Kaska elder Alfred Chief says Kaska leaders who signed a deal with Premier Darrell Pasloski had no right to do so.

Chief says a local group – Kaska Concerned About Land Protection and Good Government – is preparing a response to the framework agreement.

The deal was announced with fanfare last week in Vancouver during the annual Mineral Exploration Roundup.

The Watson Lake group sent out a press release Wednesday citing its concerns with quotes from Chief and three other members of the Liard First Nation, including elder Rose Ceaser and George Morgan.

The group insists agreements with such large implications for aboriginal rights and title require the approval of the general membership, not just a few.

“If Kaska leaders want to make deals concerning Kaska title, it has to be done in a good way,” Chief said in Wednesday’s statement.

“There has to be a high threshold of agreement on the part of the membership, including first obtaining the consent of members to enter into negotiations in the first place.”

Chief said in an interview this morning the Kaska Concerned group is preparing a response to the agreement announced last week, though he declined to discuss the details.

In addition to the concern over the impact on the Kaskas’ aboriginal title, there’s concern there’s nothing in place to ensure transparency and accountability in spending the $3-million-plus in funding the Yukon is providing to the Kaska under the agreement, Chief said.

“With no audit, and no transparency, how can we be sure the money will flow to us?” he asked.

“There is a lot of people upset, right from Ross River to here, especially elders.”

Under the framework agreement, the Yukon government will provide the funding to ensure the Kaska have the financial resources over the next 14 months to participate in discussions regarding management of land and resources in southeast Yukon and northern B.C.

The agreement was signed by Pasloski, Chief Jack Caesar of the Ross River Dena Council, Chief Daniel Morris of the Liard First Nation and George Miller, chairperson of the Kaska Dena Council of Lower Post, B.C.

There is $500,000 specifically earmarked for the Liard First Nation for community wellness and capacity development, but nobody knows what that means, and there’s nothing setting out how the money is to be spent, and by whom, Chief pointed out.

Morgan said in an interview this morning it’s clear in law that when it comes to First Nations negotiating aboriginal rights and title to lands and resources, decisions cannot be made by a few representatives of chief and council.

There must be widespread consultation and agreement among the First Nation membership as a whole, he said.

Morgan said when dealing with matters affecting aboriginal title, the chief and council has a legal responsibility to obtain informed consent from the membership.

And aboriginal title includes not only the land, but the resources on the land, he said.

He cited last year’s Supreme Court of Canada landmark decision in the case of the Tsilhqotin First Nation of B.C.

Morgan said the framework agreement signed by Pasloski and three Kaska leaders is all about negotiating arrangements which directly affect the land and resources, and which directly affect the Kaskas’ aboriginal rights and title.

“While we can appreciate the need to show movement on this file for all Yukoners, from our perspective, negotiations involving aboriginal title must be done according to the highest standards of honour and care,” Morgan said in Wednesday’s press release.

“Deals involving Kaska title conducted without community knowledge or consent are a concern for the members who are the real titleholders.”