Gwich'in Tribal Council annual general assembly postponed for second time

The Gwich'in Tribal Council has again postponed its annual general assembly.

The 2021 meeting, originally set for last August, was delayed until next week. It's now being put off for another 30 days, at least.

This is partly due to the COVID-19 situation in the Beaufort Delta region, and partly out of"respect for recent passings of participants in our communities," Tony Devlin, a spokesperson for the Gwich'in Tribal Council, said in an email.

Devlin said the decision to postpone was made by the Gwich'in Tribal Council, with support from the board of directors.

New dates have yet to be firmed up, and will depend on the state of COVID-19 and venue availability, said Devlin.

"Probably closer to the end of March. We'll know shortly," he said.

The meeting was supposed to take place at the Midnight Sun Complex in Inuvik.

Two annual general assemblies this year

The council's last annual general assembly was held virtually, in September of 2020.

The 2021 assembly was postponed after Deputy Grand Chief Kristine McLeod's unexpected death on Aug. 8, 2021. McLeod died in a car accident on the Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway.

McLeod's brother, Kelly McLeod, stepped in to replace her as deputy grand chief in October, on an interim basis.

Devlin said there will be two annual general assemblies this year: the one meant for 2021, and the regularly scheduled one set for this coming August.

"It's also a big year for the [Gwich'in Tribal Council], with our 30th anniversary of the signing of the land claim occurring in April," said Devlin.

The meeting's agenda is not being made public, but Devlin said participants will discuss annual departmental and financial reports, as well as the deputy grand chief position. There will also be an update on the "Gwich'in government file."