YELLOWKNIFE - Akaitcho chiefs are calling on MLAs to remove Premier Joe Handley as a member of the Legislative Assembly in the wake of an agreement-in-principle (AIP) on resource revenue sharing and devolution signed without their participation.

Yellowknives Dene Chief Peter Liske called for Premier Joe Handley's removal as a member of the Legislative Assembly during a Wednesday morning press conference in Ndilo. - Jason Unrau/NNSL photo

Flanked by fellow Akaitcho chiefs Fred Sangris, Addie Jonasson and Bill Norn at a press conference held in Ndilo Wednesday, Yellowknives Dene Chief Peter Liske called for Premier Joe Handley's head for signing an agreement with leaders of the Inuvialuit, Gwich'in, Sahtu and NWT Metis Nation but which did not have the blessing of the Akaitcho, Dehcho and Tlicho First Nations.

"We are petitioning the members of the Legislative Assembly of the NWT to remove Joe Handley from his position as MLA," reads a letter to MLAs, signed by the four chiefs.

When Chief Sangris had his turn at the mic, he alleged Handley "lied to the community and lied to the elders" and went behind the Akaitcho's back to sign the AIP.

"We weren't even invited to Inuvik to participate," added Liske of the meeting between the AIP signatories that took place May 9.

"Handley does not speak for the Akaitcho Nation, he's not welcome (in Weledeh) anymoreÖ he should go back to Saskatchewan where he came from."

A visibly angry Liske also warned that if the federal government does not move forward on Akaitcho land claim and self-government negotiations, the First Nations group will halt mining activity in the region.

"There will be a conflict if there's no serious action," said Liske.

"We will stop all developmentÖ This fall or it may even be earlier. We have nothing to lose."

Handley hailed the AIP as a 'big step' towards getting a fairer share of resource royalties garnered in the territories and said the door was open for the Dehcho, Tlicho and Akaitcho to get on board.

"It's really in their hands," Handley told Yellowknifer last week.

The deal gives aboriginal governments 25 per cent of the net fiscal benefit of whatever portion of resource royalties the federal government decides to share with the NWT. After the 2007 federal budget, the territorial government remains confident its share will be around 50 per cent.

Last year the federal government reaped $220 million primarily from the NWT's diamond industry.

The premier, whose Weledeh riding includes both Liske's and Sangris' communities, was in Norman Wells Wednesday and unavailable for comment.

After learning of the call for Handley's removal on his way to Wednesday's session of the Legislative Assembly, Thebacha MLA Michael Miltenberger appeared surprised.

"There's only four months left, can't they wait until then?" he said. "For anybody who is unhappy with their MLAs there's an election coming up October 1, then the constituents will be able to decide."

The last milestone achieved in the Akaitcho process was a framework agreement signed with the territorial and federal governments in July of 2000. According to Liske, in the past 10 years of wrangling between the Akaitcho and Indian and Northern Affairs, the federal government has changed its lead negotiator on the file 11 times.