The Délįnę Final Self-Government Agreement (FSGA) builds upon the Sahtu Dene and Metis Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement where it was agreed that self-government negotiations would address the desire of the Sahtu Dene and Metis to have self-government exercised as close to the community level as possible.
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, 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.
To take effect, the FSGA must first be ratified by a vote of all eligible Délįnę First Nation (DFN) members and land claim beneficiaries who are registered with the Délįnę Land Corporation. If the vote is successful, the FSGA will then need to be approved by the GNWT and Canada, and given force and effect through territorial and federal legislation.
Once approved, the FSGA will lead to the creation of the Délįnę Got'înê Government. This new government will be the institution through which the people of Délįnę will exercise the right to self-government.
The FSGA will not change the rights and benefits the Dene and Metis of Délįnę have under Treaty 11 or the land claim. It respects and builds on them by negotiating self-government for the community as was agreed in the land claim.
When it comes into effect, the FSGA will:
- be the agreement by which the Sahtu Dene and Metis of Délįnę exercise the right to self-government
- be protected as a treaty under the Canadian Constitution, which means it cannot be changed by any one government
- give the Sahtu Dene and Metis of Délįnę more control over the decisions that affect their day-to-day lives, including how programs and services are delivered in the Délįnę District
- lead to the creation of a new government called the Délįnę Got'înê Government (DGG)
The DGG will:
- be a unified government for Délįnę
- bring together the authorities, programs and services that currently rest with the Charter Community, the Délįnę Land and Financial Corporations and the Délįnę First Nation
- have 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
- operate according to the FSGA, the land claim, the Délįnę Constitution and its own policies and laws
- bring decision-making closer to the community and ensure decision-makers are accountable to those who elect them
- ensure decisions about land claim rights and assets are only made by the land claim beneficiaries
- provide 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 Délįnę
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)
Délįnę has set up a transition team and is developing a transition plan that will be in place before self-government comes into effect.
The employees of the Délįnę First Nation, Délįnę Land Corporation and the Charter Community are working together to plan and prepare for this change. Th is work is to ensure that the transition goes smoothly and that there are no negative impacts on employees of the three organizations.
Self-government and the creation of the DGG will not just benefit residents of Délįnę but also DFN Citizens who live elsewhere. The FSGA will provide the DGG with important tools that will allow them to support and serve all land claim beneficiaries who are registered with the Délįnę 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.
