A Study in Institution Building for Dene Governance in the Canadian North: A history of the Development of the Dene National Office

Abstract

For greater di scussions of rights and political history, we examine institution building for Aboriginal governance in the north by the Dene. The Dene Nation is a national northern Aboriginal organization that has, in turn, spawned several institutions and process for Aboriginal governance in the Canadian North. This study explains the institutional development of the Dene, in particular the Dene Nation and the Dene National Office, which have been for more than 30 years vehicles for the advancement of Treaty and Aboriginal rights implementation in Denendeh (Northwest Territories -N WT). This descriptive analysis begins with a discussion of the origins of Dene national identity, reflected in the story of Yamoria. Originally named the National Indian Brotherhood-NWT upon its creation in 1969, the national office has brought both the distinct regional and national concerns of Dene to national and international attention. As an organization, it has carried forward various processes that supported Dene governance including the Dene/Metis Land Claims, negotiations of the 1970s and 1980s, regional Land Claims and Self-Government Agreements, and a rejuvenated collectivism.