The Gwich’in Tribal Council’s split into factions continued this week with allegations of an “improper takeover,” a disputed board meeting in Edmonton, and a notice to the chief executive that he had been dismissed.
Multiple events over the past week appeared to shift the Gwich’in Tribal Council toward being controlled day to day by Frederick Blake Jr, who has been declared the council’s duly elected grand chief by the NWT Supreme Court, but whose swearing-in is contested.
Representatives on the Gwich’in Tribal Council’s board from Inuvik and Aklavik are understood to maintain that Blake has not yet been sworn in and has no power to act. Representatives from Tsiigehtchic and Fort McPherson are understood to consider him the grand chief with all the authority that entails.
Two people with knowledge of this week’s events, requesting anonymity to discuss sensitive internal matters, said Blake had convened a board meeting in Edmonton on Monday that was attended only by representatives of Tsiigehtchic’s Gwichya Gwich’in Council and Fort McPherson’s Tetł’it Gwich’in Council.
Following that meeting, tribal council chief executive officer Jamie Koe is understood to have been told he was dismissed from his post.
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Approached by Cabin Radio, Koe responded by text message saying “I am no longer employed at GTC to comment.”
Since the meeting, the Alberta Counsel law firm is also understood to have begun attempting to act on the GTC’s behalf rather than the council’s former law firm, MLT Aikins.
Alberta Counsel was retained by Blake during the legal battle that followed last year’s election, according to documents the GTC published in relation to a review of the election.
Neither Alberta Counsel nor Blake responded to requests for comment on Friday. Alberta Counsel is led by Jon Wescott, a former executive director of Alberta’s Wildrose Party.
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Most members of the Gwich’in Tribal Council’s board could not be reached for comment.
Kelly McLeod of Inuvik’s Nihtat Gwich’in Council, which has two positions on the board, said NGC was “reviewing everything that’s going on and understanding next steps, along with legal advice being provided.”
“NGC is very process-driven. We understand there’s a lot going on and we are just interested in seeing the process being followed and look forward to that process playing out,” said McLeod.
‘Minority faction’
The validity of the special board meeting held in Edmonton is not clear – specifically whether it was appropriately called under GTC bylaws, whether it had quorum and whether notice was correctly given.
The ensuing departure of Koe and arrival of Alberta Counsel appeared to be part of a rift that has been widening between the council’s constituent communities for years.
Some Gwich’in participants had already expressed concern in recent weeks that the GTC’s board was maintaining a legal fight over Blake’s victory in last year’s election long after it had lost any mandate to do so. The board, for example, faced criticism last month when it stated it would appeal the NWT Supreme Court decision that declared Blake the duly elected grand chief.
Blake took part in a swearing-in ceremony in Tsiigehtchic at the end of January that the GTC board appeared not to recognize at the time. The board had earlier voted to delay the swearing-in until March on the grounds that community representatives had not been given the appropriate notice. As a result, some participants were left believing Blake was now their grand chief while others were left awaiting the board’s next move.
The actions of the past week have only sown further confusion among some residents about who is actually in charge – and how. “What the heck is going on,” one resident asked Cabin Radio.
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The two people with knowledge of the situation told Cabin Radio that GTC staff were similarly unsure.
The tribal council’s tone online has shifted noticeably.
On Wednesday, the GTC Facebook page – until recently used to share board statements delaying Blake’s swearing-in and appealing the NWT Supreme Court decision – pivoted to share a thank-you message from Blake that referred to him as the grand chief, which the page had not done until that point.
Questions to the tribal council about that change in tone were not answered.
Ken Kyikavichik, the outgoing grand chief who the court ruled had lost last year’s election, called the week’s events an “improper takeover” in a post on Facebook.
“You have a board of directors that does not support this change, and it’s been unilaterally put together by a minority faction of the board,” Kyikavichik told Cabin Radio.
“They’re taking some sweeping steps at the current time. When you start terminating staff, proclaiming to be legal counsel, it sets a troubling precedent – and really there’s serious questions about their authority to do so at the current time.”
