Fort Simpson (Oct 17/03) - Struggling to respond to applications associated with a Mackenzie Valley pipeline, First Nations in the Deh Cho are demanding money from industry and government to hire more personnel.

Tim Lennie: First Nations cannot meet pipeline demands without more expertise.

"At the community level we don't have any resources. We've been saying it for years," Wrigley Chief Tim Lennie said last week. "We just cannot continue in this way... it's very frustrating."

At present, aboriginal groups are unable to effectively prepare for the economic opportunities and the social and environmental impacts that the pipe will will create, according to Lennie. They need money to hire resource people to address these specific issues, he said.

The Gwich'in and the K'asho Got'ine (Fort Good Hope and Colville Lake) are making the same demands as the Deh Cho. Until they are met, the aboriginal groups say they will not meet with pipeline proponents.

The consortium of oil and gas companies investing in the potential pipeline has already covered costs incurred by the Gwich'in while negotiating benefits and access agreements, an industry spokesperson said Friday. Hart Searle, of Mackenzie Gas Project, noted that a similar offer has been made to the Deh Cho.

Searle said Mackenzie Gas Project has also the reminded the federal and territorial governments that a variety of resources are required at the community and regulatory levels to review the pipeline applications.

"I think there's some recognition that we need to do our part and governments need to do their part," he said.

Calls to Indian Affairs and Northern Development in Yellowknife were not returned before press deadline.

Possible reimbursement

The Liidlii Kue First Nation in Fort Simpson has invested tens of thousands of dollars to establish joint ventures for the Mackenzie Gas Project's proposed winter work program, according to chief Keyna Norwegian. If industry and government cannot provide the financial resources that the First Nations are now demanding, then the preliminary pipeline work could be cancelled. The Liidlii Kue would then expect industry reimbursement for what the band has spent so far, Norwegian said.

"It was like them putting a demand on us, so the onus should be on industry (to compensate)," she said. Searle said Mackenzie Gas Project is prepared to pay "all reasonable costs" associated with the winter work program.

He added that over the past year, Mackenzie Gas Project had been seeking meetings with First Nations in the Deh Cho but their pipeline working group wasn't prepared to meet until recently.