DEHCHO FIRST NATIONS BOX 89, FORT SIMPSON, NT X0E 0N0 Ph: (867) 695.2610 Toll Free: 1.866.995.3748 Fax: (867) 695.2038 EMAIL: [email protected] 19th Annual Assembly Draft Minutes Pehdzeh Ki, Denendeh June 28-30, 2011 Attendance: Chief Stanley Sanguez Richard Hardisty Elder Ernest Hardisty Joseph Horesay William (Billy) Norwegian Gerald Hardisty Margaret Ireland Johnny Denethlon Ariel Sanguez Beatrice Antoine Clifford McLeod (Proxy) Sharon Allen Elder Gilbert Bouvier Sr. Shelly Hardisty Jessica Minoza (Christie) Wilbert Antoine Annadette Bouvier Chief Joachim Bonnetrouge Chief Dolphus Jumbo Elder Ted Landry Arthur Jumbo Jim Elleze David Jumbo Sam Elleze Ernest Gargan Bernice Bonnetrouge Proxy Ted Cayen Laura Sabourin Elder James Cayen Henry Bonnetrouge Sr. Florence Cayen Eric Gargan President Marie Lafferty Tyler Minoza Elder Barb Sloat Daylon Matto Chief Jim Antoine Robert Lamalice Elder Rita Cli Charlene Bonnetrouge Peter Cornielle Chief Roy Fabian Peter Tambour Fred Tambour Ernest Martel Rachel Martel Clara Sabourin Chief Tim Lennie Elder Gabe Hardisty Henry Hardisty Albert Moses Nicole Hardisty David Moses Chief Fred Tesou Elder Flora Cli Jayne Konisenta Peter Marcellais David Etchinelle 19th Annual Assembly DRAFT MINUTES Page 1 Pehdzeh Ki, Denendeh June 28­30, 2011 Dehcho First Nations 19th Annual Assembly June 27-30, 2011 Pehdzeh, Denendeh Day One (Tuesday, June 28th) 10:00 AM – Fire Feeding Behind the Complex Chief Tim Lennie welcomes the delegates to Pehdzeh Ki and just summarizes the activities that will be happening during the assembly. If for any reason the delegates and the visitors have any problems please do not hesitate to contact the workers and they will try to fix the problems. Grand Chief Sam Gargan, thank you Chief Lennie. Going to the next item the appointment of our chairs, we have here Sharon Pellissey and former Grand Chief Herb Norwegian that we want to appoint to chair this assembly in Pehdzeh Ki. Can we get someone to do the motion, to move to appoint, okay moved by Gabe Hardisty, seconded by Chief Bonnetrouge. Are there any discussions, question be call, all those in favour to select Sharon Pellissey and Herb Norwegian, opposed if any. Okay it’s unanimous, thank you. MOTION #01 ASSEM 27/06/11 The Dehcho Annual Assembly move to approve Sharon Pellissey and Herb Norwegian as Chairs. Moved by Gabe Hardisty Seconded by Joachim Bonnetrouge Passed Chair Herb Norwegian, thank you for allowing us to chair this meeting, myself and my co-chair, Sharon Pellissey. Just to go over the general rules with the delegates and to stay focus to the issue at present and also welcoming delegates from other communities. Also if there are any guests that needs to be recognized please let the chair know so that we can recognized them as assembly like this we try to acknowledge people that have done work in public areas whether they are MLA’s or Chiefs, former Chiefs, Elders we try to recognize them. Co-chair Sharon Pellissey introduces herself and advises the assembly that any messages for the delegates, Chiefs and Elders will be posted up on the bulletin board outside the Band office. Chair Herb Norwegian, the next item is the address from our Grand Chief, Sam Gargan. 19th Annual Assembly DRAFT MINUTES Page 2 Pehdzeh Ki, Denendeh June 28­30, 2011 Grand Chief Sam Gargan if you want to read the report that I have done it’s on tap one. Just to summarize, it’s been almost two years that I have been the Grand Chief for Dehcho Region. This meeting is to get together and acknowledge how we can work together with Canada and renew relationship and sovereignty and the way the land is used. Back in 1996 Royal Commission and Aboriginal People also said that at that time, said restructuring our relationship and we have to think about that too. Today, there are a lot of things that came out that is very powerful that were made. And a lot of people since 1982 where the constitution was brought back to us Section 35 that was the reason why it was brought back to us. With regards to our land how we want a settlement and all that stuff was started. 