LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON - With negotiations 90 per cent done on the Dehcho First Nations' Mackenzie Valley Pipeline access and benefits agreement with Imperial Oil, the negotiating team will be asking Dehcho members for approval to ratify the deal.

"The negotiating team will go into the communities to explain the access and benefits agreement and the harvesters agreement, ... so that all the members in our communities know what the deal is," said Liidlii Kue First Nation Chief Jim Antoine, who also chairs the Dehcho First Nations (DFN) Access and Benefits Negotiations Team.

The move comes after a resolution passed by the DFN at its latest leadership meeting, held at the Hay River Reserve from April 18 to 21

Antoine said the team has come up with a formula to split the benefits among the communities, although he said the specifics of the agreement were confidential.

"We have it written down, but it is a confidential thing that we have to discuss in the communities," he said.

"There are still some communities and members that would like an annual payment for access and that hasn't been finalized yet," said Antoine, who added Imperial Oil's position has been to provide a single one-time payment to affected communities.

Antoine said the access portion of the agreement would benefit only communities that would have their traditional lands disturbed by the pipeline route. Antoine said these communities included Wrigley, Kakisa, Hay River Reserve, Fort Simpson, Jean Marie River and Trout Lake.

However, the benefits component would be something that would be divvied up among all Deh Cho communities.

"This is for the whole of the Dehcho and it deals with a number of components," said Antoine, noting it would look at potential employment and business opportunities for Dehcho members.

"There is going to be work set aside on the pipeline for the Dehcho First Nations and the Metis people," he said. "We know the opportunities are there, so we have to organize ourselves (as) to how we are going to do this work. There is the potential there to take a lot of benefits out of it."

The band resolution also called for representatives from Imperial Oil to accompany the negotiating team at the community consultations, so Dehcho members could ask them questions directly.

The DFN will also seek additional funds from Imperial Oil and Indian and Northern Affairs Canada to attempt to complete the negotiation and ratification process through the community visits.

Antoine said he hoped to get to all of the communities before the 2011 Dehcho Annual Assembly, which will be held in Wrigley from June 28 to 30.

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