The newly-chosen interim grand chief of the Dehcho First Nations said upcoming land claims talks with Ottawa will be one of his first priorities.

Leaders and elders with the Dehcho First Nations, located in the Northwest Territories, selected Jerry Antoine as their interim grand chief from a field of four candidates during a conference call Friday morning.

Jerry Antoine was chosen Dehcho interim grand chief on Friday morning.
(CBC)

He replaces Herb Norwegian, who was removed as grand chief last week after he pleaded guilty in December to assaulting a woman. The First Nation has stated it has zero tolerance for violence, and members are preparing a formal, written policy to that effect.

Antoine said his first order of business is to talk with chiefs on how they want to move forward on Dehcho land claim negotiations with the federal government.

Talks between the two sides are scheduled to resume in Hay River in two weeks. Antoine said he believes the government's most recent offer is not acceptable.

"You know, the relationship that we have with Canada is a very abusive relationship," he told CBC News in an interview Friday afternoon.

"They want us to relinquish, release, surrender all our rights, interests and privileges to the land, and in return we're going to negotiate the scraps. I don't think that is acceptable to the Dehcho."

Antoine, who was Dehcho grand chief in the mid-1990s, is currently an on-air announcer at a Yellowknife aboriginal radio station.

He will oversee the First Nation until members elect a permanent grand chief during their annual summer assembly in June.