Andrew Raven
Northern News Services

Rae-Edzo (Aug 08/05) - A royal blue flag lined with four red teepees slowly rose over the rocky-shoreline of Rae-Edzo Thursday afternoon as hundreds watched silently, sitting on the cusp of history.

The newly-unveiled symbol of the Tlicho Assembly reached its apex above the community of 1,900 to thunderous applause and officially ushered in the first aboriginal self-government in the North.

"This is a special day for the Dogrib people," said chief Charlie Nitsiza from the small North Slave community of Wha Ti. "We are not just here for ourselves, but our children."

After nearly 15 years of negotiations with two levels of government, the 13-member Tlicho Assembly convened Thursday morning for the first time.

Several hundred people packed into the assembly room - many of whom travelled hundreds of kilometres by canoe from outlying communities - to watch the government take its first steps.

"Today is an important day for us as Dogrib people," said Wekweti chief Joseph Judas in the Tlicho language. "This is a continuation of the work of our elders."

The Tlicho, whose anglicized name is Dogrib, are just the second aboriginal group in Canada with a settled land claim and self-government.

The other, the Nisga'a First Nation of British Columbia established self-government in 2000. The agreement gives the four Tlicho communities with their roughly 3,000 people unprecedented control over 39,000 square kilometres of land in the North Slave.

The assembly has the power to enact laws governing health care, education, taxation and other social services - although the complete transfer of some responsibilities will take at least a decade.

"This is a very, very powerful day for aboriginal people," Western Arctic MP Ethel Blondin-Andrew told a crowd that included high ranking politicians like Premier Joe Handley and federal Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs Lucienne Robillard.

"The path towards this historic day has been difficult. I am so proud of the Tlicho people," said Blondin-Andrew, Minister of State for Northern Development.

The precedent-setting Tlicho Assembly will be a model for other aboriginal groups - like the Akaitcho and Dehcho First Nations - who are negotiating their own self-government and land claim deals, Blondin-Andrew said.

Premier Joe Handley called the first sitting of the assembly "a huge step forward" for aboriginal people and a "new beginning for the Tlicho."

The first days of the assembly were largely ceremonial; the 13 leaders are expected to elect a grand chief and move legislation when they convene sometime in the fall.

"The process is just beginning," said John B. Zoe, who led the Tlicho negotiating group.

The flag raising ceremony Thursday came after three days of celebrations in Rae-Edzo, the largest Tlicho community. Some estimated an extra 2,000 visitors flooded into the hamlet, which is about 100 km northwest of Yellowknife. They were treated to feasts, live entertainment, traditional games and fireworks.

There was some controversy during the celebrations, however, as security officers - mostly local teens - searched vehicles coming into the community for alcohol. Rae-Edzo, which has one road entrance, received a temporary prohibition order for the festivities.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police Sgt. Bill Eubank - whose officers were not involved in the check stops - said thousands of dollars worth of alcohol was seized.

Random searches, however, are strictly prohibited by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Eubank said police did not interfere with the check stops because they were "consensual," even though anyone who refused would not be allowed into the community.

"A whole bunch of people were probably upset," Eubank said. "If people don't like it, they can turn around."