Fort Providence (Feb 25/04) - There wasn't much to report on the self-government negotiating front at last week's leadership assembly in Fort Providence.

Deh Cho legal counsel Chris Reid blamed federal government disorganization for the lack of advancement.

Due to a change in ministers, the pending federal election and now damage control due to the federal sponsorship scandal, the negotiating team has no clear mandate, he said.

Federal negotiator Robin Aitken told the Drum that is simply not the case. "We have a clear mandate. We've had it since May, 2001," Aitken said. "I think a lot of times the Deh Cho don't like what we say so we're (accused of) not showing flexibility and so forth."

Without firm direction, the federal negotiating team wouldn't have been able to put forth two agreement in principle (AIP) options in December, Aitken said.

The options for land rights in the AIPs are "land selection" or "generalized interest," which would entitle the Deh Cho to an unspecified percentage of resource revenues from the region in a final agreement.

Yet Aitken said the two sides are at an impasse on a number of fronts. They can't agree on pipeline conditions, terms for oil and gas exploration or the structure of a future Deh Cho resource management authority.

The Deh Cho are also waiting on the outcome of a federal investigation into the Bernier affair, sparked by DCFN allegations of wrongdoing by a federal environmental official. Reid said litigation may be necessary.

Some fresh approaches from new Deh Cho chief negotiator Georges Erasmus could also prove fruitful, he said. In the meantime, he said the Deh Cho can continue to work on internal matters such as the wording of a self-government AIP, how to govern lands and social services, as well as a legal approach to resolving the pipeline standoff.

The next negotiations session with the federal government is scheduled for March 9-11.