Land claims talks between the Dehcho First Nations and the federal government will resume in two weeks in Hay River, N.W.T., a negotiator for the First Nation told CBC News.

Assistant negotiator Patrick Scott said Tuesday that the talks, originally scheduled for this week in Yellowknife, were delayed so that Dehcho chiefs and elders can have time to elect an interim grand chief.

Last week, First Nation leaders and elders voted to remove Herb Norwegian as grand chief, following his conviction in December for assaulting a woman. A territorial court sentenced him to a day in jail, as well as six months of probation and 50 hours of community service.

An interim leader will be chosen in a conference call slated for Friday, and a permanent grand chief will be elected during the First Nation's summer assembly.

Norwegian had been the Dehcho First Nations' grand chief since 2003, and was serving his second three-year term when he was recalled in a Jan. 30 vote of a special assembly.

Zero tolerance policy in the works

At the time, the First Nation stated that it has a policy of zero tolerance for violence. However, an official, written policy is only now in the works. A draft is currently being circulated to leaders for their comments.

"Dehcho is not going to tolerate anything in regards to violence," said Jerry Antoine, a former grand chief who attended last week's special assembly as a delegate.

"There was a lot of discussions, you know, on violence on woman. And it's not only on women, it's on men, it's on elders, it's on youth, it's on the environment. And that's the stand that the Dehcho made."

While delegates found it difficult to vote Norwegian out of office — many were colleagues, friends and even family members of the ousted grand chief — Antoine said the First Nation had to take a strong stand on Norwegian's conduct in order to preserve the organization's integrity.

"Just because you are grand chief, you don't get special treatment," he said. "You have to be hardline, and everybody has to understand that that's the position you're sitting in, and it's quite the task."

That sentiment was echoed by Dene National Chef Bill Erasmus, who co-chaired the assembly.

"The more people spoke, it was clear that they wouldn't tolerate violence," Erasmus said.

"He now has a criminal record [and] the high standard that they hold was no longer being met so they had to make a decision."