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 Former Nahendeh MLA and NWT premier Jim Antoine shares a laugh with long-time colleague and fellow former premier Stephen Kakfwi. They chatted prior to a feast held in Antoine's honour at the Fort Simpson community hall last week. - Derek Neary/NNSL photo |
Feeling that Antoine hadn't since been given an appropriate thanks at home, Menicoche organized an honourary feast for the former MLA, cabinet minister and premier on Dec. 6.
Stephen Kakfwi, Antoine's contemporary and himself a former premier, was one of the many friends, colleagues and community members on hand. Kakfwi has worked alongside Antoine since 1974 when they met through the Dene Nation. He described Antoine as, "an outstanding Northern leader."
Constituents in the Nahendeh expressed their confidence in Antoine by returning him to office twice, Kakfwi noted.
"He supports his people, he supports his friends. He doesn't waver on that," he said. "He's always been there when I needed him."
Having been away from the legislature for a year, Antoine confessed that he doesn't miss it. After close to 30 years of combined service as an elected official -- he was chief of the Liidlii Kue First Nation for several terms prior to becoming MLA -- he said he's happy to have moved on with his life.
He's been filling his days as a private consultant, doing some work for the Aboriginal Pipeline Group.
He's still a jet-setter, having just returned on Dec. 4 from a week in Moscow. Antoine was there as part of a Canadian International Development Agency mission to Russia.
He and representatives from various Northern development corporations took part in an aboriginal business meeting. The Northern Canadian delegates explained how aboriginal people are gaining control and self-determination through settled land claims and benefitting through development corporations, which pay dividends to aboriginal people.
Russian experience
Although Russia has entered a market economy, the indigenous people there remain at a significant disadvantage, according to Antoine. Their livelihoods are generally limited to reindeer herding, hunting and fishing and making traditional crafts, he noted.
"They're at a place where we were 30 years ago in terms of having their rights recognized," he said.
Antoine has also plunged into his role as Pan-Northern ambassador for the Canada Winter Games to be held in Whitehorse in 2007.
His objective is to bring Canada's three Northern territories together to promote their cultures and economic opportunities.
