Arthur Milnes
Northern News Services

NNSL (Feb 15/99) - What a difference a couple of hours can make when you're dealing with politics and politicians.

At 11:30 a.m. Friday, NWT Premier Jim Antoine's office sent out a press release, calling a trip last week to Alberta to talk with energy sector representatives a "definite success." He went with RWED Minister Stephen Kakfwi.

Then, around 1:30 p.m., another release was sent to Northern news rooms. This one came from the chairperson of the Sahtu Secretariat Inc., Ruby McDonald, and Raymond Taniton, chief of the Sahtu Dene Council. It called on Kakfwi and Antoine to resign in light of the same trip.

"Why are Premier Antoine and Minister Kakfwi dancing for the oil barons in Calgary when there is clearly no consensus on this issue back home?" McDonald asked in the statement.

Taniton said the trip and recent calls by Antoine for the NWT to assume oil, gas and mineral rights from Ottawa fly in the face of self-government negotiations between Sahtu and Ottawa.

"There is no consensus from the Sahtu to support the GNWT transferring these things," he said from Deline. "We're negotiating the self-government agreement and we're having a hard time with the resources."

"This is really serious stuff."

He also said Kakfwi -- who serves as the Sahtu's MLA -- was told these views by the aboriginal leadership only two weeks ago. Kakfwi could be not reached for comment Friday.

Late Friday afternoon, GNWT press secretary Judy Langford said the premier had seen the Sahtu news release and plans on responding to the their concerns personally. In his statement Friday, Antoine had said the GNWT can advance discussions on resource royalties with Ottawa by fostering partnerships with aboriginal groups and building on connections made on his Alberta trip.