GTC Quarterly Newsletter/Winter Issue
March 15, 2013Gwich’in Tribal Council
Drin Gwiinzii! from the GTC
Page 1 Winter 2013
GTC
COO Fred Koe..............................2
Vice-President...............................3
CFO James Wong.........................4
Intergovernmental Relations......5
Jubilee Award...............................6
Lands and Resources..................7
Gwich’in Language.....................9
Acting GM of GDC....................10
Business Conference..................11
New GTC Website.....................12
Zero Tolerance Policy................13
New GTC Staff / Health..........14
Directors / Participants............15
Fred Koe with Gary Bohnet, Principal Secretary, GNWT
Dear Participants
Wboard meeting and strategic planning session for the future. Strategic planning allows a business or organization to see where it is, where it wants to be and how to get there.
One of the things that most board of directors see as being positive is the change and moving forward. We can spend a lot of valuable time pondering the past, but we choose not to. We have to move forward. That’s not to say we can’t look back at our mistakes and learn from them.
Accorstatements, the GTC and/or the Gwich’in Settlement Corporation (GSC) invested over $19 million to the Gwich’in Development Corporation (GDC) with very
little return, if any. We’ve had twenty years, since the signing of the Gwich’in Agreement, to build a development corporation and we have not succeeded. Given our investment, our development corporation should be worth at least three times what we’ve invested, on the conservative side.
A long time ago we had a construction company that built the school in Fort McPherson, the arena in Inuvik and many other buildings in and around the area. That construction company is no more.
A long time ago we had a trucking company that
instilled pride in our people. (Continued page 2)
Gwich’in AnnualGeneral
AssemblyAugust,
19 - 23, 2013Inuvik, NT
GTC Quarterly Newsletter/Winter Issue
Page 2 Winter 2013
That trucking company is now but a remnant of its former
glory and has no more pride to instill.
Contrary to popular beliefs there has been no ‘economic
gains’ made in more than a few years. This has been going
on for more than a few years, but it falls upon the new
leaders to develop a plan to resurrect and move on. And
this is what we are doing.
We are also in the process of separating business from
politics, which must be done. We will be taking
amendments to our by-laws to the annual assembly to
accomplish this. And once that’s done, no person on the
GTC Board can sit on the GDC Board, or have any
owned and operated by the GDC. The General Manager of
the GDC will be responsible for the day to day operation of
the GDC and he or she will answer to the President of the
GDC.
The GDC is hoping to get back into business in the region
and elsewhere. In recent years we have not had the
opportunity to take advantage of our location and presence
in terms of large projects like the school in Inuvik.
Further, because we have divested ourselves of interests in
other companies, we have not had the opportunity to
create pr reate adequate long term
and seasonal employment for our people who wish to
work for their company, and in the end, their people.
In addition, we have taken steps to get into joint ventures
with other businesses on at least one other ‘large’ project.
as we ar re
secure.
As I’ve mentioned numerous times in the past, it’s about
reclaiming and rebuilding our tribal council and our
development corporation. It’s about accountability and
transparency and it’s about people: our people.
Mahsi Cho!
President Robert Alexie
COO Fred Koe W rogress on the devolution
negotiations in the next several months. President Robert Alexie
has also been very involved in trying to restructure the Gwich’in
Development Corporation and its various subsidiaries and
partnerships. We are making progress and looking at some new
and creating employment.
Our calendar leading up to GTC’s Annual General Assembly
scheduled for Inuvik from August 19-23 is going to be hectic with
lots of community visits to provide updates on self-government
and devolution activities. Our next major meetings include a GTC
board meeting on March 25 and 26 and an intergovernmental
meeting with the GNWT Cabinet on June 18th.Please enjoy the
beautiful sunshine and upcoming Spring. Work and play safe.
Mahsi Cho! COO Fred Koe
Since the start of the New Year GTC executive and
staff have been busy. The executive continue to work
on various negotiations and projects and
intergovernmental relations activities. Our staff
continues to work on improving our administration,
equipment. Improvements are progressing on our
policies and by-laws. We are targeting to have most of
these changes implemented and operational by the
end of June 2013.
