the 2014 NWT devolution legislation, which gave the territorial government province-like powers, illegal.
Dene National Chief Bill Erasmus, right, sitting next to RCMP Chief Superintendent Ron Smith at the Dene Nation Assembly July 23 where he made his comments about devolution being illegal. - Joseph Tunney/NNSL photo
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"They forced some people to sign on to devolution," Erasmus said at the Dene National Assembly on July 26.
"They said it was a done deal, that was the message a few years ago."
The legislation, which the final piece of was signed in March 2014, handed over decision-making regarding water, lands and resources from federal hands to the territorial government.
Through its revenue sharing plan, the legislation is also supposed to ensure NWT residents and indigenous people benefit from the responsible development of the region's resource potential.
Erasmus said both the territorial and federal governments are obligated to work with the Dene as a collective people, not a group of isolated communities, which Erasmus says the government has not done.
"Some people have signed on but a majority of them have not," he said. "There are 16, 17 communities that are not part of it but nobody really talks about that."
The Dehcho and Akaitcho First Nations are the two out seven aboriginal groups that have not signed the devolution legislation.
Back in December, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called for a "full review of the legislation unilaterally imposed on indigenous peoples by the previous government."
Erasmus has previously called devolution illegal as recently as January 2014.
