Fort Simpson (Apr 22/05) - Dehcho First Nations leaders are declaring that they have finally reached consensus on who will negotiate Mackenzie Valley pipeline benefits.

After a day and a half behind closed doors last week, the community delegates reportedly agreed to allow the Deh Gah Alliance Society to go to the table on behalf of communities along the proposed pipeline corridor.

Herb Norwegian, grand chief of the Dehcho First Nations, addresses delegates at the pipeline socio-economic impact meeting in Fort Simpson last week.

Fort Providence, the Hay River Reserve and West Point, who argue that they too will feel impacts from the immense pipeline project, have formed their own organization. The East Dehcho Alliance will handle its own impact benefits and apply for government funding for themselves.

Richard Lafferty, a Fort Providence Metis delegate who has been a vocal critic of the Deh Gah Alliance Society's exclusion of non-pipeline corridor communities, was satisfied with the compromise reached last week.

"In my view it was a major step forward in terms of Deh Cho working together," said Lafferty.

"We're all kind of identifying our specific issues and then looking forward to working on the common issues as a united group. We can use our collective knowledge to assist all of the communities."

All 10 communities in the region, through the Dehcho leadership, will provide direction on how pipeline negotiations are taking place, Grand Chief Herb Norwegian said.

"Projects of that magnitude affect everybody, so everybody will have their say about it," said Norwegian.

The Dehcho elders council, called upon to help resolve this year-long dispute, recommended that the society remain intact, according to Liidlii Kue Chief Keyna Norwegian.

"I think we've got some pretty clear direction right now," she said. "It went very well."

Asked if the society now has a mandate to negotiate impact benefits and access agreements with Imperial Oil despite a Dehcho First Nations lawsuit against the federal government and regulatory boards, Keyna Norwegian replied, "I believe we can."

Dehcho's participation

She explained that the lawsuit focuses on the Dehcho's participation in an environmental assessment for the pipeline, which is separate from access and benefits.

Nevertheless, the society must still analyze the impact benefits models it has collected and decide on a strategy, she noted.

By the next leadership meeting in Fort Liard in mid-May, the society members should have a plan ready for the leaders' approval, she said.