Thomas Berger, a former justice who headed the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline Inquiry in the 1970s, died Wednesday at the age of 88.

Between 1974 and 1977, Berger headed the royal commission called the Berger Inquiry to examine the impacts of a pipeline which would bring natural gas from the Alaskan Arctic coast through the Yukon and the Northwest Territories to American markets.

叠别谤驳别谤鈥檚 study sought input from Indigenous communities, which took him to nearly 50 黑料吃瓜网 communities that included bush camps and on-the-land camps, to get feedback on the potential social and economic impacts of the development.

In his he  called for a 10-year moratorium to be put in place on the project and a wildlife preserve established.  

The report was seen as a major victory for environmental rights advocates and 黑料吃瓜网 Indigenous people, who provided an unprecedented level of input into an industrial project of that scale on their own homeland.

But Berger concluded that large-scale industrial development would exacerbate problems among Indigenous people and would cause added harm to their traditional economies, values and self-respect.

鈥淭丑别 evidence is clear: the more the industrial frontier displaces the homeland in the North, the greater the incidence of social pathology will 产别,鈥� he concluded.

Georges Erasmus, head of the Indian Brotherhood at the time, told News of the North that 叠别谤驳别谤鈥檚 findings were seen as win for Dene. 

鈥淏erger has recognized the Dene Nation and the right to self-determination in our Dene homeland. We could never survive if a pipeline was built right now. This is indeed a time for us to celebrate,鈥� said Erasmus.

Berger was widely celebrated following the report, including with the awarding of the
.

In an anniversary gathering in 2015 to mark the 40th anniversary of the inquiry, Berger spoke to a packed house at the Prince of Wales 黑料吃瓜网 Heritage 颁别苍迟谤别鈥檚 auditorium, to much fanfare.

鈥泪迟 was a marvellous 别虫辫别谤颈别苍肠别,鈥� he told the crowd, recounting his trips to hunting camps, fishing camps and seeing the Porcupine Caribou herd. 鈥泪迟 was an experience that perhaps no Canadian had ever 别苍箩辞测别诲.鈥�

Whit Fraser, who was at the CBC in Yellowknife from 1967 to 1978, wrote the , which told of his eye-witness experience following the inquiry. 

He said Berger should be remembered as a builder of a country where Indigenous and non-Indigenous people better understood each other 鈥� a far greater accomplishment than preventing an industrial project. 

鈥淚 thought about it this morning and tried to put a book in two sentences and I came up with this: that no matter what, he didn鈥檛 stop a pipeline,鈥� Fraser said.

鈥淗e was a builder and helped build a far better North with stronger and more independent peoples 鈥� it was more about the country itself and the legacy.鈥�

Patrick Scott, who was a CBC cameraman during the inquiry, said Berger was exemplary from beginning to end.

鈥淗颈蝉 title at the time was Justice Tom Berger and he personified that concept and that continued through his entire career,鈥� Scott said.

鈥淗e was an incredibly wise man and very seldom were there people as wise as him.鈥�

Awakening 鈥榓 sleeping 驳颈补苍迟鈥�

The Dene Nation issued a news release on April 29 recognizing 叠别谤驳别谤鈥檚 legal work starting in the 1960s and 1970s that championed Aboriginal rights and title within Canadian law.

鈥泪迟 was the first time we heard the news being broadcast in our 濒补苍驳耻补驳别蝉,鈥� said Dene National Chief Norman Yakeleya.

鈥淭丑谤辞耻驳丑 his work, he awakened the sleeping giant of the 顿别苍别鈥檚 soul - we felt the power of recognition in our existence throughout Canada and the power to challenge industry throughout our traditional 迟别谤谤颈迟辞谤测.鈥�

The Dene Nation stated that 叠别谤驳别谤鈥檚 inquiry not only highlighted the unresolved land claims and the need forwildlife protection, but reshaped the relationship between the Dene, the Government of Canada and Canadians.

鈥淗颈蝉 actions were the embodiment of reconciliation before Canadians knew that was the just path to take, to begin to right the wrongs of 颁补苍补诲补鈥檚 colonial 谤辞辞迟蝉,鈥� Yakeleya said.

Several messages of condolences were shared on social media on Wednesday evening, including from . 

鈥淭om was a great champion of a Indigenous peoples and rights鈥� A true trail-blazer who helped change this country for the better while personally sacrificing to do so,鈥� she wrote. 

Others included Bob Rae, 颁补苍补诲补鈥檚 Ambassador to the United Nations.  

鈥淣o non-Indigenous person has done more to advance the rights of Indigenous people in Canada and globally,鈥� Rae stated. 鈥淎 giant in the law, an advocate without match. He inspired thousands and enlightened millions.鈥