Our negotiators have been working with the Federal,
Territorial and Aboriginal Governments on the
devolution, self-government and implementation
Winter 2013 Page 3
GTC Quarterly Newsletter/Winter Issue
“I remember when I used to sit down with my Grand parents and they used to tell us about the old days. In the old days there were no doctors and nurses and if you get sick you can’t go to the health center, you either survive it or you die. In those times when kids were orphaned, what the Gwich’in did in their community was raise these kids, they did not just take them to a department of social services. The point I’m trying to make is that we had processes in the past that dealt with all the issues that we deal with today. A basic example is a ‘’healer’’ not a doctor, would assist in healing an individual using traditional medicine.
There is a a perception that, ‘’once we got discovered, everything got better’’. Then we hear the elders always talk about the good old days. We were not saved once they discovered us, we were already thriving. We had our own economy, we traded with other first nations in the area and we already had a structured government established.
The question you should ask yourself is how does the Government fund itself right now, the feds take all the money from the resources, send it back to the GNWT, the GNWT takes there cut first, and then they disperse the rest. So whatever we get is a lot less then what we actually get if it does not go that route.” Extract from a Self-Government Workshop February 18, 2013, address by Norman Snowshoe.
Self-Government Workshop in Aklavik on February 18, 2013
the Peel Planning Commission recommended Draft Land Use Plan. The GTC position reflects the direction given by
Vice-President Norman SnowshoePeel Watershed Land Use Plan The GTC Vice President in coordination with the Gwichya Gwich'in made a presentation to the Yukon Government on the Peel Watershed Land Use Plan. The President also made a presentation to the Yukon Government in Inuvik when they were here. The GTC continued to support
the Annual General Assembly Motion passed in Fort McPherson. The Yukon Government will provide a report on what they heard during this tour of the communities. The GTC continues to work with the other parties to finalize the Peel Watershed Land Use Plan as recommended by the Commission. Yukon Strategy The GTC has started the process to develop a Gwich'in Yukon Strategy. The strategy will include Land Management, Wildlife Management, Culture and Heritage and Economic Development initiatives. This strategy will enable the GTC to be proactive in the Yukon based on the land and rights we acquired through the Gwich'in Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement. This initiative is very preliminary and the GTC is still in the research phase of the process. Once completed the strategy will be finalized by the GTC Board of Directors and will be used as a tool for Land Claim Implementation in the Yukon.
Mahsi Cho!
Vice President Norman Snowshoe
Page 4 Winter 2013
GTC Quarterly Newsletter/Winter Issue
GTC Finance Report
James Wong CFO addresses the Gwich’in Annual General
Assembly Tuesday, August 14, 2012. On the agenda was the
results of the Gwich’in Tribal Council for 2011 - 2012.
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Page 5Winter 2013
GTC Quarterly Newsletter/Winter Issue
Intergovernmental Relations
Self-Government Update
The last few months have been very busy and productive. Following the direction given by the Annual General Assembly last August, the GTC negotiation team worked very hard to produce a constitution and government structure for the Gwich’in self-government by Christmas.
After much work and many meetings, community representatives Carolyn Lennie, Donald Andre, Ruby Koe, Eugene Pascal, Chiefs’ representative Herbert Blake and GTC Vice President Norman Snowshoe completed a draft that everyone was comfortable recommending to the GTC Board.
The government structure chosen by the negotiation team has a regional government and four community governments, one for each of the four GSA communities. Under the new arrangement, there will continue to be an Annual General Assembly, and there will be added a legislative assembly, an executive council and a tribal court.
On December 9, the GTC Board of Directors approved the draft constitution and governance structure. A few days later, the GTC Executive reviewed the work with the four Gwich’in Chiefs. And in February, the GTC negotiation team presented the draft version to the governments of Canada and the Northwest Territories.
Over the next several months the GTC team will negotiate the fine print and details of the plan in the hopes of completing an AIP by 2016.
Implementation
This is a special year for GTC staff involved with implementation work. Every 10 years the GTC must renegotiate a 10 year plan and financial funding package with Canada and the GNWT. The current 10 year plan will expire on March 31, 2013, and so for the past year the GTC has been working on a new work plan. The process began last year when the senior management team met and reviewed the current plan, page by page.
The directors flagged any out-of-date information or completed projects and then made recommendations for improving the next plan. For the past 6 months, GTC Director Patrick Tomlinson and Program officer Diane Baxter have been building the new plan based on the results of the GTC’s work.
