'The mountain can't breathe': RCMP radio tower on sacred Nahanni Butte site could be removed

As a young boy, Chief Peter Marcellais heard from the elders in his tiny community of Nahanni Butte, N.W.T., thata great spirit saved his people from extinction.

Giant beavers, Marcellais recalls, once roamed the Dehcho region of the Northwest Territories, terrorizing the Dene people.

The community of Nahanni Butte sits in the foothills of their sacred mountain. Using his walking stick, the Great Spirit put a hole in the top of that mountain and chased the beavers deep inside where, Marcellais says, they remain today.

"That whole legend holds the Dene Nation together," Marcellais told a group ofDene leaders during a meeting in Colville Lake last week.

But years ago Marcellais can't quite remember when that sacred hole became the site of an RCMP radio tower. It was one of several installed by government agencies without the community's permission, Marcellais said.

"That's where the problems began for us," he said."The mountain can't breathe."

While presenting over the phone at the Deneleadership meeting in Colville Lake last week, G DivisionChief Supt. Jamie Zettler fielded questions from Marcellais about moving the radio tower.

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Zettler saidRCMP technicians will inspectthe tower later this month with "the idea of moving the tower allowing the sacred hole to be uncovered."

Zettler promised Marcellais technicians willcommunicate with the community to ensure they observeprotocol when working on the site.

"We want to make sure there's no more damage done to that sacred area," he said.

"I'm very confident that our members will be able to come up with a resolution for this and make sure that if the tower is required that it is relocated to some place that is appropriate."

Marcellais says he's anxious to get a timeline from the RCMP about when the tower could be moved.

He says the community is preparing to hold a ceremony when the hole is finally uncovered.