Gwich'in get glimpse of what self-government would look like
CBC
On day 2 of the Gwich'in Tribal Council's annual general assembly in Inuvik, N.W.T., Grand Chief Ken Kyikavichik sketched out a picture of what a Gwich'in government could look like.
"The current model of service delivery by the Government of the Northwest Territories simply is not working for our people," said Kyikavichik. And he said the Indian Act "continues to diminish the role and authority of band councils in our communities.
"Gwich'in government, in our view, provides opportunities to change this."
The Gwich'in Tribal Council has been negotiating a self-government agreement for more than two decades. It is work that started shortly after the Gwich'in signed a land claim agreement in 1992.
How a Gwich'in government would be structured, what powers it would have, and how long it would take to set up, were a focus of Gwich'in Tribal Council talks on Wednesday.
Kyikavichik said self-government negotiations had, in the past, become divisive. He wanted to clarify why, after all these years, the Gwich'in Tribal Council continues to pursue the establishment of its own government.
"First and foremost, we need a more effective government system for the Gwich'in," he said.
Kyikavichik presented a list of objectives for a Gwich'in government. They include: reconnecting with land and culture; language revitalization; improving people's health and quality of life; improving homes and infrastructure; creating jobs and business opportunities; and including young people and elders in decision making.
Under the draft agreement-in-principle, said Kyikavichik, the Gwich'in Tribal Council would transition into the Dinjii Zhuh Regional Government. It would have a grand chief (Dinjii Iisrits'at Chit) and its capital would be Fort McPherson, N.W.T.
Within the Dinjii Zhuh government, Fort McPherson, Aklavik, Tsiigehtchic and Inuvik would each have a local government with its own chief (Dinjii Khehkài) and council.
The Dinjii Zhuh government would serve as a "co-ordinating body," and would represent Gwich'in in meetings with the governments of the Northwest Territories and Canada, said Kyikavichik.
"That's what our tribal council, or our Dinjii Zhuh Regional Government should be, is supporting our communities, not consolidating power," he said.
Right now, said Kyikavichik, each of the four communities has a Gwich'in council president and a band council chief, which creates confusion.
The Dinjii Zhuh government would merge the Indian Act band council and the Designated Gwich'in Organization in each community into a single government.
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