Peel watershed: Gwich’in Tribal Council unhappy with appeal
'It sends a very clear message that this government is unwilling to work with First Nations'
The Gwich’in Tribal Council is not happy with the Yukon government’s decision to appeal the latest court decision on protecting the Peel River watershed.
“It sends a very clear message that this government is unwilling to work with First Nations in terms of land management and land claim implementation,” says Gwich’in Tribal Council Vice-President Norman Snowshoe in Inuvik, N.W.T.
On Dec. 2, Yukon Supreme Court Justice Ron Veale found that the Yukon government’s modifications to the Peel land use plan did not respect the land use planning process set out in the territory’s final agreements with First Nations.
That decision said the government must go back a consult with aboriginal groups.
Late last month, the government announced it would appeal that decision, saying the government must have “final say” on what happens on public land.
The Gwich'in Tribal council was an intervener in the case.
The Gwich'in comprehensive land claim agreement recognizes Gwich'in rights in the Peel.
Snowshoe says the council is still determining what action it will take.
He says the government's decision not only threatens the Peel, but also the government's relationships with First Nations groups.
Appeal 'shameful,' says CPAWS
The Yukon chapter of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society has also weighed in, with executive director Gill Cracknell calling the decision to appeal “shameful.”
She says the appeal is a waste of taxpayers' money, because it's against the wishes of most Yukoners.
"I know there's going to be a storm in early January,” she says. “I don't think that slipping this out just before New Year's is going to make any difference to the public response. The people who have contacted me are outraged."
No date for the hearing has been set.