Talks continue over Great Slave Park
Northwest Territory Metis Nation and Parks Canada negotiating impact and benefit plan on proposed park
Paul Bickford
Northern News Services
Published Monday, April 21 2014
THEBACHA/FORT SMITH
Negotiations are underway between Parks Canada and the Northwest Territory Metis Nation (NWTMN) for an impact and benefit plan related to the proposed national park reserve on the East Arm of Great Slave Lake.
Northwest Territory Metis Nation president Garry Bailey, left, and Alan Latourelle, executive director of Parks Canada, signed an agreement on Feb. 13 in Gatineau, Que., to begin negotiations for an impact and benefit plan related to the proposed national park reserve on the East Arm of Great Slave Lake. - photo courtesy of Parks Canada |
The talks, which are expected to take 18 months, were announced in an April 15 news release from NWTMN president Garry Bailey.
"The park proposal will not have NWTMN support or approval until the impact and benefit plan has been concluded," he said.
Bailey assured NWTMN beneficiaries that the plan will recognize continued Metis harvesting rights for wildlife, fish, plants and trees in the proposed park.
In addition to perpetual Metis harvesting activities, the plan will address business, job training and employment opportunities in the park.
The NWTMN also expects to have a full role in park management as part of fair and equitable representation of all participating aboriginal groups.
When contacted by News/North, Bailey explained the need for an agreement by pointing to the establishment of Wood Buffalo National Park in the 1920s.
"In the early days when they established Wood Buffalo Park, they didn't involve the Metis or the First Nations in anything, and they just kicked us out of the park," he said.
Bailey said a couple of meetings with Parks Canada have already been held since February.
"We've been pushing to get involved in this since probably 2004 or 2005," he noted, adding things have progressed in the last couple of years.
The name of the park and its final boundaries will also be under discussion.
The park has been named Thaidene Nene by Lutsel K'e Dene First Nation.
"We're not really opposed to the name," Bailey said, explaining the name, particularly its spelling, will just be part of the overall discussion, which would also include such things as the boundary.
The president said the Metis Nation is looking forward to finalizing an agreement and is willing to work with other aboriginal governments, as well.
Steven Nitah, the negotiator for the park with Lutsel K'e Dene First Nation, said Canada has a responsibility to consult with the NWTMN.
"Lutsel K'e's position is that aboriginal rights-holders will continue to have those rights and today we see the Metis and other aboriginal people come into our territories and exercise those rights. We're not against that," he said.
As for the name of the national park reserve, Nitah noted Thaidene Nene - which means Land of the People - was selected by the people of Lutsel K'e.
When contacted by News/North, Parks Canada responded by e-mail that its mandate is to negotiate for new national parks and national park reserves that result in a co-operative management approach consistent with the Canada National Parks Act.
"At this time, there is currently no agreement to proceed with the national park reserve nor is there a final boundary," a Parks Canada representative stated, referring to the East Arm of Great Slave Lake. "Such agreement is pending the outcome of relevant studies on ecological, cultural and mineral values, and on consultations and negotiations with the Government of the Northwest Territories, the Lutsel K'e Dene First Nation, and the Northwest Territory Metis Nation.
Just as important will be consultations and engagement with other aboriginal groups, local communities, third parties, and the interested public."
In November, negotiators for Lutsel K'e Dene First Nation and Parks Canada initialed a draft agreement on most issues related to establishing the national park reserve. The two outstanding issues to be finalized are finances and the boundary.
The most recent land withdrawal for the proposed park expired March 31. The following day, April 1, the GNWT issued mirroring legislation extended the withdrawal by two years to March 31, 2016.
The boundaries of the proposed national park reserve will be somewhere inside the 33,000 square kilometres of land that have been withdrawn from development.
