Intergovernmental Meeting between Gwich’in Tribal Council and Government of the Northwest Territories

YELLOWKNIFE, NT Premier R.J. Simpson, Deputy Premier Caroline Wawzonek, Minister Caitlin Cleveland (virtual), Minister Vince MacKay, Minister Macdonald, Minister Lucy Kuptana (virtual), and Minister Lesa Semmler (virtual) met with Gwich’in Tribal Council Grand Chief Frederick Blake Jr. and Director of Teetłʼit Gwich’in Council Richard Nerysoo. The meeting was held in Yellowknife on November 7, 2025.

The meeting focused on areas of mutual interest, including:

• K-12 education including collaboration in the modernization of the Education Act;
  Work to revitalize Gwich’in Language use;
• Finding solutions to reduce the illicit drug trafficking and illegal firearms impacting the Gwich’in communities with violence and addictions;
• Arctic security and sovereignty interests, including of major projects, in particular within or affecting the Gwich’in Settlement Area;
• Implementation of the GNWT Indigenous Employment Policy, ensuring that it supports the development of enhanced Gwich’in government capacity among Gwich’in;
• Ongoing work on an updated Indigenous Procurement Policy; and Advocating for federal support to address mental health and addictions.

The GNWT and GTC have confirmed their support to prioritize government to government relations through a renewed Intergovernmental MOU by April 2026.

Quick Facts

• The Intergovernmental Memorandum of Understanding recognizes the importance of the government-to-government relationship between the Gwich’in Tribal Council and the Government of the Northwest Territories.
• This was the first meeting since 2023.
• The Gwich’in Tribal Council/GNWT Umbrella Intergovernmental Agreement regarding Intergovernmental Cooperation and Coordination was initially signed in October 2012 and renewed in May 2017 and renewed again in April 2022.

For more information, contact:

Department of Executive and Indigenous Affairs, Public Affairs and Communications Government of the Northwest Territories
EIA_FINComms@gov.nt.ca

Brenda McDonald
Interim Chief Executive Officer
Gwich’in Tribal Council
Brenda.Mcdonald@gwichintribal.ca

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