Gwich'in councils in N.W.T. settle part of dispute over grand chief

Two factions of the Gwich'in Tribal Council in the N.W.T. appear to have settled part of a court action they were embroiled in.

As first reported by Cabin Radio, the opposing sides filed a notice in Northwest Territories Supreme Court that they had reached an out-of-court settlement resolving part of the court action initiated by the Nihtat Gwich'in of Inuvik and Ehdiitat Gwich'in of Aklavik.

The two councils went to court to challenge decisions made by Frederick Blake Jr. and his allies in the Gwichya Gwich'in Council of Tsiigehtchic and Tetl'it Gwich'in Council of Fort McPherson at a meeting in Edmonton earlier this year.

The Nihtat and Ehdiitat councils had argued that the meeting was not properly convened, including inadequate notice of it, and said all of the decisions made by Blake and his supporters were invalid.

Blake and his supporters made a number of decisions at the Feb. 3 meeting, including confirming Blake as grand chief, terminating a contract with the law firm that represented the Gwich'in Tribal Council in another court action challenging Blake's election as grand chief in a vote held last Aug. 19, firing the tribal council's CEO, and paying Blake the grand chief's salary retroactive to the date of the election.

In a May 2 filing in the case, both sides agree that Blake is duly elected grand chief, that he officially took office Jan. 14 (the date of a court decision that upheld his election win), and that his role as director in Gwich'in Tribal Council businesses will be entered into documents at the corporate registry.

The sides have yet to reach any agreement on the other decisions made at the meeting, or decide how the costs of the court action related to the dispute over Grand Chief are going to be shared.