Starting in March, GTC Vice-President Norman Snowshoe will begin discussions on a new ten year financial plan. The GTC has submitted a financial forecast to Canada to begin those discussions.
Under the existing plan, the GTC receives just under $600,000.00 per year to implement the GCLCA. This sum is hardly enough to cover the work and the proposal made by GTC for the next 10 year plan is for a substantial increase in financial support.
The next meeting will take place in Whitehorse in late May.
HaiiPatrick Tomlinson, Director
Winter 2013Page 6
GTC Quarterly Newsletter/Winter Issue
Gwich’in Social Cultural Institute / Jubilee Award
Ingrid Kritsch received the Queen’s Jubilee Medal on November 8, 2012 along with her husband Tom Andrews in Yellowknife.
Ingrid Kritsch is a cultural anthropologist and archaeologist with over 35 years of experience in the Canadian Subarctic. She is the founding Executive Director of the Gwich'in Social and Cultural Institute (GSCI), established in 1993. After mentoring Gwich’in staff to replace her as Executive Director, Ingrid assumed the role of Research Director (1998). Her nationally and internationally acclaimed research includes the documentation of Gwich'in traditional knowledge and oral history on topics ranging from traditional land use to the replication of traditional clothing. A key part of her work is increasing public awareness of the Gwich'in through the development of partnerships and the production of published and other works. In this way, over the past 19 years, Ingrid has been the project manager and lead researcher of over 80 GSCI research projects. Earlier in her career, Ingrid worked as a researcher for the Royal Ontario Museum, University of Toronto, Dene Cultural Institute, and Metis Heritage Association.
In 2000, she was awarded the Wise Woman Award by the NWT Status of Women Council for her many years of heritage work and advocacy in the North. Since 2005, Ingrid has represented the Northwest Territories on the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada. In honour of her hard work and dedication to the Gwich’in, she was named an honorary Gwich’in at the annual Gwich’in Assembly in 2008. Ingrid attended McGill University (BA, 1978), McMaster University (MA, 1983) and the University of Alberta, where she completed partial requirements towards a Ph.D. in Anthropology.
Extract from the nomination submitted by Sharon Snowshoe, Executive Director of the Gwich’in Social & Cultural Institute to the nomination committee.Commissioner George Tuccaro presenting to Ingrid Kritsch
Premier Bob McLeod pins Ingrid Kritsch during the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal Ceremony.
Premier Bob McLeod, Ingrid Kritsch and Tom Andrews.
with Premier Bob McLeod.
Winter 2013 Page 7
GTC Quarterly Newsletter/Winter Issue
Lands and Resources UpdateLands and Resources UpdateFebruary 11, 2013
Peel Watershed Regional Land Use Plan
The Yukon Government held a series of community open
houses on the Peel Watershed Regional Land Use Plan
outlining their desired alterations to the Peel Watershed
Planning Commission’s Final Recommended Plan.
The GTC Leadership made it very clear to YG that GTC
support the Final Recommended Final Plan as submitted by
the Peel Watershed Planning Commission and will not enter
into any discussions with the YG on altering it to serve
resource development interests.
The Senior Liaison Committee will be meeting on
January 21, 2013 to discuss the comments received by YTG and next steps in finalizing the Peel Watershed Regional Land Use Plan.
ENR Water Conference
ENR is coordinating and hosting a GSA Water Conference for
February 13 and 14, 2013 in Inuvik.
ENR Water Resources Divisions representative Jennie
Vandermeer is coordinating the conference and should have
been in contact with all RRC’s and DGO’s – requesting two
representatives from each to participate.
The Water Conference is to update the community
representatives with regard to the NT/Alberta
Transboundary Water Negotiations; incorporation of local
and traditional knowledge information into the
transboundary negotiations, seek information from
community representatives with regard to noticeable water
changes and concerns; update the community representatives
on the implementation of the Water Stewardship Strategy.
All costs incurred by the DGO and RRC representatives for
travel, accommodation, per diem and honoraria will be
covered by ENR.
Yukon Wildlife Act
We met with Barbara Coppard, a policy analyst with
Environment Yukon to discuss the proposed
amendments to the Yukon Wildlife Act on Jan 21,
2013.
There were several issues with which GTC has
concern.
