feature news DEH CHO DRUM, Thursday, January 26, 2017 3 Correction In the Jan. 19 edition, an article ("Village says water usage not an environmental concern") misstated the reason former councillor Leah Keats resigned from council in 2015. The issue that precipitated Keats' resigna- tion was that anyone with appropriate hook-ups could obtain bulk water from the water treatment plant. We apolo- gize for any confusion or embarrass- ment this error caused. NEWS Briefs Researchers pursue contaminant study Researchers from the University of Waterloo will be at the Snowshoe Inn boardroom in Fort Providence on Jan. 26, 27 and 30 to conduct a study on contaminants and human health. Dr. Brian Laird and Dr. Mylène Ratelle are inviting community members over the age of six to par- ticipate. The study will help to answer questions about current levels of contaminant exposure in the body, sources of contaminant exposure to NNSL file photo people in the Northwest Territories The Nahanni Butte Dene Band says it's flagging and cutting a trail for a 184-kilometre all-season access road to Prairie Creek and the balance between risks and Mine after criticizing the Mackenzie Valley Impact Review Board. The project has not yet been approved but Chief Peter Marcel- benefits from country food. lais says he is "tired of waiting." Participants can take a voluntary 24-hour food recall survey, a food frequency questionnaire, a hair or urine sample or a blood sample, which would be collected by a nurse. Nahanni Butte strikes out Economic forum announced Dehcho First Nations and the Dehcho Economic Corporation will host a regional Dehcho Economic alone on first stages of road Readiness Forum in Fort Simpson from March 27 to 30, Dehcho First Nations has announced. The forum aims to augment the As project remains before Mackenzie Valley Impact Review Board, Deh Cho region's business know- ledge and is expected to draw lead- chief talks plans to move ahead with flagging, cutting trail ers, youth and aboriginal business representatives. by April Hudson poration to co-manage the project but delays at tract Oboni Riskope for a risk assessment was Education pilot projects Northern News Services the review board have been a source of frustration made after the board decided Canadian Zinc Nahanni Butte for chief, council and elders in the community. Corporation's risk assessment was inadequate. announced The Nahanni Butte Dene Band will be mov- Most recently, in late 2016 the review board The Oboni Riskope assessment, she wrote, The GNWT Department of Edu- ing ahead with plans to begin the first stage of had a third-party consultant, Oboni Riskope, was based on evidence already on the review cation, Culture and Employment construction on an all-season road to Prairie conduct a risk assessment for the road – a decision board's public record for the road project. announced on Jan. 23 it would run Creek Mine. Marcellais says the band wasn't brought in on. He a series of pilot projects throughout The project, which would see a 184-kilometre said the band didn't know the study was necessary Chief talks first steps the 2017-18 school year with the goal all-season access road constructed from the mine until it was already posted to the review board. Marcellais said the first thing band members of improving training and resources site to the Liard Highway, is currently before the Marcellais says the board's decision to bring will be doing is walking the land, followed by for teachers. Mackenzie Valley Review Board with the Can- in an outside party to do the risk assessment cutting a trail and widening it into a road. The initiative is a collaboration adian Zinc Corporation as its proponent. overlooks the wealth of traditional knowledge Although a map of the plan was not available between the department, the North- While the project remains before the review and on-the-land experience the band has to offer. at press time, Marcellais said the road will run west Territories Teachers' Associa- board, Nahanni Butte Chief Peter Marcellais said down the middle of Indian Affairs Branch lands. tion and the Northwest Territories on Jan. 24 the band isn't waiting for the review Board criticized "Once we build it, it's going to be a complete Superintendents' Assoication. board's approval. as being unrepresentative road. So there you go, you'll have a main street It aims to address the fact that the "It goes through our (Indian Affairs Branch) In a Jan. 20 e-mail to the board, he stated the even after the mine closes," he said. education system "is not meeting the lands, so we're just going to get it on its way. No current governance structure of the board appears When contacted for comment, the Mackenzie needs of learners," according to the matter what the review board or anyone else says, to mean it isn't accountable to people who are on Valley Review Board directed inquiries toward announcement, and will allow edu- it's on our own land," Marcellais said. the land, allowing for the "arbitrary appointing of the Department of Lands and federal Department cation boards to spend 100 hours on "We're just going to do it on our own. We're not third-party consultants to conduct risk assessment of Indigenous and Northern Affairs. improved teacher planning, assess- going to wait – we're tired of waiting." studies on traditional lands without prior consul- In an e-mail, Canadian Zinc Corporation's ment, collaborative practice and tation" with the band. chief operating officer and vice-president for ongoing professional development. Blazing a trail "The environmental assess- exploration Alan Taylor Nahanni Butte senior administrative officer ment process should be modern- stated the company is bound Air show preps Mark Pocklington stated in an e-mail the band ized to reflect public sentiment "The cutting of by the Mackenzie Valley for the Deh Cho is moving ahead with the "first stage of the road" toward addressing the social pri- trails on traditional Resource Management Act and has a crew in the field slashing and flagging a orities of First Nations commun- and the regulatory pro- The Canadian Arctic Aviation trail in order to allow surveyors to go in. ities," he stated. lands does not to cesses that accompany that. Tour, a volunteer-run project bring- "The cutting of trails on (Nahanni Butte Dene "This would require preference "Nahanni Butte Dene ing air shows to 97 Northern com- Band) traditional lands does not to our knowledge given to the engagement of local our knowledge Band (has) been very sup- munities, has plans to stop in the require a permit," he stated. qualified personnel to conduct portive of the project and Deh Cho. Widening the trail, he added, is another mat- baseline or risk assessment studies require a permit." we work closely togeth- Although exact dates were not ter. in advance of surface disturbance Mark Pocklington er," he stated, noting the available at press time, spokesperson "Once they access their (Indian Affairs but within practical timelines." project is currently in its Nancy McClure stated in an e-mail Branch) lands, which is a special land area Speaking with the Deh Cho third year of environ- the project would bring "wheels on between the access road and the Liard River, the Drum on Jan. 24, Marcellais said Nahanni Butte's mental assessment before the the ground" shows to Fort Liard permitting process to widen a trail to a gravel elders, all of whom are consulted on band deci- board. and Fort Simpson, with above-com- road needs to be defined by the federal govern- sions, are frustrated as well. "Nahanni grows impatient with the long pro- munity shows in Fort Providence, ment and not the GNWT," he wrote. "To them, it's not done right," he said. cess, and what they decide to do on their own Wrigley, Nahanni Butte, Jean Marie The Nahanni Butte Dene Band has been work- In a Jan. 16 letter to Marcellais, review board initiative is entirely up to them, but we can under- River and Sambaa K'e. ing on an agreement with Canadian Zinc Cor- chair JoAnne Deneron said the decision to con- stand their frustration with the process."