History of Délı̨nę
When the community of Délı̨nę decided to negotiate a self-government agreement, the Délı̨nę Elders agreed that the community should have one government to bring everyone together. This was based in part on the teachings of Prophet Ɂehtseo (Grandfather) Ayah. The Elders believed that too many organizations were responsible for governing the community and that it was not working effectively for the community - a First Nation created by Canada’s Indian Act, the Land Corporation created under the Sahtú Land Claim, and a Charter Community created by the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT). The Elders knew the community could be better governed under one organization. They also wanted to make sure that the new government would have more control over decision making in the community. The community knew that to have this new government, they would have to negotiate with Canada and the GNWT. This vision was supported by the community.