The newly elected Dene National chief says he has several priorities for his term in the Dene Nation’s top elected position.
In an interview with CBC News, Chief George Mackenzie — elected July 25 — said he wants more people involved in leadership, to modernize the constitution, and to create unity.
“We need to modernize the Dene National Constitution to reflect the reality of today’s political position for the five regions,” he said.
The Dene Nation includes executive representation for the nation’s five regions.
The Dene Nation has a new national chief.George Mackenzie was elected at the Dene Nation assembly last week in Dettah. As part of his new role, he also becomes the NWT’s representative at the Assembly of First Nations. He joined Hilary Bird on The Trailbreaker.
“Personally I think … all five regions have to settle their land claim, and on top of that, be self governing as quickly as possible,” he added.
Mackenzie said he also wants action on wildlife management, housing, and to create a drug and alcohol policy that communities can choose to adopt.
Dehcho Grand Chief weighs in
CBC reached out to the grand chiefs of all five regions. Dehcho Grand Chief Herb Norwegian responded, and provided his perspective on Mackenzie’s priorities.
Norwegian said he’s glad to hear Mackenzie wants to prioritize updates to the constitution.
A few years ago he and others were mandated by the assembly to travel the region and consult with communities about the constitution. They then proposed several updates. The project cost about $2 million, he said.
“But that [year the] assembly did not happen and the constitutional work was just shelved,” Norwegian said.
“It’s collected dust for the last couple of years … [so] I think that would be a first great step.”
Increase power of elders
Among the changes that Mackenzie wants to see to the constitution includes increasing the power of elders in decision making.
“In the past as far back as we can go, the elders were the heavy decision-makers without no election, cause the people know they have lots of experience, they’re wise and that’s why people go to the elders,” Mackenzie said.
But today, he said, elders have been pushed to the side.
“Right now the eldest don’t seem to count … they have no axe behind them … no authority. And that’s what we have to look at,” Mackenzie said.
Another of Mackenzie’s priorities is to start up an advisory board made up of previous leaders, to harness the knowledge of their combined experience. It’s an idea that Norwegian heartily supports.
“You have a lot of them that are out there and willing to contribute … bringing together a group like that is important … [they] can make major contributions,” Norwegian said.
Bringing five regions to the table
National unity is also on Mackenzie’s mind. That includes an interest in opening an office in downtown Yellowknife that Dene community members and leaders from across the First Nation can use for business meetings and cultural events.
Mackenzie said that he’d like to meet with other chiefs before the snowfall, so that they can decide as a group which issues to start tackling first.
“My boss are the chiefs, so I have to listen to them,” he said.
“[If] we tackle too many at one time, we’re not going to get anywhere.”
Norwegian says that Mackenzie’s background as a former Tłı̨chǫ grand chief, could mean that he can help increase Tłı̨chǫ representation with the assembly and lobby to “get them back to the table.”
“Over the last 10 years or so the Tłı̨chǫ were always absent from the Dene Nation main table,” he said.
“If he is able to bring the five regions together … he’ll be strong like five people, from there on you’ll have one land, one people and one power and I think that’s where he needs to be going with that.”
