Yellowknife (May 23/05) - The Dene Tha of northwestern Alberta are demanding a direct role in the review of the Mackenzie Gas Project.

The Dene Tha have been granted intervenor status in the joint panel review, but Robert Freedman, a lawyer for the First Nation, said they want a seat at the table.

"Up to now they have largely been ignored," Freedman said.

"When they heard that the federal government was meeting with all the other groups that are impacted, they thought they better do something."

The First Nation has a lengthy history with the energy industry.

Dene Tha traditional lands include most of the Rainbow Lakes oil and gas field, the largest in northwestern Alberta, and extend into the Northwest Territories.

The First Nation filed a suit in Federal Court this week, asking the court to confirm that 100 km of pipe between the NWT boundary and Zama, Alberta, is part of the $7 billion project.

"We want the project to be treated as one, not split in two," Freedman said.They are asking that the joint review panel stop work until their concerns are addressed. If the federal court accepts the case, it would be heard later this summer in Calgary, Freedman said.

Last fall, the Deh Cho filed two legal actions against the pipeline, demanding more power in the regulatory review of the project.

Meanwhile, Premier Joe Handley put off a trip to Ottawa to outline up to $100 million in socio-economic benefits that Mackenzie Valley communities say they need before the pipeline is built.

Handley expects to take a break from the NWT legislative session to be in Ottawa later this week for meetings with Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan and Finance Minister Ralph Goodale.