Herb Norwegian elected as Dehcho First Nations Grand Chief
Łíídlı̨ı̨ Kų̨́ę̨́/Fort Simpson- Delegates at the 29th Dehcho Annual Assembly elected Herb Norwegian as their next Grand Chief. Norwegian got the most votes through two rounds of voting. Former Pehdzeh Ki chief Tim Lennie was dropped after the first ballot results, which were: 20 votes for former NWT Premier Jim Antoine, 14 for Lennie, and 28 for Norwegian. The final round of voting tallied up 32 votes for Norwegian and 25 for Antoine.
“The Dehcho is back to normal,” Norwegian joked as he accepted the election results yesterday afternoon after delegates grilled the three candidates for 6 hours with a Question and Answer session.
This is Norwegian’s fifth term as Dehcho Grand Chief. He currently also serves as the co-chair for the Dehcho Land-use Planning Committee and Edéhzhíe Management Board. When Norwegian isn’t promoting the Dehcho or attending DCLP or EMB meetings, he is out on the land and waters of the Dehcho year-round.
“We will not hear government offers any more. We will be making them an offer,” Norwegian told delegates putting completion of the Dehcho Process as his top priority.
There will be a one-week transition period for Norwegian being briefed on files from outgoing interim grand chief Stanley Sanguez, starting July 1st. The Dehcho Grand Chief serves a 4 – year term of office. Norwegian was officially sworn in with the oath of office by Łíídlı̨ı̨ Kų̨́ę̨́ elder Rita Cli, shortly after the election results were read in front of the Assembly at the Fort Simpson Recreation Centre.
Dehcho First Nations consists of Tthets’éhk’edélı̨ First Nation (Jean Marie River), Sambaa K’e First Nation (Trout Lake), Ka’a’gee Tu First Nation (Kakisa Lake), West Point First Nation (West Point), Deh Gáh Got’ie First Nation (Fort Providence), Pehdzeh Ki First Nation (Wrigley), Fort Providence Metis Council, Łíídlı̨ı̨ Kų̨́ę̨́ First Nation (Fort Simpson), and Fort Simpson Métis Nation.