'Very strategic, very bright': Family, friends, leaders remember Kristine McLeod
'Kristine is the example of a leader we want to see,' says brother Kelly McLeod
The Beaufort Delta region is remembering Deputy Grand Chief Kristine McLeod, who died in a car accident on the Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway on Sunday morning.
Across the North, tributes to the 38-year-old Gwich'in leader's kindness, leadership and generosity have flooded social media.
Northwest Territories Premier Caroline Cochrane tweeted that "Kristine McLeod spent her life working for the Gwich'in people. She wanted a better future for the Gwich'in and was dedicated to achieving this."
Kristine had just been elected Deputy Grand Chief with Gwich'in Tribal Council (GTC) last September and already had many accomplishments.
Recently, she helped the GTC and the Nihtat Gwich'in Council secure co-ownership of Inuvik's first ever welcome sign, so it could be preserved for residents to see for years to come. It was a project that she worked with her brother on.
Kelly McLeod, president of the Nihtat Gwich'in Council, wrote to CBC that his older sister touched many people.
"Her love for her family could not be measured. She moved home from Yellowknife to help unite and build the Gwich'in nation. Kristine leaves a big hole that no one can fill," Kelly wrote. He also said that she loved her two children, Lennox and Alexis, "more than anything in this world."
He said his sister was highly accomplished, and held youth and education in the highest regard.
"Kristine was a beautiful Gwich'in … [who] has touched so many souls that words cannot describe the loss we are feeling right now," wrote Kelly.
"Kristine is the example of a leader we want to see. She cared so much for our people and made it her life's work to give them a better future. She wanted to see our nation united and strong to provide a future for all that come after us."
WATCH: Fort Good Hope gathers for a prayer song for Kristine McLeod:
'Somebody I could trust'
Gwich'in Tribal Council Grand Chief Ken Kyikavichik said that he was in his late teenage years when he first met Kristine, who was good friends with his niece.
"She was always just a very vibrant person. Somebody who was well-connected, well-respected," said Kyikavichik.
Before working together at the GTC, their paths crossed a couple of times. Kyikavichik talked about how when he left his position as a parks officer for the Northwest Territories government, "as luck would have it" his replacement was Kristine.
They both spent a number of years working on the Gwich'in Settlement Corporation, which manages the capital transfers that the Gwich'in received from the government of Canada between 1992 and 2007. He said he was chair of the investment portfolio and she was vice-chair for about four years.
"In the last year we switched roles … we've had a lot of time working together prior to our elected positions," said Kyikavichik.
"I found her to be somebody I could trust. Somebody who was very strategic. Very bright, smart and intelligent, and who would ask the right questions."
'She connected with so many people'
Kyikavichik said she was inquisitive, yet practical and also well-connected.
"The one thing we are finding on social media right now is just how well-connected she was," said Kyikavichik.
"She connected with so many people just asking them how they were doing and what they were up to."
He said she caught on to the hearts and minds of people, and that youth, language, culture and unity were some of the issues she was most passionate about.
"She wanted to see the Gwich'in people working together. She firmly believed that we had a much brighter and stronger future by working together as much as we can."
Kyikavichik believed in Kristine's potential and that she would've taken over his position at some point.
"Premier level would've been the floor for her," he said.
He said he'll most remember her as a caring and compassionate person that he could completely rely on.
Kyikavichik said it will be important to remember the person Kristine was and the huge impact she had in her life.
For her brother Kelly, he'd like everyone to keep her family in their thoughts and remember that "Kristine would want everyone to stay deadly."
- The Gwich'in Tribal Council health and wellness team will host a sharing circle at Ingamo Hall in Inuvik from 6:30 to 8:30 Monday evening. "Come provide and receive support, tell stories and share memories, have some refreshments with friends and family, and come together to begin to help our community heal," a Facebook post reads. "Healing Circles in our other communities are being coordinated and details will be shared as soon as possible."