Dave Sullivan
Northern News Services

Salt River First Nation (Feb 18/02) - With a recent federal settlement of $80 million and land throughout Fort Smith and Wood Buffalo National Park, 64-year-old Chief Jim Schaefer will lead more talks on behalf of 759 members on what can be done on the land.

The band must create land policies in harmony with Parks Canada wishes and in Fort Smith, with what residents can live with. Schaefer spoke with News/North recently.

News North: What is your vision for Salt River First Nation, now that you have a settlement?

Jim Schaefer: A community within the community of Fort Smith. We'll live in harmony.

N/N: Is there or was there an actual community called Salt River?

JS: Yes, individuals still go there to summer cottages.

N/N: Will it stay that way or will you try to re-build a community there?

JS: At this time we have no plans for any of our lands except for in-town lands.

N/N: What about the in-town lands. What's the plan?

JS: Residential and commercial.

N/N: Could you sell a house and lot to non-members moving to Fort Smith? How would that work?

JS: They'd probably have to rent.

N/N: What about the zoning?

JS: It's up to us to zone.

N/N: So the town won't mind?

JS: We have basically adopted the municipal bylaws. We haven't had a chance to go over them and change them, but we will do that in conjunction with the town, giving our reasons why we will change. Where there's a residential area we're not going to make that industrial. We'll conform to that. The commercial will be out near the highway.

N/N: Is there any indication that some members living say, in Yellowknife or Edmonton, may want to move back here?

JS: Maybe the odd one. But we don't want to change their lives drastically because we settled a land claim. Unless they're planning on retiring.

N/N: That could be a good marketing plan.

JS: There are a lot of suggestions out there.

N/N: What else do you have to do to implement this settlement?

JS: Getting the bankers in place, bylaws, a constitution.

N/N: Is there any other place like this, a model where there's a settlement right in the middle of an existing community?

JS: No. No one else has heard of something like this, as far as I know. Some bands have lots in town but not like this.

N/N: This is your first term and you've been chief for two years. Will you run again and will the chief be chosen through a custom election or from a more formal vote?

JS: Yes, and we want to hold an election. Because of a court decision, all our band members regardless of where they live should be eligible to vote, so we'll send them a ballot. We have to have a nominating period and a returning officer.

N/N: Do you like being chief?

JS: Sure. It's a tough job. Very tough. At the same time when you accomplish something ...

Don't say I got the settlement. I have a very good council, I hope they all run again. It represents just about every family in town ... Everybody has a mind of their own and they sure express it. The good thing is after it's all over, we come together. They don't say, "the hell with you." We can have our arguments and still work together.

N/N: If you have a good council from the custom-vote method, could changing that upset the apple cart?

JS: Any election is a chance.

N/N: Could you give me some more history?

JS: We were wanderers. My grandmother told me they'd winter around the Caribou Mountains, and in the spring cut through where the park is now, go to Fitzgerald, then across the river and head northeast. They'd travel for four years before they came back here. They travelled up to Baker Lake. Then in the 1940s the government said kids had to go to school, so that's when we stopped wandering. They took the children from here to Fort Resolution.