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K'ATLODEECHE/HAY RIVER RESERVE
The chief of the K'atlodeeche First Nation says the Dene Band is leaving the Dehcho First Nations.

"We have lots of reasons we pulled away from the Dehcho," said Roy Fabian. "The bottom line is KFN wants to return to its aboriginal treaty rights. Canada needs our consent to do anything on our traditional territory."

Fabian said DFN is considering signing the devolution agreement in principle - something the KFN strongly opposes.

"We don't agree with devolution," he said. "Dehcho should not compromise in any way on that."

But Dehcho Grand Chief Herb Norwegian said the DFN had to start participating in devolution negotiations to ensure its interests are going to be met.

"We had to engage ourselves in the devolution talks to make sure we don't get short-changed on the eventual outcome," he said.

Norwegian said the territorial government wanted control of about 45 per cent of lands within Dehcho territory.

He said the DFN told the territorial government it would consider agreeing to devolution if it dropped that request and gave DFN jurisdiction over more land as part of the Dehcho Process.

He said while some land within Dehcho territory is protected, such as the Nahanni National Park Reserve, the DFN wants to ensure it has control over land that will be left open to development.

"It's our land and we would want to be able to be put in a position to retain land that rightfully belongs to us," he said.

Fabian said no matter what is negotiated, devolution will directly compromise the KFN's rights to its land.

"If Canada and the Government of the Northwest Territories go ahead and transfer the lands and resources, they're circumventing our process," he said.

Fabian said keeping the Hay River Reserve is a must for the KFN.

He said the reserve was created under Treaty 8 and the KFN wants to keep it that way.

"Canada now wants us to get rid of the reserve and become a community," he said. "We signed a treaty saying we have jurisdiction over our traditional territory."

Norwegian said he believes the KFN's exit from the Dehcho Process was done respectfully.

"I think it was a friendly departure and there were no strings attached," he said.

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