The Little Salmon-Carmacks First Nation will look at taking over education for its people from the Yukon government.

Eric Fairclough is the NDP MLA for Mayo-Tatchun and a former chief of the Little Salmon-Carmacks First Nation. He said today that the first nation decided earlier this week at a general assembly to look into taking control of education.

Fairclough said the decision was to get the chief and council to begin studying the idea of negotiating with the federal government to take over education. It will then be brought up at another general assembly in June for further discussion.

The ability for first nations to take over authority for delivery of programs from is provided for in the constitutionally protected self-government agreements for first nations that have achieved land claim settlements.

Fairclough said the decision to consider taking over this power stemmed from the first nation's problems in dealing with the territorial government on the construction of a new school in Carmacks.

For the past few months, the first nation and the government have been at odds over the plans to build a replacement for the Tantalus School in the community of 400.

The government has been firm with the first nation that it wants to build the village's Yukon College campus onto the new school.

The first nation, led by Chief Eddie Skookum, has been just as firm in its opposition to moving the college from where it is now, in part of the first nation's administration building, to be part of the school.

Skookum has said it has nothing to do with losing the rent of the college being removed from the first nation building.

The problem is having adults, who are attending the college, in the same building as children. There is a concern about the safety of the children.

In the past few months, neither side has been willing to budge on its stances.

Fairclough said Education Minister John Edzerza spoke with the first nation recently but refused to listen.

The New Democrat said the minister was set on building the school with extra space that the college could move into at some point.

'He wasn't going to change his mind,' said Fairclough about Edzerza.

According to Fairclough, Edzerza told the first nation they might as well not bother meeting with the premier because he had the same stance.

Fairclough said the first nation indicated that if the government was not going to change its stance, there was no reason to proceed on trying to get the new school built.

There was a sentiment at the meeting to completely reject the territorial government building the new school and begin negotiating with Ottawa to take over responsibility for education.

'There's so much anger and frustration,' he said of the first nation membership.

The MLA noted that due to the large number of aboriginal students who attend the Tantalus School, the building may end up in the first nation's hands.

There are also non-natives who attend the school.

As a member of the first nation, and a former chief, Fairclough said he supports the decision to study the idea.

The Yukon government refused to answer any questions about either the negotiations on the school or the first nation's plan to look at taking over education.

Liberal Leader Pat Duncan said the fact the first nation is looking at this is a sign Premier Dennis Fentie isn't doing his job.

'The way it's come up is symptomatic of a fractious relationship,' said Duncan.

She said a good government-to-government relationship takes hard work to build. She said these relationships require more than just signing memorandums of understanding.

For the former premier, it appears this government is just trying to dictate to another government.

'That's not a respectful government-to government relationship,' she said.

The negotiations between the first nation and the federal government on drawing down responsibility for something like education are very complex, she added.

'It's worrisome that it's symptomatic the education system is not working the way it should,' Duncan said, referring to the first nation's decision to look at making this change.

Fairclough pointed out that Little Salmon-Carmacks is not the only first nation considering taking over education from the territorial government.

He said the Selkirk First Nation of Pelly Crossing and the First Nation of the Nacho Nyak Dun from Mayo are also considering taking control of education from the government.

Those two are Northern Tutchone first nations, like Little Salmon-Carmacks.

'I think there's a lot of eyes looking at Little Salmon-Carmacks and what they do,' said the MLA.