Jorge Barrera
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (June 03/02) - The North Slave Metis Alliance has lost its bid to stop the Dogrib Treaty 11 land claim.

In his May 31 judgment from Ottawa, Federal Court Justice Francois Lemieux ruled that stopping the Dogrib claim would do more harm than good.

Clem Paul, president of the North Slave Metis Alliance, could not be reached for comment by press time.

John B. Zoe, Dogrib chief negotiator, said relief was shared with elders at news of their court victory.

"I think we had a good argument in court and we said things as they were," said Zoe. "We were comfortable. We were positive."

On April 30, 2001, the alliance launched court action to stop to the Dogrib land-claim process until an acknowledgment and settlement of Metis rights in the Dogrib region.

Justice Lemieux concluded the Dogrib land claim would do no harm to Metis rights.

Lemieux's view on rights could have an impact on other cases before the Federal Court.

The Akaitcho Treaty 8 Nation recently launched court action against the Department of Indian Affairs over a decade-old boundary conflict with the Dogrib.

The Akaitcho fear a loss of rights under a Dogrib claim which covers land Akaitcho claims is historically theirs.

In his written decision, Lemieux also pointed to the North Slave Metis Alliance's slow response to the Dogrib claim, which began in 1992, as one reason for his decision.

"Equity aids the vigilant and not those who slumber on their rights," wrote Lemieux in his ruling.

In an interesting twist, Paul is also a member of the Dogrib Rae band, which is a member of the Dogrib Nation -- the very people he launched this court action against.