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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Concerns surrounding devolution negotiations as well as the implications of the newly created NWT Surface Rights Board were hot topics at this week's Dene Special Assembly in Dettah.

Acting Chief of Ndilo Roy Erasmus Sr. addresses the Dene Special Assembly on Wednesday in Dettah. - Katherine Hudson/NNSL photo

Chiefs and officials of regional Dene First Nation groups met at the Chief Drygeese Government Building from Tuesday to Thursday to discuss community issues pertaining to the Dene people of the NWT, and hear from government officials about addictions awareness and mental health, Bill C-38 and First Nation cutbacks.

On Wednesday, Dettah Chief Ed Sangris spoke to the room of around 50 people about the Akaitcho Dene position on devolution, arguing it should not occur until after an agreement is made on the Akaitcho Process between the Akaitcho, the GNWT and the federal government.

"We have never seceded or surrendered our aboriginal rights to the land and waters of our territory nor have we extinguished any of our aboriginal rights ... In our view, the proposed devolution agreement will unduly hamper the Akaitcho negotiations," said Sangris.

Roy Erasmus Sr., acting chief of Ndilo, echoed Sangris's sentiments, saying the Akaitcho Dene are "being severely pestered with this devolution thing.

"It's a difficult situation because half of us have finished our land claims and the rest haven't, so those who have finished probably want to move forward. Those who haven't don't want to move forward because we know it could affect us," he said.

Erasmus said there are other issues that need to be addressed, such as improving education for youth and ensuring the implementation of the Education Partnership Declaration, a GNWT initiative to close the academic-success gap between aboriginal and non-aboriginal students, which was signed during the Dene Assembly in July 2011.

"We did that because our children are not achieving at the same rate as non-aboriginal children. Many times our students need upgrading after they finish high school. It's not just the school system's fault, because the kids need to take responsibility in this, the parents need to take responsibility," said Erasmus.

He said some children who head into kindergarten are not ready, due to watching too much TV and not having an active, educational lifestyle. The level of preparedness for aboriginal students could be improved by early childhood development and child care, student and family support, aboriginal language and culture curriculum, resource development, and literacy, said Erasmus.

The assembly heard from Western Arctic MP Dennis Bevington - who phoned in from Ottawa - about Bill C-47, or the NWT Surface Rights Board Act, which would establish a board to resolve disputes over terms and conditions and compensation between surface or subsurface rights holders and the owner or occupant of the surface when an agreement cannot be reached by the parties through negotiation or mediation. The board will be composed of nine members and they will be members who are residents in regions across the NWT.

"This act ... will apply to all areas of the NWT. I think this is an important point. It will apply to areas where claims have not yet been settled. In the Deh Cho region and the Akaitcho region, this one central board will determine any arbitration between landowners and those that have interest in land and developers," said Bevington.

Bevington said the bill is currently in front of Parliament, but Dene Nation members can go before a committee in the new year to present concerns.

This most recent Dene Special Assembly finished up just before the Assembly of First Nations holds its Special Chiefs Assembly next week in Gatineau, Que.

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