Derek Neary
Northern News Services

NNSL (Aug 13/99) - Chris Reid appreciates the Deh Cho First Nations' vision of self-government.

"Their whole approach to their land has been a no-surrender approach," said Reid, a 39-year-old Metis lawyer based in Toronto, who was hired as the DCFN's chief negotiator last month.

The DCFN is seeking to strengthen their treaty relations with the Crown and to put some details behind the treaty principles, he suggested. They have no intention of selling or surrendering the land, he said.

Since the "Deh Cho Process" is unique in its ambitions, it may take anywhere from three to 20 years for it to be fully realized, Reid estimated. It depends on how long it takes the government to come around and agree with the Deh Cho principles, he said.

However, interim agreements may be signed along the way until the final agreement is completed, he suggested. Ultimately, he said, it will see the DCFN assume complete jurisdiction over the region's lands and resources. In the meantime, it's imperative that the federal government doesn't continue to grant permits for unwanted and unauthorized development in the Deh Cho, he remarked.

"Good faith" negotiations are essential, according to Reid.

The DCFN aren't opposed to land development, he noted. They simply expect an equitable deal when it comes to resource revenue.

They are equally realistic when it comes to taking over and administering government programs. That will likely be done in an incremental approach while training takes place, he said.

Although he is non-Dene and not entirely familiar with the Deh Cho region, Reid applied for the chief negotiator position for a couple of reasons. First, he has an extensive history of working with First Nations and Metis organizations, including land claims and self-government. Secondly, he said he sees himself as a "hired gun." The role of chief negotiator isn't one which will leave him making political decisions, he said.

"It's obvious nobody could make a deal that they (the DCFN) don't support," he said. "Because at the end of the day, they have to ratify it."

As a matter of fact, if the DCFN membership had not been satisfied with the selection committee's choice to hire him, he said he would have been quite willing to step aside in favour of someone of Dene descent.

"I fully understand that. I would support it," he said during the Deh Cho Assembly when his fate was still somewhat uncertain. "I would be happy to be part of the team."

He first visited the region in March when he was working in an advisory capacity with the Liidli Kue First Nation. He attended the Deh Cho Resource Management Workshop and met a number of First Nations leaders, elders and members.

"We just seemed to click," said Reid, who graduated from Toronto's Osgoode Hall Law School in 1985 and considers Kirkland Lake, Ont. home because that's where his mother lives. He's also spent a number of years in Sault Ste. Marie.

A DCFN government would comprise a high quality of leadership and strong principles as demonstrated by the respect for elders, he noted. Being "deeply rooted in democracy," it would also take non-Dene persons into account, he said.

"It's a process that will probably make things better for everybody in this region," he said. "They'll have a more accountable government. Decision will be made in the Deh Cho rather than in Ottawa or Yellowknife."