‘This is the most un-unifying unity conversation we could have’

An effort to unify Gwich’in communities at Friday’s annual assembly session failed in dramatic fashion as one of the four left their table mid-meeting.

The third day of the 2025 assembly started on a note of hope as Nihtat Gwich’in President Kelly McLeod said he and other Gwich’in leaders had met, shaken hands, hugged and held discussions that left him “very encouraged.”

That followed two days marked by ongoing disagreement between the representatives of Inuvik (Nihtat Gwich’in), Aklavik (Ehdiitat Gwich’in), Fort McPherson (Teetł’it Gwich’in) and Tsiigehtchic (Gwichya Gwich’in).

McLeod put forward what he called a “unity resolution” calling for remaining agenda items to be deferred to a future special assembly so that Grand Chief Frederick Blake Jr and community leaders could spend the remainder of this week meeting and sorting out their differences.

Other leaders set out similar views.

“We do disagree on a lot of issues. Sometimes we even have yelling matches, which is normal, but you have to learn to talk these issues out, not run out the door and hire a lawyer,” said Gwichya Gwich’in President Mavis Clark. “That’s not the Gwich’in way.”

Yet by the end of the day, the Ehdiitat Gwich’in Council had appeared to leave the meeting early and acrimony had returned.

The division that crept back in centred on whether to complete the assembly’s agenda – even setting that agenda had taken more than four hours of Wednesday’s session – or defer it in favour of holding a form of unity meeting.

Two communities argued completing the agenda was important because it contained key items that warranted immediate discussion and action. Two argued work to unify the communities should take priority.

By lunchtime, the meeting’s chair bemoaned the return to “just going around in circles” as the delegates discussed how to proceed.

A motion to go in camera that resulted in a tie was defeated by Grand Chief Blake casting a tiebreaking vote. This prompted a spin-off argument about who had been entitled to vote.

“This is the most un-unifying unity conversation we could have,” Teetł’it Gwich’in representative and former NWT premier Richard Nerysoo complained.

‘Mud is being thrown’

While an afternoon awards ceremony proceeded largely without a hitch, a presentation about the Gwich’in Development Corporation (GDC) resulted in more strongly worded exchanges.

The GDC is entirely owned by the tribal council and acts as its economic development arm. It has a separate board.

The Gwich’in Tribal Council has alleged that delays at the GDC mean the tribal council cannot present audited financial statements at the assembly. The tribal council has also expressed concern related to the GDC’s finances, though it had to backtrack over an earlier assertion, in its annual report, that all GDC board members had been removed.

Brenda McDonald, who just took over as the tribal council’s interim chief executive officer, said the appropriate bylaws for the GDC were not in place, copies of key agreements relating to the GDC could not be located, and the removal of all board members was still being sought.

“Discussion at the Gwich’in Tribal Council board has indicated that a change in the GDC board is necessary, based on some governance issues identified to date,” she said.

One of those GDC board members, Lenora McLeod, told the assembly: “Mud is being thrown and individuals are trying to make it out that something terrible is happening under GDC, but it isn’t.”

Elder appeals for solution

By late afternoon, the motion for some form of unity meeting between the four community leaders and the grand chief had returned to the floor.

During discussion of that motion, Ehdiitat Gwich’in President Michael Greenland declared: “There’s no accountability here. We’re just not seeing it, not feeling it.” As he and his colleagues rose from the Ehdiitat table, he added: “Call us when you want to work back together.”

Greenland’s departure was briefly halted by Elder Peter Ross, who asked people to sit while he delivered a stern rebuke to the room for the tone and breakdown of the day’s proceedings.

“Everybody was smiling, laughing, talking, and then all of a sudden, everything fell apart again,” Ross said.

“Please, you guys figure out something. Figure out something that will help this organization to have a good, smooth meeting.”

Following that intervention, the Ehdiitat Gwich’in representatives were shown via live stream leaving their tables.

An in-camera session – meaning delegates take part in private, without an audience, a live stream or reporters present – did eventually occur on Friday evening.

Whether the Ehdiitat Gwich’in took part in the in-camera meeting was not immediately clear, and the outcomes of the meeting had not been made public as of 6:30am on Saturday.