Dogrib ink historic land, government deal - Action News
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Dogrib ink historic land, government deal

It was 11 years in the making, but with a stroke of a pen the Dogrib initialed the Tlicho land claim and self government agreement in Yellowknife on Friday. More than 100 people from the Dogrib communities were in the territorial capital to witness the historic event.

It was 11 years in the making, but with a stroke of a pen the Dogrib initialed the Tlicho land claim and self government agreement in Yellowknife on Friday. More than 100 people from the Dogrib communities were in the territorial capital to witness the historic event.

Background

Under the deal the Tlicho First Nation would own approximately 39,000 square kilometres of land, in a single block surrounding or adjacent to the four communities of Rae-Edzo, Wha Ti, Rae Lakes and Wekweti.

Tlicho lands would include both the surface and subsurface resources. The Tlicho would also receive approximately $90 million which would be paid over a number of years, and a share of resource royalties received by government annually from the Mackenzie Valley.

The Agreement establishes the Tlicho Government which would succeed the Dogrib Treaty 11 Council and the Indian bands in the Tlicho communities.

The Tlicho Government would have law-making powers over a wide range of subject matters, including the protection and promotion of Tlicho language, heritage and culture, and the management and protection of Tlicho lands and resources.

Source: Indian Affairs
They came with the grand chief to watch their negotiator initial the Tlicho Agreement.

The federal government initialed the same agreement in Ottawa last Wednesday.

This week, the territorial government negotiator will add his initials.

According to John B. Zoe, the chief negotiator for the DogDogribbrib, the next step is to begin the final ratification process.

"They'll be a list put up as to who's going to vote and people have to apply at that stage," he says. "Hopefully by the spring time we'll get a chance to vote on it."

Zoe says no more changes will be made to Tlicho agreement, despite the court challenge to stall the process.

"Whatever dispute that might be out there, it's really out of our hands. So the approval process that we're on is going to continue," he says.

Zoe says his team will recommend to the Tlicho members to approve the package.

Dogrib leaders plan to invite the prime minister to the final signing of the Tlicho agreement, scheduled for Aug. 22.