Home page

Text size

E-mail this page

LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON
When Dehcho First Nations' negotiators hold the next negotiation session for the Dehcho Process they will be speaking for one less community.

Chief Tim Lennie of Pehdzeh Ki First Nation taps a table for emphasis while revealing that Wrigley has decided to leave the Dehcho Process. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo

On June 27 at the Dehcho First Nations' annual assembly in Fort Simpson, Chief Tim Lennie of Pehdzeh Ki First Nation in Wrigley announced his community's decision to leave the Dehcho Process and negotiate its own comprehensive claim directly with Canada.

Lennie said the community members had considered removing themselves from the Dehcho Process and going it alone over the past few years.

The final decision was made during two community meetings held in June. Lennie said the discussions at the meetings included the fact that, despite decades in talks with the federal government, Pehdzeh Ki First Nation (PKFN) doesn't have an agreement and receives no benefits from industrial development taking place on its traditional lands.

Additionally, Lennie said for years he's told the Dehcho First Nations' annual assembly about the lack of capacity in the community for consultation on the Dehcho Process.

"Today it's no different," he said.

During a meeting on June 20, Pehdzeh Ki band members voted unanimously to direct the PKFN leadership to enter into a comprehensive claim process with Canada. Lennie said Wrigley's gymnasium was close to full at the time.

By entering into its own negotiations with Canada, Lennie said the community is aiming to have direct involvement in the negotiations as well as the resources and capacity to negotiate.

"We need to speak for ourselves," he said. "Members need to be directly involved."

Lennie said he recognizes that this will be a long process with a lot of learning involved and a lot of work. Whatever is agreed to today's children will be implementing it many years from now, he said.

"My main priority is to take care of the future generation," he said.

Lennie said the decision whether PKFN will remain part of Dehcho First Nations in other respects hasn't been made yet. Representatives will come to next year's assembly to report on the progress PKFN has made, he said.

Wrigley is the second community to leave the Dehcho Process. In July 2008 Acho Dene Koe First Nation in Fort Liard signed a framework agreement with the federal and territorial governments allowing it to conduct its own land claim and self-government negotiations.

Newly-elected Grand Chief Herb Norwegian said he supports PKFN in its desire to understand its options. Norwegian said, however, that he wants to visit Wrigley and be part of that discussion so residents fully understand the choices available, including remaining with the Dehcho Process.

Norwegian said the feelings coming out of Wrigley are echoed across the region.

"People are just getting edgy," he said. "People want something to happen again."

Wrigley is in this position because of a sense of not belonging and because of a lack of information about the Dehcho Process, he said.

"You have communities that are just starving for information," said Norwegian.

The grand chief said his main priority will be to continue to move the Dehcho Process forward; to travel to the communities to provide information and to get them reinvigorated about the process.

We welcome your opinions. Click here to e-mail a letter to the editor.