Yellowknife (Mar 22/06) - Four Akaitcho First Nations have launched a court challenge to block the territorial government from transferring several hectares of prime real estate to the land-strapped City of Yellowknife.

The bands, which include the Yellowknives Dene, accused the government of "cavalierly (running) roughshod" over their rights when it announced last month that the municipality would receive land around Jackfish, Frame and Great Slave lakes.

"The Yellowknives Dene have a concern that they have been excluded from participation in the economy of the NWT," Chief Fred Sangris said in court documents. "The (Dene) have been reduced to a small fragment of land on Latham Island."

The Akaitcho First Nations are in talks with the federal and territorial governments over their final land claim agreement. The bands asked the court to suspend all land transfers until the deal is finished.

In court papers, the Yellowknives Dene also expressed an interest in several pieces of prime real estate, including Jolliffe Island, Twin Pine and Tin Can Hills and the area south of the Con and Rycon trailer parks.

Yellowknife Mayor Gord Van Tighem said there is enough land within municipal boundaries for now, but "the future could be a challenge."

Van Tighem was surprised to hear the Akaitcho were challenging the land transfer, which was announced Feb. 7 by the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs.

"The indication that was given to us was that this was all unopposed," he said on Monday.

The deputy minister for Municipal and Community Affairs, Debbie DeLancey, said the Akaitcho were consulted before the February decision on the land transfers. "The city has been feeling pressure for some time," said DeLancey. "There is hardly any land for industrial or commercial use."

Sangris and fellow Yellowknives chief Peter Liske were not available for comment.

The case is scheduled for a hearing March 31 in Northwest Territories Supreme Court.

- With files from Jessica Gray