Déline Final Self-Government Agreement

The Délįnę Final Self-Government Agreement (FSGA) builds upon the Sahtu Dene and Metis Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement where the parties agreed that each Sahtu community could negotiate self-government at the community level.

In 1996, Délįnę became the first Sahtu community to begin self-government negotiations. The groups (the Parties) who have negotiated the Délįnę FSGA are the Délįnę First Nation Band, the Délįnę Land Corporation, the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) and the Government of Canada (Canada).

The Parties signed a Process and Schedule Agreement (PSA) in 1998. The PSA set out the approach and process for self-government negotiations.  It also identified what was being negotiated and established an agenda and timetable.

In 2003, the Parties signed the Agreement in Principle (AIP). The AIP formed the basis for negotiating and concluding the Délįnę FSGA, the Financing Agreement, and the Implementation Plan.

In 2012, Chief Negotiators for Délįnę, the GNWT and Canada completed the draft FSGA, Implementation Plan and Financing Agreement.

The Chief Negotiators for Délįnę, the GNWT and Canada initialled the FSGA in Délįnę in December 2013 and recommended it for approval by the Parties they represent.

Before the self government agreement could be finalized, it had to be approved by the members of the Délı̨nę First Nation and Délı̨nę beneficiaries of the Sahtu Dene and Métis Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement through a ratification vote. On March 12, 2014, the eligible voters—roughly half of whom lived outside of the community of Délınę—voted 83% in favour of ratifying the final agreement.

Following this ratification vote, the territorial and federal governments also had to approve the agreement and pass legislation to recognize it. Both governments passed laws recognizing the Délı̨nę Final Self-Government Agreement in 2015. The Délı̨nę First Nation, Délı̨nę Land Corporation and Charter Community of Délı̨nę then began the process of preparing to dissolve these three bodies and merge their functions into a single Délı̨nę Got’įnę Government (DGG), which would also have self-governing authorities.

The FSGA will not change the rights and benefits the Dene and Metis of Délı̨nę have under Treaty 11 or the land claim.  The FSGA respects and builds on them by negotiating self-government for the community as was agreed in the land claim.

With the coming into force, the FSGA:

• is the agreement by which the Sahtu Dene and Metis of Délı̨nę exercise the right to self-government
• is protected as a treaty under the Canadian Constitution, which means it cannot be changed by any one government
• gives the Sahtu Dene and Metis of Délı̨nę more control over the decisions that affect their day-to-day lives, including how programs and services are delivered in the Délı̨nę District
• creates a new government called the Délı̨nę Got’ı̨nę Government (DGG)

The DGG:

• is a unified government for Délı̨nę
• brings together the authorities, programs and services that currently sit with the Charter Community, the Délı̨nę Land and Financial Corporations and the Délı̨nę First Nation Band
• has new powers and responsibilities, some of which the DGG will take on right away and some which it will take on over time, when it decides it has the ability and is ready to do so
• operates according to the FSGA, the land claim, the Délı̨nę Constitution and its own policies and laws
• brings decision-making closer to the community and ensures decision-makers are accountable to those who elect them
• ensures decisions about land claim rights and assets are only made by the land claim beneficiaries
• provides programs and services that compare to those received by other residents of the Northwest Territories while being more appropriate to the needs, circumstances, culture and language of the Sahtu Dene and Metis of Délı̨nę

The Parties have also negotiated other important agreements and plans, which ensure that everyone understands and agrees on:

• how self-government will be put into action (Implementation Plan)
• how the DGG will be funded (Financing Agreement)
• the tax rules that will apply to the DGG and its institutions (Tax Treatment Agreement)

The employees of the Délı̨nę First Nation Band, Délı̨nę Land Corporation and the Charter Community have planned and prepared for this change. They have ensured that the transition goes smoothly, that there are no negative impacts on employees of the three organizations, and that there is no interruption of programs and services within the community due to the transition to self-government.

Self-government and the creation of the DGG will not just benefit residents of Délı̨nę but also DFN Citizens who live elsewhere. The FSGA provides the DGG with important tools that allow them to support and serve all land claim beneficiaries who are registered with the Délı̨nę Land Corporation and DFN Citizens, particularly in preserving their culture, language, spiritual practices, customs and traditions.

Self-government is the start of a new relationship among governments that will evolve over time. The FSGA describes how the DGG, the GNWT and Canada will continue to work together after self-government is in place.