Primarily these have to do with ensuring that any
amendments do not contravene the land claim and in
particular the Yukon Transboundary Agreement.
GTC has provided a copy of the comments submitted
to Yukon Government outlining concerns – each
DGO and RRC have been copied on the document
dated Feb 1, 2013.
NWT Wildlife Act
Wildlife Act for
submission to Cabinet.
All issues of concern were discussed and all parties
were able to agree on proposed wording, including
the Conference, Non-derogation clause, preamble,
etc.
ENR will complete another round of consultations of
Aboriginal Governments.
Cabinet will go through their process of the three
readings of the document once submitted, including
all public meetings of the Standing Committee on
Economic Development and Infrastructure.
GNWT ENR hope this process will be completed by
roval of the
NWT Wildlife Act will be completed during the fall sitting of 2013.
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Winter 2013 Page 7
GTC Quarterly Newsletter/Winter Issue
Lands and Resources UpdateLands and Resources UpdateFebruary 11, 2013
Peel Watershed Regional Land Use Plan
The Yukon Government held a series of community open
houses on the Peel Watershed Regional Land Use Plan
outlining their desired alterations to the Peel Watershed
Planning Commission’s Final Recommended Plan.
The GTC Leadership made it very clear to YG that GTC
support the Final Recommended Final Plan as submitted by
the Peel Watershed Planning Commission and will not enter
into any discussions with the YG on altering it to serve
resource development interests.
The Senior Liaison Committee will be meeting on
January 21, 2013 to discuss the comments received by YTG and next steps in finalizing the Peel Watershed Regional Land Use Plan.
ENR Water Conference
ENR is coordinating and hosting a GSA Water Conference for
February 13 and 14, 2013 in Inuvik.
ENR Water Resources Divisions representative Jennie
Vandermeer is coordinating the conference and should have
been in contact with all RRC’s and DGO’s – requesting two
representatives from each to participate.
The Water Conference is to update the community
representatives with regard to the NT/Alberta
Transboundary Water Negotiations; incorporation of local
and traditional knowledge information into the
transboundary negotiations, seek information from
community representatives with regard to noticeable water
changes and concerns; update the community representatives
on the implementation of the Water Stewardship Strategy.
All costs incurred by the DGO and RRC representatives for
travel, accommodation, per diem and honoraria will be
covered by ENR.
Yukon Wildlife Act
We met with Barbara Coppard, a policy analyst with
Environment Yukon to discuss the proposed
amendments to the Yukon Wildlife Act on Jan 21,
2013.
There were several issues with which GTC has
concern.
Primarily these have to do with ensuring that any
amendments do not contravene the land claim and in
particular the Yukon Transboundary Agreement.
GTC has provided a copy of the comments submitted
to Yukon Government outlining concerns – each
DGO and RRC have been copied on the document
dated Feb 1, 2013.
NWT Wildlife Act
Wildlife Act for
submission to Cabinet.
All issues of concern were discussed and all parties
were able to agree on proposed wording, including
the Conference, Non-derogation clause, preamble,
etc.
ENR will complete another round of consultations of
Aboriginal Governments.
Cabinet will go through their process of the three
readings of the document once submitted, including
all public meetings of the Standing Committee on
Economic Development and Infrastructure.
GNWT ENR hope this process will be completed by
roval of the
NWT Wildlife Act will be completed during the fall sitting of 2013.
Page 8 Winter 2013
GTC Quarterly Newsletter/Winter Issue
Lands and Resources UpdateGTC L & R will provide a complete schedule once developed and received by ENR.
PCMB Annual Harvest Meeting
The Porcupine Caribou Management Board will be holding the Porcupine Caribou Harvest Implementation Annual Harvest Meeting here in Inuvik on February 12th and 13th.
GTC will participate in the meetings, including a presentation of check station harvest data collection, issues and concerns for June 2011 – June 2012.
The meeting is open to the public on February 12 and closed to parties for February 13.
GSA Waste Sites - AANDC
For the purposes of devolution negotiations we completed one round of community visits asking residents for information on industrial waste sites within the GSA.
The GTC completed these waste sites information gathering for the purpose of cross referencing known
AANDC and potential sites that have AANDC.
AANDC are focusing on two types of sites; operating sites where the responsibility rests with known third parties, and second; abandoned sites where no third
Although much valuable information was gathered, the location of some sites need to be more precisely determined and a comprehensive list of waste materials that may be at the sites catalogued.
