Jorge Barrera
Northern News Services

Snowdrift (Sep 02/02) - Western Arctic MP Ethel Blondin-Andrew says she knows from her personal experience in the Sahtu the pain land-claim conflicts can create between First Nations people.

Ethel Blondin-Andrew

During a public meeting here earlier this month, Blondin-Andrew told members of the Akaitcho Nation she understands what they are going through.

"I know it can be rough and really dirty," said Blondin-Andrew in a taped speech from the meeting obtained by News/North.

"I'm hoping you can avoid what we couldn't."

The Akaitcho Nation Treaty 8 has launched a multi-pronged attack to stop the Dogrib Nation Treaty 11 land-claim which it says infringes on treaty rights by taking their land.

In May, Akaitcho leaders launched court action against the federal government to stop the claim and are now pressuring the territorial government to not initial the Dogrib final agreement Sept. 4.

Akaitcho leaders have said sealing the Dogrib claim will create instability in the region on both social and economic fronts.

The two nations have strong family connections.

Blondin-Andrew said she knows how tough land-claim issues can be.

"I'm no stranger to the uncertainty, the unrest and unpredictability between close relatives over land claims," said Blondin-Andrew.

She said she disagreed with her own Sahtu region's land claim and paid the price.

"My community turned against me because of my stand on the claim," said Blondin-Andrew. I would have liked to have found another way, an alternative to extinguishment."

Extinguishment means First Nations trade their treaty rights for rights outlined in their land-claim document.

This has been the dominant federal government policy when negotiating land claims.

Akaitcho fears they are being cornered into giving up some their rights by the Dogrib claim.

Using information from draft versions of the Dogrib final land-claim agreement, the Akaitcho argue the Dogrib have selected one-third of Akaitcho lands as Dogrib traditional use area.

This selection and the Dogrib jurisdiction that will go with it, affects the Akaitcho's own land-claim negotiations, said Sharon Venne, an Akaitcho negotiator.

Venne said Dogrib jurisdiction over Akaitcho land would diminish Akaitcho treaty rights and hurt their ability to negotiate what is best for their people.

The Akaitcho want a boundary separating the two nations.

The Akaitcho communities of Lutsel K'e, Deninu Ku'e, Ndilo and Dettah are negotiating a co-existence agreement with the federal government based on what elders believe Treaty 8, signed in 1900, set out.

For his part, Dogrib negotiator John B. Zoe has maintained Akaitcho rights will not be diminished by the Dogrib land claim.

The initialling ceremony scheduled for Sept. 4 in the Dogrib community of Wha Ti is the first step in implementing the Dogrib self-government-land-claim agreement.

The Dogrib people still have to approve it and it also has to be ratified by both the federal and territorial governments.

Dogrib communities in-clude Rae, Wha Ti, Gameti and Wekweti.