Brodie Thomas
Northern News Services
Published Monday, June 02, 2008

BEAUFORT DELTA - After serving two and a half terms as president of the Gwich'in Tribal Council (GTC), Fred Carmichael is stepping down. Four candidates are running for his seat.

The GTC will face many changes and challenges in the next four years. The federal government will end the transfer of funds that have come in for the past 15 years as part of the Gwich'in land claims agreement. The GTC is currently in the middle of working towards a self-government agreement. The Mackenzie pipeline is still up in the air. These are just a few of the many issues the future president and vice-president will face.

Four men have stepped up to lead the GTC through the next four years. There are two professional politicians competing against two who are relatively new to the arena.

As for the vice-presidency, another newcomer to politics is challenging the incumbent. The Gwich'in beneficiaries will make their voices heard on June 16,

News/North spoke with all of the candidates about why they decided to run, what they hope to accomplish if elected, and why they feel they would be the best candidate for the job.