The Gwich’in Annual Assembly kicked off this week in Tsiigehtchic with participants emphasizing a desire to work together, despite ongoing legal disputes within the Gwich’in Tribal Council.
Even so, adopting an agenda for the three-day meeting took roughly four and a half hours of Wednesday’s opening session.
That included discussion of a forensic audit launched in 2023 over allegations of financial mismanagement, for which a report is now available. Delegates differed in their views regarding whether the report’s findings should be discussed in the open.
“There’s members around this table that know what’s in that report, and there’s members around this table that are named in that report,” said Kelly McLeod, president of the Nihtat Gwich’in Council.
“To have that information in the general public – I don’t see how that’s not a legal risk to us without having a discussion. It’s my understanding that the board hasn’t even discussed this as well.”
Advertisement.
Advertisement.
Other delegates were less keen for the report to be discussed in camera, meaning without any non-delegates present and kept off the live stream.
“Why do something in camera when it actually belongs to all Gwich’in participants?” Ruby McDonald of Teetł’it Gwich’in asked.
“We just got to bring it out to the open because I’m sure a lot of Gwich’in out there want to find out about all this themselves.”
After an independent audit by Deloitte found issues of financial mismanagement among the four Designated Gwich’in Organizations, the 2023 assembly voted to remove two Gwich’in presidents – and five representatives from the Teetł’it Gwich’in Council even briefly walked out of the meeting.
Advertisement.
Advertisement.
Since then, tensions between the GTC and certain delegates have escalated, with multiple court cases adding to the strain.
On Tuesday evening, hours before the assembly began, the GTC issued a news release stating it could not present consolidated audited financial statements due to delays at the Gwich’in Development Corporation, the council’s own subsidiary.
The GTC referenced an alleged phishing incident, which it said resulted in the transfer of $360,000 from a GDC account to an unknown account. The council added that $1.9 million in disbursements were on hold and new board appointments had been blocked.
Some delegates expressed confusion and frustration about the press release. Noting the press releases had asserted that financial statements were unavailable, former GTC chief executive officer Jamie Koe said he found two packages in his binders, both listed on the agenda.
“We have two packages of financial statements. It’s on the agenda. We’ve been provided it,” said Koe. “I’m reading the financials – one is approved by the board, one is not. So just urging for better communication.”
During the meeting, Chris Smith of the Nihtat Gwich’in Council said he wanted to add the chief returning officer’s report back to the agenda – a report that documents last year’s grand chief election, which was contested for months afterward and ended up involving the NWT Supreme Court.
A lawyer present at the assembly said as the court had already made a decision on the election’s outcome, there was “nothing left for the assembly to do with respect to the CRO report,” hence it hadn’t been added to the agenda.
Smith asked to receive a copy of the chief returning officer’s report, adding there didn’t necessarily have to be a discussion on it. Later in the meeting, it was confirmed that a copy would be provided on day two of the assembly.
Advertisement.
Advertisement.
McLeod said he was surprised to hear that last year’s election ballots had been destroyed.
After a lunch break, the assembly heard speeches from guests including Dene National Chief George Mackenzie. A participants’ forum took place toward the end.
The agenda for Thursday includes an update on the forensic audit, while an in-camera session takes place on Friday. It wasn’t immediately clear which items on the agenda would be handled at the in-camera session.
