Derek Neary
Northern News Services

Fort Simpson (July 15/05) - It admittedly wasn't everything they wanted, but Dehcho First Nations lawyer Chris Reid said a settlement agreement with the federal government represents "small steps" forward for the regional organization.

In return for $31.5 million in funds and a few other modest gains, the Deh Cho has terminated its lawsuits against the federal government.

"Even though we were able to get some dollars out of Canada on this, this in no way means that the Deh Cho supports the Mackenzie Gas Line project," Grand Chief Herb Norwegian said.

He said he senses that chiefs and band members are "ready to roll again" with self-government negotiations, which had been stalled by the litigation.

Filed last September, the court cases were meant to halt the regulatory process for a proposed Mackenzie Valley pipeline until DFN received greater input in an environmental review of the project.

The settlement agreement prevents the Deh Cho from filing similar court action to stop the pipeline again for seven years.

Tim Christian, the federal government's negotiator, noted that this agreement includes no changes to existing regulatory arrangements and the Deh Cho will not hold veto power over the pipeline.

However, Reid contended that the federal cabinet must take the Deh Cho's position into account before giving approval to the pipeline.

Yet Ottawa will only act on DFN's concerns "if appropriate," Christian countered, reading the clause in question aloud.

The federal government has agreed to establish a Dehcho Resource Management Authority, but will not guarantee that new regional body will be independent of the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act, as DFN is seeking.

"What exactly will the resource management authority look like? How will it interface with the MVRMA? Those are questions which we have to negotiate," Christian said.