Grand Chief Bobbie Jo Greenland-Morgan of the Gwich’in Tribal Council says she has decided not to seek re-election so she can spend more time with her family.
“It came down to the demand of my time, and although we say family is always first, there were times where I had to miss out on my daughter’s school events and special occasions,” she says.
The family came to the decision together last summer, says Greenland-Morgan.
Elected in 2016, Greenland-Morgan served one term as grand chief of the organization that protects and promotes the rights and interests of the Gwich’in people and their land. The election for a new grand chief and deputy grand chief is scheduled for Sept. 3.
The “unnecessary drama and dysfunction” of politics also influenced Greenland-Morgan’s decision not to run again, she said.
“[There are] so many different views and values among the different people and different agendas,” she says. “It’s crucial for leadership to focus on one agenda and that agenda should always be for the best interest and benefit of all Gwich’in (all four communities) and not just one over the other.”
Greenland-Morgan says she’s pleased with what her team accomplished over the last four years.
For example, she says, there was the January release of the mineral development strategy in the Gwich’in Settlement Area — the first of its kind for the Gwich’in Tribal Council.
“Looking at the objectives of our land claim, and being environmental stewards, and being in support of responsible development, it’s very important to have a strategy in place,” she says.
Struggles for government contracts
But her term hasn’t been without challenges.
Most notable, says Greenland-Morgan, are federal procurement policies that see work for projects within the Gwich’in Settlement Area put out to public tender.
“We strongly believe that when there’s opportunities and projects within our Gwich’in Settlement Area, that those procurement processes need to change to honour that,” she says. “If we have the capacity and the capabilities to do work in our region, then we don’t believe that we need to go to public tender.”
Neither Deputy Grand Chief Jordan Peterson nor Greenland-Morgan are seeking re-election. (Alex Brockman/CBC)
Grand Chief George Mackenzie of the Tłı̨chǫ Government voiced the same complaint last week after a contract for road work on Tłı̨chǫ land was put out for public bidding. He said the procurement process disrespected the Tłı̨chǫ land claim and self-government agreement.
The Gwich’in Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement was signed in 1992, so by now, says Greenland-Morgan, Gwich’in people should be seeing some of those direct benefits.
“That’s the main reason why these [procurement] processes need to be overhauled, because in a lot of cases it’s not working.”
The high turnover among members of her team has also been an obstacle, she says.
We strongly believe that when there’s opportunities and projects within our Gwich’in Settlement Area, that those procurement processes need to change to honour that.– Bobbie Jo Greenland-Morgan, Gwich’in Tribal Council grand chief
To her successor, Greenland-Morgan urges putting the healing and well-being of people first.
“Like every other Indigenous group across this country, we have the intergenerational trauma of residential school and a lot of other things that have happened in the history of our country … and there’s a lot of healing needed yet,” she says.
“The more progress we make with our people to revitalize who we come from, revitalize that power in the people, the more we heal as a nation — it’s going to make things easier across the board. I really believe that.”
Urges voters to cast ballot
Born at the hospital in Inuvik and raised in Aklavik, N.W.T., Greenland-Morgan was previously an administrative assistant to the principal at the Moose Kerr School in Aklavik, a hamlet councillor, and executive assistant to former premier Floyd Roland.
“She was definitely dedicated to the people, even when she worked with me, she was always informed of the folks up there and what was happening,” said Roland.
As for what’s next, Greenland-Morgan says she hasn’t made any commitments. For now, she’ll spend more time with her family and her aging parents.
But before she does that, Greenland-Morgan is urging eligible voters to cast a ballot in the upcoming election.
“We do have a lot of solid candidates,” she says. “As you look at what they have to offer, it makes me hopeful.”
FREDERICTON – A look at David Coon, leader of the Green Party of New Brunswick:
Born: Oct. 28, 1956.
Early years: Born in Toronto and raised in Montreal, he spent about three decades as an environmental advocate.
Education: A trained biologist, he graduated with a bachelor of science from McGill University in Montreal in 1978.
Family: He and his wife Janice Harvey have two daughters, Caroline and Laura.
Before politics: Worked as an environmental educator, organizer, activist and manager for 33 years, mainly with the Conservation Council of New Brunswick.
Politics: Joined the Green Party of Canada in May 2006 and was elected leader of the New Brunswick Green Party in September 2012. Won a seat in the legislature in 2014 — a first for the province’s Greens.
Quote: “It was despicable. He’s clearly decided to take the low road in this campaign, to adopt some Trump-lite fearmongering.” — David Coon on Sept. 12, 2024, reacting to Blaine Higgs’s claim that the federal government had decided to send 4,600 asylum seekers to New Brunswick.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
FREDERICTON – A look at Blaine Higgs, leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick.
Born: March 1, 1954.
Early years: The son of a customs officer, he grew up in Forest City, N.B., near the Canada-U.S. border.
Education: Graduated from the University of New Brunswick with a degree in mechanical engineering in 1977.
Family: Married his high-school sweetheart, Marcia, and settled in Saint John, N.B., where they had four daughters: Lindsey, Laura, Sarah and Rachel.
Before politics: Hired by Irving Oil a week after he graduated from university and was eventually promoted to director of distribution. Worked for 33 years at the company.
Politics: Elected to the legislature in 2010 and later served as finance minister under former Progressive Conservative Premier David Alward. Elected Tory leader in 2016 and has been premier since 2018.
Quote: “I’ve always felt parents should play the main role in raising children. No one is denying gender diversity is real. But we need to figure out how to manage it.” — Blaine Higgs in a year-end interview in 2023, explaining changes to school policies about gender identity.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
OTTAWA – The pressing issues of climate change and food security join more familiar ones like violent extremism and espionage on a new list of Canada’s intelligence priorities.
The federal government says publishing the list of priorities for the first time is an important step toward greater transparency.
The government revises the priorities every two years, based on recommendations from the national security adviser and the intelligence community.
Once the priorities are reviewed and approved by the federal cabinet, key ministers issue directives to federal agencies that produce intelligence.
Among the priorities are the security of global health, food, water and biodiversity, as well as the issues of climate change and global sustainability.
The new list also includes foreign interference and malign influence, cyberthreats, infrastructure security, Arctic sovereignty, border integrity and transnational organized crime.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
