Dehcho getting new land offer on Thursday, grand chief says

The Dehcho First Nations are expecting a new land quantum offer from the federal and territorial governments to be presented Thursday in Fort Simpson, N.W.T., CBC News has learned.

The organization of 10 First Nations and two Mtis groups has been in negotiations since 1999.The main outstanding issues are control over lands, resources and land management in approximately 50,000 square kilometres of land in the southwestern Northwest Territories.

This latestoffer from the federal and territorial governmentscould begin breaking the stalemate between the two sides, said Herb Norwegian, the Dehchogrand chief and interim negotiator.

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More details expected Thursday

"We're at the point where people will have a chance to look at it and mill it over, to see what might work for them here in theDehcho," he said.

Norwegian declined to talk about what could be in the agreement, but said it would be made publicly available once its presented Thursday morning.

It's been a long, drawn out process since the momentum of the early 2000s, explained Norwegian, who blames the former Conservative government for stalling negotiations.

Two groups the Acho Dene Koe First Nation and the Nahanni Butte Dene Band pulled out of the DehchoFirst Nations during that period. The last attempt at a deal ended in 2015, but Norwegian said there is renewed optimism something can come of this.

'It's in the hands of the people'

"We're ready to do business, but now it's up to community people who are waiting to see what is the best deal," he said. "We're going to be in a good position to finalize this whole thing. We're there and it's in the hands of the people."

Once the offer is formally presented in Fort Simpson it will be taken to the leadership of the Dene and Mtis next week for internal discussion. It could then be presented to the full Dehchoassembly later this summer, Norwegian explained.

"People's backs aren't up against the wall," he said. "There's a number of options that are there for them."

Spokespeople for Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada or the territorial government werenot immediately available for an interview Wednesday afternoon, though each said they'd work on responding to CBCNews.