Gwich'in Tribal Council member concerned over lack of remote option at Inuvik meeting

Dez Loreen · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 02, 2025 6:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 9 minutes ago

The president of the Nihtat Gwich'in Council successful Inuvik, N.W.T., is expressing interest over the Gwich'in Tribal Council's determination not to fto radical enactment remotely successful its astir caller committee meeting.

The gathering was held Wednesday and Thursday successful Inuvik.

Kelly McLeod said the day of the gathering was already postponed aggregate times from March to May. He booked a idiosyncratic travel during the extremity of May. When helium recovered retired the projected dates of the meeting, helium requested virtual attendance, implicit telephone oregon video call.

He said his requests went unanswered by immoderate members of the board, portion others said they were successful favour of the distant call-in.

It's the latest contented contributing to a tense relationship betwixt Gwich'in Tribal Council Grand Chief Frederick Blake Jr. and immoderate of the assemblage councils whose presidents beryllium connected the board.

McLeod said participants nether the Gwich'in onshore assertion were antecedently invited to be committee meetings virtually and could log successful and presumption the meetings arsenic they happened.

This was besides not allowed this past meeting.

"It's ne'er been an contented successful the past. The erstwhile committee highly encouraged virtual participation, information by members successful the southbound — like we person had a fig of participants log onto the links disposable and ticker the meetings," said McLeod.

When asked wherefore virtual information was denied this meeting, Blake said assembly members determine for each gathering whether they privation radical to beryllium capable to remotely participate.

"The past mates meetings, committee members had concerns astir virtual [attendance] due to the fact that they wanted everybody to beryllium unneurotic successful 1 place. You cognize it's challenging times, arsenic you tin imagine, the committee is in. That's what they privation to do, I believe, is physique a stronger team," said Blake.

McLeod says helium wanted to be the gathering to code immoderate issues helium has with the assembly regarding governance, concern and leadership. He said helium is acrophobic that the assembly is lone pursuing bylaws erstwhile it's suitable for them.

"You request to travel the bylaws and the argumentation and, much importantly, Gwich'in law, which is our Gwich'in worth system. Excluding myself, I person seen an uproar of participants asking to be virtually and they person been denied," said McLeod.

Blake said helium hopes to spot each directors astatine the array for the adjacent gathering scheduled for July successful Aklavik.