Sites that AANDC consider Waste Sites ar o three categories ranging from abandoned fuel caches of more than 20 drums to abandoned mines that require remediation.
GTC and AANDC are planning on community workshops of Operating Sites vs. Waste Sites in early
GTC will keep the community organizations informed when these community visits will be scheduled.
Yukon Oil & Gas Disposition Process – Winter Call for Postings
The Yukon Government has received 2 requests for oil and gas postings in the vicinity of Eagle Plains.
Both sites are within Vuntut Gwitch’in traditional territory; one is in the Secondary Use Arthe Yukon Transboundary Agreement in the Gwich’in Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement.
The YTG is now open to comments and concerns regarding the request for postings and will be accepting these comments until March 28th, 2013.
If you have any questions with regard to this information update, please contact:
Mardy Semmler Director – Lands and Resource867-777-7913
John RitchieLands and Resources Technical Advisor867-777-7914
Liz GordonTrainee
867-777-7912
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Winter 2013 Page 9
GTC Quarterly Newsletter/Winter Issue
Importance of the Gwich’in Language
Why Our Language is Important
Language is the vehicle, which enables us to
communicate within our society and the global world.
Our Gwich’in language was an oral language which
was passed on to our generations
through our parents, grandparents and extended
family. It was the whole community who modeled
and spoke the language for us to carry it on into the
next generation. Our Elders and grandparents spoke
the Gwich’in language daily to ensure that it was
carried on. Today, we are trying to reteach our
Gwich’in language through the school system. First of
all it is not the environment for us to reteach our
language as we don’t have Elders sitting around
speaking and listening and correcting our youth.
Secondly, the parents are not speaking the language at
home to reinforce what is being taught in the school. For a language to survive there must be speakers in the
home, school and basically in all the work places in
our community.
For those of us that are speaking our language we
must continue to speak to our children, grandchildren
and generally people in our work and home circle.
Our Elders in our communities must speak the
Gwich’in language daily. Elders speak to your
children, grandchildren and those people who you
come into contact with on a daily basis. We know
many of our people lost their language when they attended the
Residential Schools but let us not dwell on that. Let’s believe
that with our present Elders we can bring back our language
By speaking it every day and using the language wherever we
go. I would encourage you to speak to our Leadership, as some
of those leaders ar
Our Gwich’in language is who we are. The culture is part of
the language and we cannot have one without the other.
Therefore, in order to teach the language we need to be in the
natural outdoors on the land environment. This is where we
were taught to be proud homemakers: sewing, cooking,
tanning and drying meat and re
taught to be hunters, trappers and
eir on the land equipment up to par. What a proud race of
people we were. The language and culture will bring back
that pride in our future generations if we speak our language.
One day our Youth will ask: “Why was the language not passed
on to the younger Generation?”
I am hoping that you will speak the language so that our
younger generation will always have a language they can speak
and carry on into the future.
Sarah Jerome, NWT Language Commissioner
Gwich’in language class February 2013. Left to right: Ruth Jerome, Evelyn DeBastien, April Bourke, Sarah Jerome, Patrick Tomlinson and Larry Frolick.
Allen Benjamin’s Gwich’in Language Gloves, February, 2013.
Page 10 Winter 2013
GTC Quarterly Newsletter/Winter Issue
Acting General Manager of the GDC
In February 2013 we were contracted to provide our
Services to the Gwich’in Development Corporation. In
this capacity I am the acting General Manager of the
Gwich’in Development Corporation, we will assist the
corporation to regularize its existing portfolio, and assist
the Development Corporation in seeking out new
business opportunities for the Corporations and the
membership they represent.
From January 2010 to present I have been the Managing
Director of JLS Consulting and Business Management
Services, Inc. (operating as JLS). JLS is an NWT based
and registered boutique consultancy specializing in
assisting businesses north of sixty. Our detailed
knowledge of the local economic, political, and cultural
environment in the NWT allows us to offer superior
client solutions.
At JLS, we assess the feasibility of projects to help
Northern organizations and entrepreneurs successfully
create enterprising businesses that meet local demand.
We prepare business plans to help our clients
understand business risks and the likelihood of future
pr y. We also advise existing businesses on
ructuring.
