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Chiefs differ on pipeline dream

Stephan Burnett
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Dec 08/03) - While everyone at the Dene National Assembly held in Yellowknife last week was attempting to show a united front, at least two chiefs aired slightly different views on the proposed Mackenzie Valley Pipeline.

Chief Charlie Furlong said he remembers 25 years ago when the Berger Inquiry came to the same town.

"We were not prepared. We wanted some say on what happened on our lands. Now, three-quarters of the Northwest Territories are under aboriginal control," said Furlong.

He noted that the Inuvialuit brokered a land claim in 1984, the Gwich'in got their land deal in 1992 and the Sahtu in 1993 while the Tlicho have been the most recent signatories to a deal.

"We are on the threshold of economic prosperity and social challenge," said Furlong.

In a set of recitations Furlong stated:

"We are now land owners.

"We are now educated and have experienced the New Age economy.

"Many of our people sit in important positions. Many sit in government.

"I believe we are ready to take on the challenges of economic development," said Furlong.

Furlong explained many of the people from his region experienced the boom and bust of the 1970s.

"A high-wage economy reverted back to minimum wage. We all learned from that experience and that will not happen again," he said.

The Mackenzie Valley Pipeline is on the horizon, "we must be prepared. We can stand and say we don't want it, and that's fine -- but on the other hand, we should also be prepared to see it on our doorstep," Furlong said.

While Furlong's statements seemed a confident endorsement of economic development others were not so sure.

Chief Keyna Norwegian of the Liidlii Kue First Nation said that the pipeline process has been very frustrating.

"Industry comes and promises heaven and what we get is not even close. Even though the Deh Cho is not settled they are coming in our claim area.

"They did it without us. The biggest contract has been given to a business with no association to First Nations in our area."

Norwegian also noted that the Deh Cho have been busy recently with their concerns over the subsurface minerals owned by Maureen Bernier.

"We've been busy with the Maureen Bernier affair and the illegally staked claims and held press conferences and issued press releases on Oct. 21," she said.

"We have asked our membership to pull the stakes but there's been a backlash from the federal government for doing that. It was like we were in the wrong. I've been personally visited by the RCMP over all the charges I could face," she said.