Six people have had their nominations accepted for the Dene national chief election coming up in July.
The winner will lead the Dene Nation and serve as the regional chief for the Assembly of First Nations.
In a news release on Friday evening, the Dene Nation said incumbent Gerald Antoine will be on the ballot alongside Gerry Cheezie, Paulie Chinna, George Mackenzie, April Martel and Norman Yak’eula.
The election will be held on July 24 in Fort Good Hope, where this year’s Dene National Assembly is taking place, with electronic voting between July 14 and July 24.
Candidates were required to be nominated by five active members of the Dene Nation including two current chiefs, the Dene Nation stated.
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Antoine has held the position since 2021, defeating former Sahtu MLA Yak’eula, who in turn had served one three-year term from 2018 to 2021.
Cheezie chairs the NWT health authority’s leadership council and is a former chief of Smith’s Landing First Nation. Chinna just finished a term as Sahtu MLA during which she spent the majority of the four-year period as housing minister.
Mackenzie has served multiple terms as Tłı̨chǫ grand chief. Martel has led the Kátł’odeeche First Nation since 2018.