1996 Royal Commission and Aboriginal People we talk about that one too also. They made a statement in regards to that and the statement was how we are going to be our own government and how we are going to work with the Federal Government and we made a number of statements in regards to that. In 1998 we look at the reconciliation that’s where it started and the Aboriginal Healing Foundation was founded. In 2007 UN declaration was passed. We review it on how we are going to be self-government and how we can get resources from our, funding from resources that we give to the government. We did that in 2008 and we also heard Prime Minister Harper with regards the Residential School apology to all the survivors. So there were a lot of things that were important that was brought out but still we didn’t go forward with it. It seems like we are holding onto our land and being our own government, we need to still address that. When we do things like that we need a lot of statements and lot of good definition so that it will go forward. We need to do that and every since Dehcho Process we still will be doing that. In the past when Chiefs were together, the elders that were here, that are not here right now. They made a strong statement they seen it for the future so that’s the reason why they made a statement. How they see things, how we are going to make out a strong statement to become our own government we need the Dehcho Declaration of Rights. A lot depends on it and along with the 21Common Ground Principles. With regards to the Framework Interim Resource Development Agreement we need that and we are also still working on that. So who are those people that made the statement we need to follow it through with the Dehcho Process that’s how they did it. Today we are still working towards that I am pretty sure. You see a number of Chiefs that are sitting around here and who are at home, all Chiefs of Dehcho, the leaders of Métis Nation and all the Elders I want to express my thanks to them. What we do here with regards to a big meeting like this assembly we have a lot of work ahead of us and if that happens there’s lot of things people do even during the weekends. We got to remember those people to that are preparing for the meeting. So I would like to thank the staff of Dehcho First Nation my thanks go to them and they are doing hard 19th Annual Assembly DRAFT MINUTES Page 3 Pehdzeh Ki, Denendeh June 28­30, 2011 work and if I forget anybody I apologize I want to thank them. Now here we are sitting around here with the leadership and the young people, elders, women, men, people that come from far away that are here and have travelled a long ways I want to say thank you for their safe trip here. The Dehcho Process is still something that is important and it still ahead of us. We need to all pull together, the Chiefs, we got to follow what they say and we will go ahead. All the people that are sitting around the table also and we are here to protect our land and that’s what we are going to be doing and that’s what we are going to be talking about. So I can’t say I am the boss of the land, but everything that is on the land is very important to us and that’s how we are going to protect it. If we think that way then we probably won’t be here and we want to settle this and it is very important what we are going to discuss with regards to protecting our land. Also up until now people like Georges, Patrick, Bernadette, Richard, Violet, Leona and people like that are lawyers and all of those that are with us today. In 1993 after the Dehcho Declaration up until now it’s been a long time now, we came along ways. So in the end maybe there will be a statement coming out of this. Right now, from now until next year it will be about three years that I will be here and it is still a lot of things. That one community, we got to think as one community that’s what we have to do. Think as one and we got to work out of one house concept so that’s what we still thinking of and also what government gives us a treaty that’s what we have to stand on too. Last Thursday Premier Floyd Roland wrote to me and then on Friday Minister Duncan from Ottawa they call me and talk to me in regards to Ehdezhie. The statement there is that they change the statement around so now we got to revisit it again and we have to reinstate what we are protecting. We did that and I am very grateful for that. Up until now what is going to happen we don’t know but things that have been said before that, if we are going to have a meeting then we need to make a statement with regards to how Ehdezhie, is Simpson and all of these communities like Providence and all those areas that the working group comes from, they need to work together and they need to look at the co-management group of Ehdezhie.