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LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON
A former NWT premier and four time Liidlii Kue First Nations chief was awarded a diamond jubilee medal during a Fort Simpson council meeting last week.

Former NWT premier Jim Antoine was presented with a diamond jubilee medal Oct. 1 to recognize him for his outstanding contributions to Fort Simpson and the rest of the NWT. - Miranda Scotland/NNSL photo

Jim Antoine humbly accepted the award from Mayor Sean Whelly after a short presentation about his accomplishments.

"I was really humbled and honoured," Antoine said. "It made me reflect back and look at some of the things that have happened in my life and my family's life."

The commemorative medals were created in celebration of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. The Federation of Canadian Municipalities invited local governments to nominate a medal recipient to receive one of the awards. Four Fort Simpson residents were considered for the honour but council voted to nominate Antoine in the end.

"(Jim) stood out as a person that has given back a lot to the community and has always tried to help," Mayor Sean Whelly said, adding that in the village Antoine is probably remembered most for helping plan Pope John Paul II's first visit to the village, which was cancelled because fog prevented his plane from landing. He also travelled to Rome to convince the Pope to try visiting the community again.

"That always stood out in everybody's minds here as going way beyond his job ... Jim's done a lot."

Antoine's political career started at the age of 24, when he was elected as chief of Liidlii Kue First Nations in 1974. Before taking the position, he had no political aspirations but, he said, the elders encouraged him to run. They promised to help him in anyway they could, he said adding he turned them down four times until finally taking their offer. Still, Antoine won the majority of the vote on election day.

"That moment is when my whole view of my life up to that time had changed drastically and it changed drastically forever," Antoine said. "Since then I just pursued a political career and I got very good at it. It became my life."

Antoine served as chief from 1974 to 1977, 1979 to 1985, 1989-1991 and more recently from 2009 to 2012. He sat in the NWT legislative assembly from 1991 to 2003 and was elected as premier by his peers in 1998.

Throughout his career, Antoine always tried to follow the advice he was given as a young man, he said.

"The elders said that the only thing that you have is your word and your integrity and your people, you've got to work for your people in anyway you can," he remembered. "I've maintained that."

He also remembered Louie Norwegian telling him that all he can do is try to do the best that he can.

Somebody else might be able to do it better, Norwegian would tell him, but it's important to try.

Over the years, Antoine said his family has been his inspiration. Antoine has been married to Celine Antoine for 35 years. Together the couple has four children, who have given them four grandchildren.

"In this political life your family always comes first and then what you commit yourself to do," Antoine said.

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