The Gwich’in Tribal Council’s directors will issue a decision regarding this month’s grand chief election “early next week,” the board said in a Saturday statement.
The board’s statement came as Frederick Blake Jr accused its members of “considering … overturning the democratic results” of the election that provisionally made him the new Gwich’in grand chief.
Blake defeated incumbent Ken Kyikavichik by 604 votes to 515 according to preliminary results published earlier this month.
Kyikavichik subsequently filed an appeal asserting “there were false accusations and statements that potentially impacted the outcome.”
The appeal is also understood to have queried whether Blake remained within the $10,000 candidate spending limit established in GTC bylaws.
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No formal result of that appeal has been made public.
Approached for comment, the tribal council’s board – issuing a response through a GTC spokesperson – wrote: “The GTC board of directors has reviewed the report from the election committee with respect to alleged violations during the 2024 GTC election for grand chief.
“The board of directors will be releasing a reasons for decision document early next week. This was communicated to both candidates on Friday, August 30.”
On Friday evening, Blake said he had been told the committee reviewing the appeal “agreed with me that Kyikavichik’s complaints were without merit and that I had won the election in a free and fair manner.”
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Writing on Facebook, Blake said his legal team was working to “ensure that the results of the election are upheld.”
“It is my understanding, though it has not been made official, that our board of directors is considering ignoring the findings of the election committee and single-handedly overturning the democratic results of your voting,” he alleged.
“The board making such a decision would disenfranchise all Gwich’in voters. You deserve the results you voted for. I will not rest until that happens.”
The board’s response to Cabin Radio did not address Blake’s allegations.
Why is the board involved?
The Gwich’in Tribal Council’s bylaws specify that any alleged election rule violation shall be reviewed by an elections committee. That review is then sent to the board.
The board is empowered to “make determinations as to whether any such violations occurred” and decide what should happen next.
Options available include deciding that the existing result will stand or, alternatively, disqualifying any candidate “found to have committed or participated in a violation” and calling a new election excluding that person.
Chief returning officer Arlene Hansen told Cabin Radio on Saturday afternoon she had “not received any information about a decision from the board at this time.”
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“It is totally their decision how and what happens moving forward,” Hansen said by email.
In a message to Cabin Radio, Kyikavichik said: “I have heard from the board on my appeal but I am not commenting until something official is issued by GTC on the decision.”
A GTC spokesperson said they had no information regarding the contents of the board’s decision.
Blake did not immediately respond to a message seeking more information about any communication he had received regarding the outcome.
Ten days have elapsed since Kyikavichik, first elected grand chief in 2020, announced he was appealing the election’s result.
The Gwich’in Annual Assembly, held last week in Aklavik, went ahead with Kyikavichik a prominent voice as delegates chose to delay the swearing-in of Blake while the appeal took place.
