Ghotelnene K’odtįneh Dene (formerly Manitoba Denesuline) - Transboundary negotiations
Parties are negotiating Final Agreements to clarify and to provide certainty with respect to Ghotelnene K’odtįneh Dene land and harvesting rights in the NWT.
Negotiation parties
- Ghotelnene K’odtįneh Dene (formerly Manitoba Denesuline)
- Government of Canada
- Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT)
Negotiation overview
- Negotiations with the Ghotelnene K’odtįneh Dene (formerly Manitoba Denesuline) are a result of the 1993 Samuel/Thorassie court case in Manitoba. These legal actions were in response to the then forthcoming Nunavut Land Claims Agreement. The Ghotelnene K’odtįneh Dene (GKD) had concerns with the Nunavut Agreement regarding overlaps with their asserted harvesting rights north of the 60th parallel.
- In 1999, the Government of Canada, the GKD, and Athabasca Denesuline agreed to suspend their legal action while the parties worked to reach a settlement through negotiations. The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) as a defendant in this legal action, began participating in these negotiations.
- Transboundary negotiations among the GKD, the GNWT and Canada are proceeding towards completing a draft final agreement. The NWT portion of the agreement will be centered on GKD harvesting rights in the NWT and the identification of a small amount of settlement lands in the southeast corner of the NWT.
Interim Measures Agreement area
Frequently asked questions
Who are the Ghotelnene K’odtįneh Dene?
The Ghotelnene K’odtįneh Dene are a Dene people of Chipewyan ancestry living in Northern Manitoba in the communities of Lac Brochet and Tadoule Lake. They are represented by the Ghotelnene K’odtįneh Dene composed of the Sayisi Dene First Nation and the Northlands Dene First Nation.
Who are the parties involved in the negotiations?
The parties involved in negotiations are the Ghotelnene K’odtįneh Dene (composed of the Northlands Dene First Nation and Sayisi Dene First Nation), the Government of Canada and the Government of the Northwest Territories.
Why are the parties negotiating?
- These negotiations stemmed from the 1993 Samuel/Thorassie court case in Manitoba.
- The parties are negotiating Final Agreements to clarify and to provide certainty with respect to Ghotelnene K’odtįneh Dene land and harvesting rights in the NWT.
What are the negotiations about?
- These negotiations centre on Denesuline harvesting rights north of the 60th parallel.
- The Ghotelnene K’odtįneh Dene assert harvesting rights in the south-eastern corner of the NWT.
What stage are the negotiations at? What is the next step in the negotiation process?
- All parties have initialled the agreement and are now in the process of ratifying the agreement.
- The Ghotelnene K’odtįneh Dene are beginning community ratification to ask eligible voters to approve the agreement. If the vote is successful, then Canada will consider ratification, including the passing of federal legislation.