GwichSA国际影视传媒檌n Tribal Council Grand Chief Ken Kyikavichik recently visited Ottawa to speak with ministers about some of the most important issues facing his people.

He ultimately got some unexpected face time with two of the countrySA国际影视传媒檚 most powerful politicians: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and opposition leader Pierre Poilievre.

SA国际影视传媒淭he purpose of the trip actually was to meet with various ministers, parliamentary secretaries and senior staff with a number of departments,SA国际影视传媒� Kyikavichik said shortly after his trip concluded. SA国际影视传媒淲hile we were there, I was able to attend the Liberal holiday party, where I was able to have a couple moments with the prime minister.

SA国际影视传媒淭hen also the office of the Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre reached out wanting some time while we were there. It wasnSA国际影视传媒檛 planned. It sort of came about while we were there, upon them learning that we were on (Parliament) Hill and having a number of meetings. So we were able to get some time with the Conservative leader.SA国际影视传媒�

Outside of his unplanned conversations with Trudeau and Poilievre, Kyikavichik estimates he took part in about 17 meetings during his visit to the nationSA国际影视传媒檚 capital, which lasted from Dec. 9 to 15.

Over the course of those meetings, he drew attention to some of the most important issues facing GwichSA国际影视传媒檌n people and the broader North.

SA国际影视传媒淲e had about 15 issues that we needed to raise,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淓ach department [we met with] had about three to five items that we needed to talk about specifically. There was also some legislation that weSA国际影视传媒檝e provided some input on that we needed to follow up on.SA国际影视传媒�

The issues Kyikavichik broached in his meetings included mental health and wellness, infrastructure, housing, and economic reconciliation, which aims to SA国际影视传媒渆nsure that Northern and Indigenous businesses and people are getting their share of economic opportunities of the work that is happening in the North.SA国际影视传媒�

He also spoke about plans to construct a tiny home village in Inuvik, which is intended to address homelessness in the area, as well as plans to develop a national park along the Peel River, which flows through GwichSA国际影视传媒檌n land in Yukon and the NWT.

By the time the trip concluded, the grand chief was confident that he had SA国际影视传媒渁bsolutelySA国际影视传媒� been heard by the politicians he met with.

SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 especially important as we embark upon the budget development discussions that are occurring right now in Ottawa that the North becomes a very prevalent aspect of the federal budget, because we all know thereSA国际影视传媒檚 significant investments required in each of the Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut to be able to assert things such as Arctic sovereignty and to ensure that the quality of life is comparable to other parts of the country,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

SA国际影视传媒淲e know we live in a very special place in the Northwest Territories, and the same is true across the Arctic. However, we do require some significant government investment SA国际影视传媒� a whole of government approach, as I like to say SA国际影视传媒� to address some of the serious mental health and wellness challenges, housing shortages, and just improve services overall for our residents.SA国际影视传媒�

Working with the new premier

With his visit to Ottawa behind him, Kyikavichik is back in the NWT, where the political landscape recently transformed with the election of the 20th Legislative Assembly and the appointment of a new premier in R.J. Simpson.

Kyikavichik called Simpson a SA国际影视传媒渒nown entity,SA国际影视传媒� having met with the former minister of Education, Culture and Employment several times in the past.

SA国际影视传媒淗e is from outside Yellowknife, hailing from Hay River, and also being an Indigenous person is helpful in terms of his knowledge of some of the issues that are being faced by Indigenous people in the Northwest Territories,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

There are a three main issues Kyikavichik is hoping to address with the new premier.

First, he would like to see a SA国际影视传媒渕ore progressive approachSA国际影视传媒� from the GNWT when it comes to negotiations for regional self-government for the GwichSA国际影视传媒檌n.

Second, he hopes to see SA国际影视传媒渁 level of improved economic cooperationSA国际影视传媒� in the GwichSA国际影视传媒檌n Settlement Area, SA国际影视传媒渟uch that our GwichSA国际影视传媒檌n businesses are getting improved opportunity with government procurement and contracting, and thus increased opportunities for employment for the over 1,500 GwichSA国际影视传媒檌n that live in the GwichSA国际影视传媒檌n Settlement Area.SA国际影视传媒�

As well, he would like to see SA国际影视传媒渁n improved approachSA国际影视传媒� with respect to tackling mental health issues, addiction, and medical travel procedures SA国际影视传媒� the former, he said, has been SA国际影视传媒渂roken for years.SA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒淔ar too many of our people when undergoing necessary treatments in Yellowknife and Edmonton are not having the adequate support that they require to be able to travel to those locations and also properly be supported while they are undergoing medical care and in southern jurisdictions,SA国际影视传媒� he said.