The territorial government and the Yukon’s member of Parliament appeared at odds this week, with Premier Darrell Pasloski calling on Ottawa to recognize First Nations as governments and MP Ryan Leef insisting it already does.

The conflicting perceptions came in the wake of remarks by Aboriginal Affairs Minister Bernard Valcourt, who told Yukon First Nations they were “not real governments” at a meeting with chiefs Monday in Ottawa.

Pasloski responded by tabling a motion in the legislature Thursday that urged the federal minister “to recognize Yukon First Nations as governments.”

Questioned the day before by the NDP on whether he agrees with Valcourt’s statement, Pasloski replied: “Of course not.”

Leef was present at the morning meeting with Council of Yukon First Nations (CYFN) Grand Chief Ruth Massie and several other aboriginal leaders. The sit-down concerned planned changes to the territory’s environmental assessment regime.

The MP said Valcourt “expressly acknowledged their role as government .... It was crystal-clear and without question in the meeting.”

The “not-real-governments” remark was taken out of context, he told the Star Thursday.

It was made in reference to the Umbrella Final Agreement which, in its definition of terms, states that “‘Government’ means Canada or the Yukon, or both.”

“It was not done as a point of insult. It wasn’t done as a point to minimize what roles and responsibilities they have,” Leef said.

In reference to the premier’s motion in the legislature, he added Pasloski should “pick up the phone and call the minister ... prior to pushing out that kind of release, but it is what it is.

“I see it somewhat positioned as a move by the Yukon government to educate the federal minister on something he needs no education in. He’s clearly fundamentally aware of the Yukon self-government agreements and the Yukon governance structures.”

First Nations leaders saw Valcourt’s remark not as an isolated sting but indicative of a broader attitude of indifference and superiority by the federal government.

“We came down here on the invitation of the minister to discuss this and he totally insulted our FIrst Nations, he totally insulted our agreements and it’s like ‘business as usual — too bad what you think,’” Massie said on behalf of the CYFN at a press conference in Ottawa on Wednesday.

“The minister wants to have delegation of authority over our environmental process.”

Valcourt’s controversial line, repeated in a House of Commons debate later on Monday, related to a question by First Nations about the minister’s powers of delegation — ratcheted up via Bill S-6.

The proposed amendments to the Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Act (YESAA), which underwent second reading in the House this week, include four key planks.

They allow the imposition of binding policy direction onto the assessment board’s executive committee from a federal minister, the delegation of that authority to a territorial minister, end-to-end assessment timelines and relaxed rules on which project renewals or expansions trigger a fresh review.

The Yukon Party government has said it requested the first two amendments while the second two came from Ottawa. Valcourt has said all four were the result of territorial government requests and suggestions.

Leef would have to table a motion obligating the committee to travel North and needing approval from the House and the board of internal economy as well as cooperation from NDP committee members.

Leef added the committee and Aboriginal Affairs would likely only consider changing the bill if First Nations could show that it violates the Umbrella Final Agreement — the template for aboriginal land claims in the territory incorporated into all 11 final agreements between First Nations, the Yukon and Canada.

“Presumably, they have enough supporting evidence to convince the minister long before this issue goes to court,” Leef said.

Valcourt seemed to invite that option in the House Monday: “If the First Nations claim that we have failed in our duty to consult, the court will determine the issue, and they are welcome to use the courts.”

Liberal Leader Sandy Silver tabled a motion in the house Thursday calling on the government to “provide certainty to the mining industry by requesting the government of Canada to withdraw Bill S-6.”

He also insisted the territorial government “stop blaming Yukon First Nations for creating uncertainty surrounding Bill S-6 and mining investment and instead accept responsibility that, as authors of the four contentious amendments, it has only itself to blame.”

See letter.