Gwich’in Tribal Council members elect new chief
Preliminary results show Frederick Blake Jr. unseats incumbent Ken Kyikavichik
Gwich’in Tribal Council members in the N.W.T. have elected a new grand chief, according to preliminary results posted Monday night.
Frederick Blake Jr., also known as Sonny Blake, defeated incumbent Ken Kyikavichik.
Blake Jr. received 604 votes to Kyikavichik’s 515.
Kyikavichik had been serving as grand chief since 2020.
Blake Jr. is a former MLA for the Mackenzie Delta and most recently served as Speaker of the Legislative Assembly in the 19th assembly. He lost his seat in the 2023 election.
Blake Jr. and Kyikavichik were the only two candidates to run for grand chief.
The Gwich’in Tribal Council represents members in the Gwich’in settlement area, which includes Fort McPherson, Tsiigehtchic, Aklavik and Inuvik.
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: Displaced Enterprise, N.W.T. residents, worry about upcoming voter eligibility, CBC News
Finland: Finnish Court annuls 2023 Sámi elections, The Independent Barents Observer
