DENINU KU'E/FORT RESOLUTION
No one actually said it shouldn't happen but some people in Fort Resolution have deep concerns about the proposed establishment of the Thaidene Nene national park reserve and territorial park.

Sitting in front of a projection of the proposed boundaries for the Thaidene Nene national park reserve and territorial park, Environment and Natural Resources Minister Michael Miltenberger listens to a question at a public consultation session in Fort Resolution on July 29. - Paul Bickford/NNSL photo

The concerns - heard at a July 29 consultation meeting hosted by the GNWT on proposed boundaries for the parks on the East Arm of Great Slave Lake - mostly centred on how Fort Resolution would, or would not, benefit from it.

"We are the poorest community," said Robert Sayine, a former chief and current councillor with Deninu Ku'e First Nation (DKFN). "We have a land of wealth out there, but who's benefiting?"

Sayine noted the aboriginal people of Fort Resolution and area were the landowners under Treaty 8 signed in 1900, and the treaty gave others the right to come to the land and coexist with them.

"Now we are fighting for our rights on our land," he said. "There is something really wrong here."

It was a theme repeated by a number of people.

Carol Collins, a councillor with DKFN, said the community is not benefiting enough from the NWT's diamond mines.

"It just makes me mad when I think about it," she said.

Arthur Beck, president of the Fort Resolution Metis Council, said the community keeps getting pushed around.

"It's kind of hard when you get beat up by everybody," said Beck.

33,690 square kilometres

Under the concept for Thaidene Nene, the 33,690 square kilometres of withdrawn land would be divided into a 14,000-square-km national park reserve, a territorial park and a protected caribou range, while less than 8,000 square-km with mineral potential will return to being Crown land.

The resulting multi-coloured map looks like a walking man, and several times it was referred to by that nickname, including by Energy and Natural Resources Minister Michael Miltenberger, who was part of a dozen-strong delegation from the GNWT.

"The intent is to spread the wealth around and recognize that we need to have everybody benefit," said Miltenberger.

The concept of a park on the East Arm of Great Slave Lake has been promoted for decades by the Lutsel K'e Dene First Nation (LKDFN).

Steven Nitah, chief negotiator for LKDFN, said Fort Resolution will have the opportunity to benefit from Thaidene Nene.

"We're all one people," he told the July 29 meeting. "It was governments that designated us this or that, and we've been fighting that and we've been fighting amongst one another for a long time now. No one region is going to benefit more than the other."

For example, Nitah said it is hoped people in Fort Resolution, Lutsel K'e, Dettah and Ndilo will get training, purchase boats and open facilities to participate in the tourism industry.

In fact, he called Fort Resolution a natural gateway to Thaidene Nene.

Nitah said his mandate as a negotiator has always been to use treaty relationships to share land and resources, and the rights of indigenous people in the area are paramount.

There were also concerns in Fort Resolution that the process is being rushed before upcoming elections.

"The process that we're talking about does not end in the next couple of months," said Miltenberger. "We're trying to reach a milestone in terms of just agreeing to boundaries. There are going to be years of work ahead to talk about how it's going to operate."

It is hoped recommendations on boundaries will go to the territorial cabinet by the end of August.

There were some supportive comments in Fort Resolution.

"I want to look at this park in a more positive note," said Lloyd Norn, adding he doesn't want to see legal battles arise.

"We have to coexist," added Norn. "At some point in time, we have to sit down as responsible adults and get on with life."

For the past six months, the GNWT, the federal government and aboriginal governments and groups with interests in the area have worked on the unique concept for the proposed park.

Miltenberger said the land has been identified for decades by the aboriginal people of Lutsel K'e and is of enormous significance to them, and they would like to see it protected.

"This is a good news story where everybody is going to benefit," he said.

The GNWT became interested in managing some of the land when devolution occurred.

The Fort Resolution meeting, which attracted about 25 community residents, followed others in Fort Smith on July 27 and Hay River on July 28. Those meetings attracted 18 and 16 people, respectively.

Miltenberger said, based on the consultation meetings in the South Slave and an earlier one in Yellowknife, many people like what they see in the Thaidene Nene proposal as hitting a balance between development and protecting the environment.

The minister noted there will be no limitations on traditional activities and full recognition of aboriginal rights.

Earlier on July 29 in Lutsel K'e, the federal government announced the launch of its consultations on the proposed boundaries.

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