SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Devolution was a main event on the agenda for the Dene Nation's meetings in Yellowknife from this past Monday to Friday, but the Akaitcho First Nations, including the Yellowknives Dene, have yet to announce their official position on the matter.
Roy Erasmus Sr. acting chief of Ndilo, says it will be good to have control of Northern resources in the North, as opposed to Ottawa. -
Sarah Ladik/NNSL photo |
Ndilo's acting chief Roy Erasmus Sr. told Yellowknifer the Akaitcho chiefs will meet this weekend and into next week to hopefully come to a decision by Wednesday.
"It will be good to have control of Northern resources here in the North," he said. "I think the territorial government is getting all they can out of the federal government at this time."
The Akaitcho First Nations and Dehcho First Nations are the only groups that haven't signed on to the current devolution agreement. The Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, the NWT Metis Nation, the Gwich'in Tribal Council, the Sahtu Secretariat Incorporated and the Tlicho Government have signed on.
In Erasmus' experience, negotiators are hampered by policy and can only go so far in discussions with aboriginal groups.
"It's very frustrating, but there's no point holding out and banging fists on the table," he said.
The present agreement allows for 50 per cent of the territory's resource revenues to go to the territorial government, but caps the total at five per cent of the GNWT's gross expenditure. Aboriginal governments that sign on are set to receive one quarter of that sum.
Finance Minister Michael Miltenberger presented information about the agreement signed on March 10 to the assembled chiefs and audience, telling them "the package is on the table.
"We've reached a point where everyone agreed this is as far as we'll go for now," he said.
Negotiations have gone on for more than a decade, this cycle lasting nine years, according to Miltenberger. He also said the focus now will be on communication with aboriginal governments.
"We're going to now be able to make decisions in the North, by Northerners and for Northerners," he said.
