Gwich'in Council International: Board of Directors

Board of Directors

NWT Winter Camp, GRRB Inuvik photo

The GCI Board is composed of two members from the Northwest Territories, two members from the Yukon and four members from Alaska. The Chairmanship rotates between the Northwest Territories and Yukon with each region nominating the Director who will assume the Chairmanship responsibilities. The Vice Chairperson is filled with a member from Alaska.

General direction to the activities of the GCI is provided by the Chairperson. Day-to-day activities of the GCI are managed by an Executive Director in Canada who also provides administrative support to GCI members who are of US citizenship.

GCI has a number of priorities that relate to the environment, youth, culture and tradition, social and economic development and education.

As a permanent participant to the Arctic Council, funding for GCI comes from the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade in Canada. These funds allow for management of a Secretariat and travel of GCI members to the Arctic Council and its affiliated working group meetings. The US State Department in Alaska provides some funding through the Indigenous Peoples Secretariat to support Gwich'in who are US Citizens to participate in the Arctic Council meetings. To supplement these funds the GCI applies for funds through proposal submissions to take part in specific projects.

The following are present members of the GCI Board:

Joe Linklater, Chairperson Yukon representative Chief Joe Linklater is Vuntut Gwitchin from the community of Old Crow, Yukon. He is serving his third term as Chief of the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation. Chief Linklater is one of the founding members of the Gwich'in Council International (GCI). He assumed Chairmanship of GCI in 2002 for a two-year term while the file was managed by the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation. During this term, Chief Linklater provided leadership to GCI Directors in terms of full and active participation at the Arctic Council meetings. He is a spokesperson and lobbyist for the Gwich'in on a number of issues related to the environment, education, economic development, and capacity building. P.O. Box 94, Old Crow, YT YOB 1NO Phone: (867) 966-3261 Fax: (867) 966-3116 Email: jlinklater@vgfn.net

Larry Nathaniel, Vice Chair Alaska representative Bio and contact information to come.

Lorraine Peter Yukon representative Lorraine Peter is a director for Gwich'in Council International. Lorraine was born and raised in Old Crow, Yukon. She has experience as a Member of the Legislative Assembly representing the Vuntut Gwich'in at the Territorial level. Lorraine continues to be influential in protecting the Arctic National Wildlife; the calving grounds of the Porcupine Caribou herd. Lorraine advocates on behalf of all Gwich'in, and we are fortunate that she is fluent in her traditional language as well as the English language. Lorraine is also a business woman in the facilitation field.

Richard Nerysoo NWT representative Bio and contact information to come.

Mary Ann Ross NWT representative Mary Ann Ross is Gwichya Gwich'in from the community of Inuvik. Before being elected as GTC Vice-President, Mary Ann Ross worked with the GTC as the Employment Liaison Officer, then Executive Assistant to the President. Mary Ann decided to enter the election for Vice-President believing it would be an opportunity to challenge herself and to work in a position where she could make a difference for her people. Mary Ann was elected as the Vice-President of the Gwich'in Tribal Council in July 2003 and holds a variety of portofolios related to the implementation of the Gwich'in Comprehensive Land Claim. Mary Ann's goals during the four-year term is to work extremely hard to ensure that every Gwich'in person – whether young, mid-age or Elder – receives the best benefits of the Gwich'in Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement and the economic benefits of the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline. P.O. Box 1509, Inuvik, NWT X0E 0T0 Phone: (867) 777-7905 Fax: (867) 777-7919 Email: gci@gwichin.nt.ca

Sarah James Alaska representative Sarah James is a Neetsaii Gwich'in who lives in Arctic Village, Alaska. She was raised in a traditional nomadic way with the Porcupine River Caribou Herd. Gwich'in Athabascan is her first language. The first Gwich'in Gathering in over one hundred years took place in June 1988 in Arctic Village. The elders and spiritual leaders of the entire Gwich'in Nation chose Sarah to be the spokesperson for protecting the porcupine caribou of the Arctic Refuge. She has traveled the world, speaking about indigenous rights, human rights, and environmental issues. Sarah was instrumental in forming the Gwich'in Steering Committee. Through all her commitments, Sarah has won several awards and is globally recognized. Sarah serves on the board of the International Indian Treaty Council and is Chairperson of the Gwich'in Steering Committee. Sarah has been a Permanent Forum participant. She has also participated in the Peace and Dignity Run from Alaska to South America. For several months she oversaw the Drum Sing Dance Vigil near the National Museum of the American Indian in order to bring attention to the human rights of the Gwich'in. Sarah is recognized worldwide by many First Nations and indigenous rights groups.

