Tlicho chief says devolution won't affect land and water board

Tlicho Grand Chief Eddie Erasmus says N.W.T. devolution won't affect its land and water board and he hopes signing on will provide a constructive way to address outstanding issues in the Tlicho agreement.

The Tlicho announced Thursday they will sign the devolution agreement-in-principle on March 8.

"Nothing in the devolution agreement can take anything away from our constitutionally-protected Tlicho agreement," Erasmus said.

Erasmus said the Tlicho will still fight to keep the Wek'èezhìi Land and Water Board.

"We will do everything in all our power to protect it from Canada's plan to take it away," he said. "That fight will go on with Canada; the GNWT doesn't have jurisdiction over that."

Erasmus said signing on to the agreement-in-principle will give the Tlicho a role in how the final agreement for devolution will unfold.

Eramus hopes the Tlicho will have access to the resource revenue sharing but said he doesn't have a guarantee from the GNWT that will happen.