Glen Korstrom
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Nov 29/99) - The GNWT authorized the signing of the Dogrib agreement-in-principle (AIP) Nov. 18.

It is now up to the federal government to authorize signing before further negotiation moves toward a final agreement.

"A condition of signing the AIP is that the federal government helps develop a process between the Dogrib Treaty 11 and the Yellowknives and the Deh Cho," said Premier Jim Antoine.

"The authorization of the signing doesn't mean that it's going to be signed right away. I understand that the federal government negotiators still have to go to Minister Bob Nault and Nault will probably take some time to look at it and get briefed and then he'll move it into the cabinet for approval for signing so it will take a couple of months I believe."

The AIP was initialled by the territorial, federal and Dogrib negotiators in August. That allowed the agreement to be circulated for review.

The Dogribs took the AIP to their membership at their annual assembly in August.

"There's still some time between now and (when the federal government authorizes the signing) for more progress and comfort to evolve between the Yellowknives and the Dogrib," said Antoine.

He said what makes the current AIP different from past NWT land claim settlements by the Inuvialuit, the Gwich'in and the Sahtu Dene is that those three were all land and resources agreements.

"The Dogrib AIP is land and resources and self- government at the same time, together, combined," Antoine said.

"They've identified a number of (programs and services) that they would like to administer."

Antoine said the GNWT is encouraging the Dogrib Treaty 11 First Nations to work together with the Deh Cho First Nations over the Horn Plateau.

The Deh Cho First Nations has circled their concern about their ability to continue to use the Horn Plateau as they have for years.

"They've received a letter from Dogrib Treaty 11 saying that any boundary over the Horn will not jeopardize their traditional use," Antoine said.

He said outstanding overlap and boundary issues between the Dogrib and their neighbours in the Deh Cho First Nations and the Yellowknives Dene First Nations must be resolved before a final agreement can be reached.

"I have written to the minister of Indian and Northern Affairs encouraging him to establish, before the AIP is signed, a process that is acceptable to the First Nations to deal with these issues."