Dane Gibson
Northern News Services

NNSL (Apr 05/99) - It was an arena where all Dene/Metis could be represented, and heard.

Dene leaders voiced their concerns and hopes for the future at a Dene Leadership meeting in Yellowknife, March 22-26.

NWT Premier Jim Antoine, former Finance Minister John Todd, MLA Stephen Kakfwi and National Dene Leader Bill Erasmus were just a few of the big players gathered at the table. Each of them had to field tough questions.

Chief of the G'wichya Gwich'in council of Tsiigehtchic, Grace Blake, said one of her main concerns was that non-aboriginal people are not in tune with the Dene.

"We are the ones who have pushed for devolution (of federal control) and I think it's time for us to sit across from each other as partners. We don't need 52 lawyers to interpret for us because we speak plain language," she said to the congregation.

"This territory is being run by business people and they call the shots."

Blake went on to say that money is the only thing that talks in the North, something the Dene people don't have enough of.

"We have to find a way to get more (money). We are at a disadvantage when it comes to economic opportunity in our own homeland and everyone knows it."

Grand Chief of the Akaitcho region, Felix Lockhart, spoke out against excessive non-aboriginal control of the land.

"It's all right that people from the south come here to live, living together is all right, but they seem to be taking control of everything and that's why we're weak," Lockhart said.

He said now is the time for all Dene people to come together to discuss the nation's future with the territorial and federal governments.

"We've been here for thousands of years and we're going to die here on our lands. We have to be respected for the way we live," Lockhart said.

One of the ways to gain the respect of government, he said, is to "work together in good faith" when it comes to the land and its resources.

"We're trying to protect ourselves in the courts but the lawyers change the policies and we're not being heard -- even though we're right," Lockhart said.

Antoine tried to answer the difficult and wide-ranging questions posed by the various leaders.

"Because there's boundary issues before us, everyone is leery about what will happen in the future," Antoine said to the congregation.

"I've been trying to do the best I can, as premier, to make this government work. Personally, I've always recognized the traditional aboriginal government and since becoming a chief in 1974, I've continued to ask government to recognize our chiefs and tribal governments."

Pehdzeh-K First Nation Chief Tim Lennie called the meetings constructive and informative.

"From here on we have to come up with an action plan about how the GNWT will be set up," Lennie said.

"The differences can be resolved but we have to be involved in the making of the constitution. Today we are still just observers. The question we have to answer for our region is how we're going to work with the new western government here."