During my overall working experience I have 43 years of
hands on operation in the area of banking, commercial
lending, investments, venture capital, joint ventures and
strategic alliances. During my previous working career I
have been involved in assisting businesses with everything
from how to control their A/R and A/P’s, assisting in
funding existing businesses and start-up’s, ranging from one
hundr
Each client is unique. The Gwich’in Development
Corporation has a wide variety of existing businesses. Some
of these require change. Additionally the Corporation has
strong opportunities looming that can bring years of success
to the Corporation. JLS is pleased to be assisting in the
continued success of the Gwich’in.
Robert (Bob) Murphy, Acting GDC General Manager
Page 11Winter 2013
GTC Quarterly Newsletter/Winter Issue
Gwich’in Business Conference
Day 1:
Opening comments – GTC, GNWT and Canada
Monday @ 2:00 – 5:00 pm:
Aboriginal Affairs Northern Development
Canada (Federal Government):
1. Contracting: Understanding the Gwich'in Land
Claim Agreement Economic
Measures - Dennis Brunner,
Implementation Branch, AANDC
2. The Procurement Strategy for Aboriginal
Businesses (PSAB) - David
Bedard, Implementation Branch, AANDC
Question and Answer session
Public Works GSC:
Doing Business with the Federal Government -
Enterprises, PWGSC
MERX Presentation, Darlene Chuka
Question and answer session
Day 2:
Opening comments – GTC, GNWT and Canada
Tuesday @ 9:00 – 12:00 pm
Department of Aboriginal Affairs and
Intergovernmental Relations, GNWT
1.Negotiated Contract Policy Presentation –
Scott Alexander, Director Implementation
Industry, Tourism and Investment, GNWT:
1. Business Incentive Policy/Procurement
Presentation – Jaysen Knight, ITI
2. Contracting MOU Presentation
Tuesday 2:00 – 5:00 pm
Public Works & Services, GNWT:
Review General Contracting Processes - Mike
Burns, Bill Kaip, Richard Knight, PWS
Question and answer session
Day 3:
Opening comments – GTC, GNWT and
Canada
Wednesday @ 9:00 – 11:00 am
One on one session’s with Facilitators –
Canada/GNWT/MDDF/GTC
Closing comments
Facilitators:
Tina Gear, Implementation Coordinator,
Canada
Roshan Begg, Implementation
Coordinator, GNWT
Wanda McDonald, Mgr. Business
Development, GTC
Winter 2013Page 12
GTC Quarterly Newsletter/Winter Issue
Communication Update / New GTC Website
new website since October 2012. In addition, the team is led by Communication Director Larry Frolick, GTC IT Suraj
Chhetri, graphic designer Chris Schab, IT consultant Dwayne Simmons and Kirby Marshall from Global Storm
both in Yellowknife. The project involves creating a new template using archival images from the Gwich’in
communities. A new database of stock images taken by Larry Frolick and others for the GTC provides content.
Communications is making videos and embedding them in the website in appropriate sections for each of the
Executive & Department sections. This website will be up soon after this newsletter is published.
Communications will be making changes and improvements to it during the rest of 2013. GTC will also be
creating a new website called GTC “Biz”, connecting Gwich’in businesses to customers and clients.
As well as producing this newsletter four times a year, GTC Communications has been working on a
Winter 2013 Page 13
GTC Quarterly Newsletter/Winter Issue
Zero Tolerance Policy“Zero Tolerance Policy”
The Gwich’in Tribal Council (GTC) is responsible for providing assistance to our Participants by delivering various Programs and services. We have Policies and Procedures and program criteria that guide us in the delivery of these programs and services on behalf of other agencies or Government departments.
We have recently noticed an increase in the verbal abuse that staff, are receiving over the phone. We would like to remind all our Participants that GTC has a Zero Tolerance Policy with respect to the Participants we serve. We expect our Staff will treat others with dignity and respect and we expect that Participants dealing with our staff will show the same dignity and respect. The attached is our “Zero Tolerance Policy”.
It is the policy of GTC to treat others with the
dignity and respect that they deserve. GTC expects
that the same courtesy will be given to its staff.
GTC is committed to providing professional
courteous service to its Participants and the general
public. Any behavior that hinders our ability to
provide such service is not acceptable and will not
be tolerated.
