Fort Simpson (Jun 09/06) - It may be awhile before the Dehcho process reaches a final agreement.

On May 30, the federal government offered the Dehcho First Nations a deal on land claims and self-government.

It includes 39,000- square kilometres of land and $104 million to be paid out with interest over 15 years.

The Dehcho can choose control over surface and subsurface rights. On land with subsurface rights, they could set royalty rates and keep 100 per cent of the royalties collected.

To further self-government, a regional government would be established and have the power to make laws and deliver programs and services.

A series of community governments would also be created.

Fifty per cent of the seats in both levels of government would be reserved for Dehcho Dene, which includes the Metis.

Dehcho First Nations Grand Chief Herb Norwegian said he's pleased the federal government came forward with an offer, but they are still a long way off.

"It's nowhere in the ballpark," Norwegian said.

The Dehcho First Nations will be preparing a counter-offer, but not right away.

First the people and the leaders have to digest what has been offered, Norwegian said.

The leadership will talk about the offer at the Kakisa Assembly at the end of June, but to make a proper counter-offer a special assembly might be required in the fall, he said.

"It's going to require some fine tooth combing of the issues and we'll just have to knuckleball the thing back to the feds," Norwegian said.

The counter-offer will remain consistent with the Dehcho's original position, he said.

One of Norwegian's main concerns with the offer is that it presents a land selection process.

The Dehcho have previously stated they want jurisdiction over all the land in the area.

"Canada is saying they will give us only 17 per cent of what is already ours," Norwegian said.

"It would be impossible to accept less than full ownership of all the land."

Tim Christian, chief federal negotiator for the Dehcho Process, said the government put forward an agreement they considered to be fair and comparable to existing agreements in the North and the rest of Canada.

"The main thing here is that we wanted to put on the table a serious offer so we can get down to the work of trying to arrive at a final agreement," Christian said.

Christian pointed out that the offer allows significant influence on the developments in the entire Deh Cho area.

Some land will be under direct ownership but the First Nations will also have significant say in how the Nahanni National Park Reserve and protected areas are administered.

There will also be influence through the land use plan when it is approved, Christian said.

Christian said the timeline on negotiations and a settlement will depend on the response from the Dehcho.

"It's really a question of back and forth between the two parties," he said.

"We're not trying to rush anybody."

Agreements in principal typically take one to two years and final agreements can take two years after that, Christian said.

But he also said it is currently difficult to judge how long negotiations will take because they have not heard a response from the Dehcho on how much work needs to be done.

The first meeting since the offer was tabled is scheduled June 20 in Yellowknife. Christian said further information on governance will be provided at that time.