Nahanni Butte pushes for more control over traditional lands
Band wants to pursue co-management agreement on Nahanni National Park Reserve
April Hudson
Northern News Services
Thursday, February 9, 2017
TTHENAAGO/NAHANNI BUTTE
The Nahanni Butte Dene Band will be withdrawing from the Naha Dehe Consensus Team after more than a decade of participation and pushing for a co-management agreement.
Proud youth graduates and staff of Nahanni Butte's GPS land navigation course stand in front of their mobile youth camp. In the back, from left, are Dale Moses, Steve Vital, Trevor Timbre, John Paul Tonka, Brandon Konisenta, Joshua Bertrand, Mike Matou, Qualin Matou, Nahanni Butte Chief Peter Marcellais, instructor Adam Woogh, Leonard Timbre, Nathan Betsaka and band manager Mark Pocklington. In the front, front left, are Helen Ekotla, Roxanne Konisenta, Jayne Konisenta and Lory Ann Bertrand. - photo courtesy of Peter Marcellais
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Chief Peter Marcellais said the band has been dissatisfied with its role on the consensus team and said the band feels Parks Canada has recently been undertaking studies and making decisions without properly consulting the band.
"We want more of a direct role," he said.
"We want to deal directly with Parks (Canada) for ourselves, not going through the consensus team."
The hope is that the proposed arrangement would give the band more say in how the Nahanni National Park Reserve is run.
The consensus team was created in 2000 to aid in planning the expansion of the park.
On Jan. 30, the band council signed a resolution to withdraw from the team immediately. The resolution received the support of four councillors and six elders, as well as Marcellais.
"We want to have a say in the (Nahanni National Park Reserve) because we have given up so much land to protect our watershed that substantially expanded the size of the park," Marcellais said.
"Now, we just want to be engaged with all matters concerning the future use of the Nahanni National Park Reserve and are convinced that a modern co-management agreement is the way of the future."
The band's decision to leave the consensus team was made in part because of Nahanni Butte's belief Parks Canada's impact and benefit agreement with the Deh Cho region does not reflect the vision of the band's elders or the objectives of its membership, Marcellais said. He added the band believes the consensus team should be abolished.
Marcellais said the band hopes to have "a meaningful conversation with Parks Canada" regarding the Nahanni National Park Reserve and want to explore a potential co-management agreement with the federal department on the park.
The agreement would be similar to one the band is currently negotiating with the Canadian Zinc Corporation in regard to an all-season road to Prairie Creek Mine, which Marcellais described as a "relationship-centred" agreement.
"We have a spiritual connection to our traditional land," he said.
"We are confident the federal government will also appreciate our need to be self-sufficient and will recognize the potential of co-managing the economic resources on Nahanni Butte traditional lands adjacent to the Nahanni National Park Reserve."
When contacted for comment, Nahanni National Park Reserve superintendent Jonathan Tsetso said in an e-mail that Parks Canada "remains committed to continuing to work together to address matters pertaining to (the Park Reserve's) management."
"The Naha Dehe Dene Band is an integral partner for Parks Canada in the co-operative management of Nahanni National Park Reserve," he added, although he did not address whether Parks Canada would be willing to pursue a co-management agreement with the band.
