A Sentinel-2 satellite image shows the area of land known as the barrenlands in the NWT, north of Lake Athabasca and east of Great Slave Lake.
NationTalk: Cabin Radio – Land claim agreements for the Athabasca Denesųłiné and Ghotelnene K’odtįneh Dene, covering areas in the far east of the NWT, are heading toward ratification votes.
In a news release late last week, the Indigenous groups, federal government and territorial governments of Nunavut and the NWT said all parties had initialled the relevant land claim agreements.
The Athabasca Denesųłiné First Nations of Black Lake, Fond du Lac and Hatchet Lake say they have been working for more than 30 years to secure an agreement regarding land north of the 60th parallel.
The Sayisi Dene First Nation and Northlands Denesųłiné First Nation are known collectively as Ghotelnene K’odtįneh Dene, which was translated into English as “barren lands people” in the news release. Since time immemorial, the news release continued, Ghotelnene K’odtįneh Dene have lived in the barren lands of what is now known as Nunavut, the Northwest Territories, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Their negotiations have lasted for more than two decades.
According to the news release, the Athabasca Denesųłiné and Ghotelnene K’odtįneh Dene are now “beginning community ratification to ask eligible voters to approve their respective agreements.”
“If successfully ratified by all parties, including the passing of federal legislation, the two agreements will constitutionally protect and address harvesting, land ownership, resource management, and other rights and benefits,” the news release stated.
“We are hopeful the Ghotelnene K’odtįneh Dene Agreement will be the basis to work collaboratively on rebuilding our Nation-to-Nation relationship with the Crown,” Chief Simon Denechezhe of the Northlands Denesųłiné First Nation was quoted as saying.
Premier RJ Simpson said the two agreements were a “profound step toward renewing the relationship between our governments based on respect.”
On a website dedicated to the ratification process, the Ghotelnene K’odtįneh Dene said a vote is expected between May and June next year.