Kt'odeeche Frst Naton taking legal action against government over 'unauthorized' cabins

The Kt'odeeche Frst Naton says it's initiating a legal battle with the government of the Northwest Territories and two Mtis groups over the "unauthorized" construction of new cabins on its traditional territory.

In a news release Thursday, the First Nation says legal action hasbeen initiated against the Northwest Territory Mtis Nation, the Hay River Mtis Government Council and its president Trevor Beck, to halt the construction on Kt'odeeche Got'e Ndehe its traditional territory.

The First Nation, which has a reserve nearHay River, N.W.T.,says it has expressed concerns about the construction to the federal and territorial governments for years.The First Nation has filed a statement of claim in a lawsuit, according to an email from Peter Redvers, who works in negotiations and consultation for the KFN.

The statement says the First Nation provided an inventory of the unauthorized cabins, as well as a management plan to the Department of Lands, and also asked the territorial government to enforce its own obligations to uphold Treaty 8 and the Dehcho Interim Measures Agreement.

"The GNWT has refused to do so and continues to allow new cabins to be established without consultation or authorization," the statement said.

The allegations have not yet been tested in court. CBCrequestedcomment from the territorial government and the Mtis groups, as well as the Kt'odeeche Frst Naton.

The territorial government's Department of Lands declined to comment, citing the lawsuit before the courts.

Mtis have no rights to build cabins on KFN territory: chief

The statement further alleges that the two Mtisgroupsand Beck have started building cabins at several KFN sites, without consent from the Kt'odeeche Frst Naton or the government.

Chief April Martel said in the release that members of those Mtis groups do not have rights to build cabins on KFN land, and it will no longer tolerate the "disrespectful" infringement of its treaty rights and titles.

"This group of Mtis were never out on our land until they started moving here from other communities for work," she said in the statement.

"Their asserted rights have not been 'recognized' or 'established' by any government or in any court, and certainly not by the KFN."