The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) is negotiating a self-government agreement with the Deline, as represented by the Deline Land Corporation and the Deline Dene Band, and the Federal Government.
Deline is currently pursuing a community-based self-government agreement.
Through these negotiations, the parties are proposing to combine Aboriginal government with public government, merging the municipal government and band council into a new government - the Deline Gotine Government. The Deline Gotine Government is characterized as an "inclusive Aboriginal government" that will represent all residents of Deline.
Participants in the Sahtu Dene and Métis Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement chose to divide the Sahtu Settlement Area into three Districts. The Deline District includes the community of Deline, Great Bear Lake, and the surrounding area.
Negotiations began in January 1997 and a Process and Schedule Agreement was signed in October 1998.
The Agreement-in-Principle (AIP) was initialled on June 16, 2003, and officially signed on August 23, 2003 in Deline. Negotiations are nearing completion with the parties expected to consider ratifying the agreement in 2009.
Key Documents:
Deline Self-Government AIP for Dene & Metis of Deline, August 2003
