Dene Nation to restart work on updating its constitution

The Dene Nation is working to revise its constitution, picking up on work that was started before the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal is to update the document so it reflects the realities Dene First Nations now face, including different governance structures.

The resolution to revise the constitution was adopted last week at the 55th Dene National Assembly in Fort Good Hope.

"We wanted to make sure that priorities aligned with community and regional needs and concerns,” said Tyler Dempsey, Dene Nation’s chief of staff, to the assembly during a presentation on a suggested path forward to update the constitution. 

The resolution cites a lack of consultation on the topic for more than three years prior to the term of current Dene National Chief George Mackenzie. N.W.T. officials from the Dene Nation explained that there had been a lot of turnover among chiefs in the last few years.

“The Dene Nation commits to a revision process that is transparent and empowering, ensuring that the revised Constitution reflects the collective aspirations, rights, and governance frameworks of the Dene people, fostering unity and progression in the path toward self-determination,” the adopted resolution reads.

Some of the discussion at last week's assembly focused on how the constitution would be compatible with self-governance. 

Ɂek'wahtı̨dǝ́ Danny Gaudet of the Délı̨nę Got'ınę Government said the Dene Nation constitution has not changed meaningfully in decades.

"Now we started getting self-governance into the fold, it hasn't dealt with how it deals with that,” Gaudet said.

He said he believes there is room for Dene Nation to advocate for all Dene First Nations, and he is in favour of updating its constitution. 

“The elders tell us that there's a lot of power in having a lot of numbers and having people work together," he said.

However, some leaders representing self-governing nations were not on the same page.

Behchokǫ̀ Chief Bertha Rabesca Zoe, who spoke for the Tłı̨chǫ government at the assembly, said her government was not interested in taking part in constitution renewal efforts.

“As long as discussion is focused on the corporation documents and the constitution bylaws of Dene Nation, we will most likely keep the status quo as Tłı̨chǫ government,” she said in her closing remarks. 

Rabesca Zoe said the Tłı̨chǫ government has its own spokesperson in its grand chief, and that Dene Nation, a non-profit corporation, does not speak for it.