In Person
Any person verbally or physically abusing any
member of our staff (by threatening, swearing,
shouting, or assaulting) will be required to leave the
refuses to do so the RCMP will
be contacted immediately, and he/she may be subject
to prosecution under the Criminal Code of Canada.
Over the Phone
Verbal abuse on the phone will not be tolerated; if a
person is verbally abusing a staff member he/she has
the right to terminate the conversation and must
immediately notify their supervisor of the call and
its contents.
Any person in breach of this policy will be refused
GTC Leadership
Page 14 Winter 2013
GTC Quarterly Newsletter/Winter Issue
New GTC Staff
Donna Neyando / Manager, Education & Training
Donna Neyando was born and raised in Fort McPherson. Her mother is Ellen Wilson. Donna has four sons and a grandson to keep her busy. Her educational journey meant moving away from home for Donna and family. She attended the Teacher Education Program in Thebacha Campus and the Indian Teacher Education Program at the University of Saskatchewan and received her Bachelor of Education. Since 2007, she taught in Fort McPherson, Inuvik, and Tsiigehtchic and loved spending her day with students.
My role at the GTC is Intergovernmental Program Coordinator. It’s my task to provide support to the Implementation/ Self –Government Department. I enjoy spending my free time during the spring, summer and fall out on the land with my family. I am married with one daughter, three sons and two grandchildren. Family time is very important to me, as well as balancing a traditional lifestyle in a modern world.
Healthy Lifestyles
Drin Gwinzii – I would like to take this opportunity to talk about exercise, healthy eating and accepting God into my life. As your body ages, it’s important to exercise and eat healthy foods. Traditionally, as Aboriginal people we did not have to worry because of our
nomadic lifestyle and consumption of traditional foods. Some of our elders are active and pay attention to their food intake. One example is my mother Emily who will be turning 72 years. She consciously eats healthy foods and exercises every day. She has been a quadriplegic for over 35 years and yet she continues to live independently in her own home. She reminds me on a daily basis of the importance of taking care of myself – not only physically but mentally as well. I’ve noticed a difference personally since I started exercising, changing my diet and sleeping patterns. I feel very good, the best I’ve ever felt, balanced and focused. I spend a lot of time with Julienne, we do a variety of things together and both enjoy reading. I
reading every night has been very relaxing.
Mussi Cho for allowing me to share my perspective on a healthy and balanced lifestyle, thank you to those individuals who guided and challenged me along the way. Take what resonates with you.
Wanda McDonald, Manager of Business Development
Wanda McDonald together with her daughter Julienne Chipesia
Winter 2013 Page 15
GTC Quarterly Newsletter/Winter Issue
Strategic Plan full Board of Directors meeting at GTC board room Inuvik on February 12, 2013.
(right) Top row, left to right: Carolyn Lennie, Johnny P. Charlie and Eugene Pascal. Middle row: Danny Greenland, William Koe. Bottom row: Archie Norbert, Jozef Carnogursky.
2013 Board of Directors
Helen Greenland Shawn Firth Ocean Mcleod
Ruth StewartTroy Engdal John Inglangasuk
Participants of Aklavik
Page 16 Winter 2013
GTC Quarterly Newsletter/Winter Issue
Contact Informationfurther information. Your feedback is important to us and we will always accept collect calls from our Gwich’in Participants
Chief Jim Koe Zheh (across from Capital Suites)1-3 Council Cresent, PO Box 1509, Inuvik, NT X0E 0T0 Phone: 867-777-7900 Fax: 867-777-7919Email: [email protected]
Electronic copies can be downloaded at: www.gwichin.nt.ca
Gwich’in Tribal CouncilPO Box 1509 Inuvik, NT, X0E 0T0
Allen Benjamin from Old Crow is a well known Gwich’in. In addition to creating the Gwich’in language gloves (close up on page 9) he is also an accomplished craftsman who makes quality snowshoes and other traditional Gwich’in artifacts, He is a recording artist with several CD’s to his credit and is a fiddler who specializes in Old Time jigs.
He donated his language gloves to the GTC. Allen said that he was learning the Gwich’in language while he was working on the land. Allen’s good idea is to share these gloves to community readers.
Language Gloves
Jason Baxter, champion dog sledder, on a practice run with his team in Inuvik