Bonnie Thomas Alaska representative Bonnie (Solomon) Thomas was born in Tanana, Alaska. Bonnie is of Gwich'in and Northern Tutchone bloodlines. Her family is from Fort Yukon, Alaska. Bonnie feels it is important to know your history, heritage and where you come from. Bonnie moved back to Fort Yukon, Alaska in 1977, started a family and still resides there. Bonnie documented and recorded elders from all over interior Alaska and Canada. She began learning from the elders and the knowledge they passed on still remains with her today. Bonnie's mentor was her late Uncle Jonathon Solomon. She greatly misses his leadership and his lobbying expertise. In 1979, Bonnie interned for former Senator Frank Murkowski, Alaska in Washington, DC, and found this experience immeasurable. Bonnie held several positions in Fort Yukon throughout the years. Through these positions she has gained administrative experience, knowledge and research techniques. She attended college at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks in the Tribal Management Program and received her Associates Degree in 2006. She also attended the Sheldon Jackson College (Sitka, Alaska) and the American University (Washington, DC) in Federal Indian Law in 2006. Presently, Bonnie is the second chief for the Gwichyaa Zhee Gwich'in Tribal Government in Fort Yukon. Other boards Bonnie has served on are TCC Health Board, GZ Corporation, City of Fort Yukon Council. Bonnie is also a volunteer DJ with Gwanduk Public Broadcasting 900 AM Radio.

Ernest Erick Alaska representative Bio and contact information to come.

Executive Director

Bridget Larocque
Gwich'in Council International
P.O. Box 3106
Inuvik, NWT X0E 0T0

Phone: (867) 777-3782
Fax: (867) 777-3783
E-mail: blarocque_gci@northwestel.net

GCI Involvement with the Arctic Council

Old Crow, Mary Jane Moses photo

As members of the Gwich'in Council International (GCI), Gwich'in Nations ensure that all Gwich'in people from the Northwest Territories to the Yukon and Alaska are represented at meetings of the Arctic Council. As a Permanent Participant to the Arctic Council, the GCI receives funding from the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada. This funding provides Canadian GCI members with the opportunity to participate effectively in the Arctic Council and its working groups. The US State Department in Alaska provides funding through the Indigenous Peoples' Secretariat (IPS) to support GCI Board members who are US citizens with the means to attend the Arctic Council meetings.

GCI involvement extends beyond attendance at the Senior Arctic Officials and ministerial meetings of the Arctic Council. GCI members also participate in the working groups related to the Arctic Monitoring Assessment Program, the Arctic Human Development Report, and the Arctic Climate Impacts Assessment working groups which the members determine to be of most significant to the Gwich'in Nation in the Northwest Territories, Yukon and Alaska. The GCI brings the Gwich'in people together with other nations to discuss important issues that will affect indigenous peoples living in the circumpolar Arctic.

The Arctic Council was created in 1996 with the purpose of advancing circumpolar cooperation. The mandate of the Council is to protect the arctic environment and promote the economies and the social and cultural well-being of northern peoples. The Council is made up of eight member states that include Canada, Russia, Norway, Denmark (Greenland), Finland, Sweden and the United States (Alaska). The Chair of the Arctic Council rotates among the member countries every two years.

The Arctic Council involves international indigenous peoples' organizations as Permanent Participants. These organizations include the Gwich'in Council International, the Arctic Athapaskan Council, the Inuit Circumpolar Conference, the Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North, and the Aleut International Association. Observers to the Arctic Council come from several non-arctic states and from non-governmental and international organizations.

The Arctic Council has six working groups: Sustainable Development Working Group (SDWG), Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program (AMAP), Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF), Emergency Prevention Preparedness and Response working group (EPPR), Protection of Arctic Marine Environment working group (PAME), and Arctic Contaminants Action Program (ACAP).

Arctic Climate Impact Assessment (ACIA), an international project of the Arctic Council and the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC), evaluates and synthesizes knowledge on climate variability, climate change, and increased ultraviolet radiation and their consequences.

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