Band should raise status, says chief
Lawrence Neyando elected chief of Inuvik Native Band after organization went quiet for years
Stewart Burnett
Northern News Services
Thursday, March 30, 2017
INUVIK
The Inuvik Native Band was missing from the scene for a few years but is back up and running following the election of a new council and chief.
Lawrence Neyando is the new chief of the Inuvik Native Band. He wants to raise the organization's status in the community. - Stewart Burnett/NNSL photo
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"I'm humbled that everybody voted for me, and I look forward to trying to make some positive changes for the Inuvik band members," said Lawrence Neyando, the newly elected chief after the March 20 election.
Neyando earned 62 votes, while candidates James Firth and Melba Mitchell received 49 and nine, respectively. According to information listed on the Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada website, the Inuvik Native band has a registered population of 612 people.
Acclaimed to councillor positions were Vern Smith, Kelly McLeod, Amanda Vittrekwa, Richard Ross, Billie Lennie, Bernice Furlong and Barry Greenland.
"There hasn't been a lot of interest in the Inuvik Native Band over the last few years," said Neyando, adding he would like to raise the band's status in the community and get confidence back that the council is going in a good direction moving forward.
The last election for the band was in 2012, with Herbert Blake winning his second term.
Neyando, born in Fort McPherson and living in Inuvik for the last 18 years, said the role of the band is to support elders, youth, the community and native rights.
"With this new council, I think we'd be bringing new ideas, not looking back in the past anymore," Neyando said.
"Going forward (we will try) to strike good relationships with other community leaders, and use the chief and council role as a tool to get other people together to try to come up with some good ideas for economic opportunities in Inuvik, because it's so quiet now."
He called it a vehicle for bringing people together.
The Inuvik Native Band was established under the Indian Act and receives funding from Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada.
In the past, the chief's role in a community might have been to wear many hats, including counsellor, coroner and even RCMP officer said Neyando.
"(Now) it's more of a symbolic role, but it's still a tool that I could use to work with people," said Neyando, adding he would like the band to help the homeless in the community.
More leadership
Neyando had been on the Nihtat Gwich'in Council for more than a year, but this is his biggest venture into politics.
In the future, he would like to see younger people take more leadership roles in the band and the community.
He likes the makeup of the new council, with some fresh faces and some experienced members, and looks forward to moving forward to support the community in health and wellness.
