Inuvik (Mar 31/03) - Gwich'in chiefs want to get into the news business.

To get the balling rolling, chiefs from Aklavik, Fort McPherson, Inuvik and Tsiigehtchic passed a resolution to form a "long-term communications relationship" with Northern Native Broadcasting, Yukon (NNBY) and form the Gwich'in Communications Society in Whitehorse late last month.

The Gwich'in are hoping to become the third communications society in the NWT, following in the footsteps of the Native Communications Society in Yellowknife and the Inuvialuit Communications Society in Inuvik.

NNBY has offered Gwich'in programming to the Mackenzie Delta region for the past four years via radio station CHON FM. Now the Gwich'in want to train and hire reporters from their region and put together news packages and Gwich'in programs to be broadcast right from their own communities.

Expose culture

"It's basically to expose our people to the opportunities in communications but also expose the Gwich'in culture and language to the media," said Aklavik Chief Charlie Furlong.

Furlong said he is confident the Gwich'in population in the NWT will support the initiative.

"I think people will utilize it and it will be a form of communication between our communities and our relatives over in the Yukon and Alaska," he said. The chiefs are applying to become a registered communications society within the NWT.

They must also apply for funding from Heritage Canada to become part of the Northern Native Broadcasting Access Program, which has 13 members from across the country. The final item before going on the air will be to plan their communications and training strategies.

"With CHON FM the facilities are there already, so what we will be looking at is providing a program director or maybe some staff to fit into the organization there," said Furlong.