Derek Neary
Northern News Services

Wrigley (Mar 17/00) - Wrigley elder Gabe Hardisty says he feels the 1993 Deh Cho Declaration, passed at an assembly in Kakisa, is no longer being adhered to today.

For instance, the negotiations team was supposed to have a delegate from each community, he contended. That has been done in other land claims regions, but not here in the Deh Cho with self-government negotiations, he said.

"It has fallen into somebody else's lap," he said. "To me that is not right. I don't like somebody else making decisions for me when he (the chief negotiator) doesn't know anything about my background, my history or traditions, or the land that I travel on."

Hardisty added that Grand Chief Michael Nadli has not been listening to the elders. The decision to hire the chief negotiator last year defied the advice of some Deh Cho elders, he said.

"He made a mistake," he said. "I've been involved since '72. The way I see things going right now, if that's the way it's going to be, forget about land claims. We're going to give up all our rights and end up with nothing."

Nadli said it's "absurd" to think the DCFN has strayed from the Deh Cho Declaration, from which the principles are laid out to guide the Deh Cho Process. As for the absence of a delegate from each community, Nadli said a lack of funding has necessitated that. It's not practical anyway, he said.

"If the scenario is that people want a rep from each of the 10 communities what does that say? That we're negotiating for every community?" he asked. "Is that realistic?"

Nadli added that two elders were part of the selections committee that chose the chief negotiator. That decision was later endorsed by leaders and elders through a teleconference, he noted.

He said this week's elders' workshop in Fort Simpson -- which Hardisty did not attend -- is evidence that elders' are listened to and understood. They told the negotiating team leaders to leave the room Tuesday so they could have their own caucus to come up with direction for the negotiations.

"He's (Hardisty) either misinformed or he doesn't understand a lot of the issues," Nadli said while waiting to return to the conference room.

An election for grand chief is scheduled for the annual Deh Cho Assembly in Kakisa in July. Nadli had declared his intention to re-offer at the leadership meetings on the Hay River Reserve last month. Hardisty said he's thinking about running too.

"I've only talked to a few people. They're willing to support me," he said.

He said it's accepted that the grand chief will speak on the elders' behalf, but the elders should be contacted before decisions are made and their word should be heeded.

"He's (Nadli) hurting himself to continue what he's doing," he said. "That's why I raised it, just so they know that people in the other communities are not feeling the same way."

Elders approached by the Drum at this week's assembly didn't concur with Hardisty.

Mary Cazon, of Fort Simpson, said she has spent much of the winter in the bush, but the briefing provided on Monday led her to believe things are proceeding as the elders have recommended.

"We give them direction and it takes time for them to give us a right answer," she explained. "I think things are going slowly, but I think it's going good."

Elder Daniel Sonfrere, of the Hay River Reserve, said he thinks the elders' input is meaningful.

Fort Providence elder Ted Landry agreed. He acknowledged, though, that the meetings contain a mind-boggling amount of information.

"It makes me think too much," he said, laughing.