Gwich鈥檌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 country鈥檚 most powerful politicians: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and opposition leader Pierre Poilievre.

鈥淭he purpose of the trip actually was to meet with various ministers, parliamentary secretaries and senior staff with a number of departments,鈥� Kyikavichik said shortly after his trip concluded. 鈥淲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.

鈥淭hen also the office of the Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre reached out wanting some time while we were there. It wasn鈥檛 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.鈥�

Outside of his unplanned conversations with Trudeau and Poilievre, Kyikavichik estimates he took part in about 17 meetings during his visit to the nation鈥檚 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 Gwich鈥檌n people and the broader North.

鈥淲e had about 15 issues that we needed to raise,鈥� he said. 鈥淓ach department [we met with] had about three to five items that we needed to talk about specifically. There was also some legislation that we鈥檝e provided some input on that we needed to follow up on.鈥�

The issues Kyikavichik broached in his meetings included mental health and wellness, infrastructure, housing, and economic reconciliation, which aims to 鈥渆nsure that 快盈v3 and Indigenous businesses and people are getting their share of economic opportunities of the work that is happening in the North.鈥�

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 Gwich鈥檌n land in Yukon and the NWT.

By the time the trip concluded, the grand chief was confident that he had 鈥渁bsolutely鈥� been heard by the politicians he met with.

鈥淚t鈥檚 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 there鈥檚 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,鈥� he said.

鈥淲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 鈥� a whole of government approach, as I like to say 鈥� to address some of the serious mental health and wellness challenges, housing shortages, and just improve services overall for our residents.鈥�

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 鈥渒nown entity,鈥� having met with the former minister of Education, Culture and Employment several times in the past.

鈥淗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,鈥� he said.

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

First, he would like to see a 鈥渕ore progressive approach鈥� from the GNWT when it comes to negotiations for regional self-government for the Gwich鈥檌n.

Second, he hopes to see 鈥渁 level of improved economic cooperation鈥� in the Gwich鈥檌n Settlement Area, 鈥渟uch that our Gwich鈥檌n businesses are getting improved opportunity with government procurement and contracting, and thus increased opportunities for employment for the over 1,500 Gwich鈥檌n that live in the Gwich鈥檌n Settlement Area.鈥�

As well, he would like to see 鈥渁n improved approach鈥� with respect to tackling mental health issues, addiction, and medical travel procedures 鈥� the former, he said, has been 鈥渂roken for years.鈥�

鈥淔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,鈥� he said.