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DEH CHO
Dehcho First Nations is applauding the actions of the MLA for the Deh Cho.

Dehcho First Nations is praising the stance Deh Cho MLA Michael Nadli, pictured earlier this year, took when he was the only member of the legislative assembly to vote against the motion on June 5 to support approval of the final devolution agreement for NWT lands and resources. - NNSL file photo

Michael Nadli was the only member of the legislative assembly who voted against a motion on June 5 to support the devolution agreement that will transfer responsibility for public land, water and resource management from the federal to the territorial government. The motion passed by a vote of 17 to one.

"I'm really proud of the MLA from Deh Cho to stand up and be firm on this, basically that's what we need is somebody within the assembly to be able to do something like that," said Dehcho First Nations (DFN) Grand Chief Herb Norwegian.

"We're really quite pleased and quite proud of what he's done."

Norwegian said the outcome of the vote was inevitable, but that it doesn't mean things are over. DFN is still in intensive discussions with the territorial government concerning the devolution agreement.

DFN's goal is to bring the territorial government onside with the things DFN wants to do in the Deh Cho, he said. One of the primary issues has been land.

The territorial government should wait until DFN has secured the land it wants for itself as part of the Dehcho Process and then see what remains as Crown land, said Norwegian. DFN also wants to settle how the land will be managed. There is a question of whether it will be viewed as ours and theirs or if there will be some type of joint management over portions, Norwegian said.

At this point, DFN has no interest in signing onto the devolution agreement, but may reconsider in the future depending on the changes the territorial government is willing to make, he said.

"In the end, the Dehcho will prevail," said Norwegian.

Nadli said he put a great deal of consideration into how he would vote. Having done a recent constituency tour, Nadli said he had a sense of how people were thinking in the Deh Cho riding.

There is a concern about how devolution will affect the Dehcho Process, he said. Nadli said he's concerned about the lack of progress on the process and wanted to encourage the federal and territorial government to be more supportive of it.

Nadli said he also found it hard to accept the "take it or leave it" approach the territorial government took toward devolution. There were information sessions in the communities, but they weren't consultation sessions, he said.

"When it came down to vote, it's just a matter of taking a stand," said Nadli.

Nahendeh MLA Kevin Menicoche was among the MLAs who voted in favour of the motion to approve the devolution agreement.

"I wanted to set politics aside," he said.

When he visits communities in the region, Menicoche said he hears residents asking for jobs, training and opportunities as well as schools and roads to meet infrastructure needs. Devolution will create the extra revenue needed to provide those things, he said.

"I don't want my riding or my communities to lose out."

Menicoche said he hopes Dehcho First Nations is able to sign on to the devolution agreement so it can access a portion of the up to 25 per cent of resource revenues the territorial government will be sharing with participating aboriginal governments as part of devolution. The money is unencumbered so the groups such as Dehcho First Nations can use it for whatever they want, he said.

Menicoche said he has no concerns about the devolution agreement. The territory has gone through devolution in the past and these are just the last departments being transferred to the territorial government, he said. Devolution is an opportunity for the communities and residents of the NWT to benefit from resource revenues going to them, he said.

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