Richard Edjericon

Member du Tu Nedhé-Wiilideh 

Circonscription électorale de Tu Nedhé-Wiilideh

Richard Edjericon a été élu pour la première fois dans la circonscription de Tu Nedhé-Wiilideh lors de la 19e Assemblée en 2022 et a été réélu à la 20e Assemblée l’année suivante. Descendant du chef Oliver Edjericon, signataire du traité n° 8 conclu avec les Chipewyans, Richard Edjericon est né et a grandi à Little Buffalo River, près de Fort Resolution. Il a fréquenté l’école secondaire Diamond Jenness à Hay River et l’Akaitcho Hall à Yellowknife.

Titulaire d’un certificat de compagnon charpentier délivré par le Collège Thebacha de Fort Smith, M. Edjericon compte près de quarante ans d’expérience en tant que compagnon charpentier certifié. Il a travaillé aux Territoires du Nord-Ouest et au Nunavut dans le domaine de la construction résidentielle et commerciale.

Son travail dans le secteur de la construction l’a finalement amené à travailler pour Habitation Territoires du Nord-Ouest en tant que coordonnateur de l’entretien du Slave Nord. Il est également devenu directeur général de la division du logement de la Première Nation des Dénés Yellowknives.

Le dévouement de M. Edjericon envers sa collectivité l’a amené à briguer le poste de chef élu de Dettah et de la Première Nation des Dénés Yellowknives, qu’il a occupé de 1999 à 2003. Il est également devenu le grand chef porte-parole par intérim des chefs du territoire d’Akaitcho pour le gouvernement du territoire d’Akaitcho. Il a ensuite rejoint l’Office d’examen des répercussions environnementales de la vallée du Mackenzie en 2007, dont il est rapidement devenu le président, avant d’être reconduit à ce poste en 2011.

Les réalisations dont M. Edjericon est le plus fier sont le règlement de différends frontaliers, la signature d’accords politiques, l’instauration de relations plus équitables entre les nations et la promotion du développement économique. En tant que député, il apporte sa passion pour un Nord plus juste et plus prospère, ainsi que ses connaissances approfondies dans les domaines du logement, de l’économie et de la politique. Il vit à Ndilo avec sa femme, Aleida.

Committees

Tu Nedhé - Wiilideh
Bureau

Yellowknife NT X1A 2L9
Canada

P.O. Boîte
1320
Phone
Extension
12185
Mobile
Bureau de circonscription

Déclarations dans les débats

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 149)

Yeah, thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I too support this motion. You know, we've been housing's a big issue here in the Northwest Territories. And, you know, in my riding in particular, you know, it's to the point where I even have to put documents and everything else on the floor here just to finally get any action. And we already know that there's big problem we actually have a housing crisis here in the Northwest Territories. We have no plan. When I take a look at what Nunavut's doing, when we take a look at what, you know, our the way we handle housing here in the Northwest Territories and...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 149)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the scars of intergenerational trauma caused by residential day school continues in the present confining many Indigenous people to addiction, poor mental health, poverty. The day school program in particular has not been properly resolved and compensation is needed. Will the Premier ensure the day school survivors are compensated for trauma they suffered through day schools, in all the schools in the Northwest Territories, including my riding and also in the Tlicho region? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 149)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. All day schools and residential schools were transferred to the GNWT on April 1st, 1969. During the 1969 school year, there were 10,291 students, 541 teachers, in the Northwest Territories, including Nunavut. This jurisdiction change did not result in change in management, and the Catholic Church and the Anglican Church continued to operate each school year under a contract. And their intentions remained the same: The extinguishment of the culture and traditional way of life of Indigenous people.

The federal government has acknowledged this harm for students prior to...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 149)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I stand before you to remind this government the dark chapter in Canadian history of the devastating issue of child abuse and genocide that took place in Canada's day school system. This systematic culture devastation committed against Indigenous people in our country for far too long. It is time for us to acknowledge the damages done and make amends to the atrocities committed.

Our government is not innocent in this matter. The federal Indian day school and the Indian federal day school were transferred to the GNWT on April 1st, 1969, and the...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 149)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you, Premier, for your answers. And I know this is a very sensitive subject, and it hits home to everybody here in the Northwest Territories. And I'm also probably one of those survivors as well. So, you know, we I guess going forward, we need to really start looking as to how we're going to start dealing with this issue as a government and start looking at how we're going to address these outstanding issues with survivors after 1969. So I'm will the Premier work with her also with her counterparts in Nunavut to ensure that all students receive adequate...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 149)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The territorial government was born in 1967. Two years later, the Indian Federal Day School of Canada transferred that responsibility to the GNWT. And I understand what the Premier's saying that the GNWT's not part of the federal class action lawsuit prior to 1969. But after 1969, the abuse continued to happen to this day. So, again, is the government aware of the total number of days day home survivors in the Northwest Territories after 1969? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 149)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I too would like to recognize Michael McLeod, our MP from the Northwest Territories. I'd like to say welcome. Also I'd like to welcome Jackson Lafferty, the grand chief of the Tlicho region. Mahsi for being here. Also I want to recognize Brad Enge; I think he's in the back. And also, I'd like to recognize Sholto Douglas, and thank you for being here. And also, I want to say thank you to, again, all the translators out of here as well, including Mary Rose Sundberg, Jonas Lafferty, Tommy Unka, Marg Casaway, and our friends who have a Happy Birthday to them. Mahsi, Mr...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 146)

Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you, Minister, for that clarification. But we got 33 communities in the Northwest Territories, and we don't have a lot of government jobs in our communities. So, you know, I'm so it makes it really tough for constituent members in our communities that really need the care and services of the healthcare card that we have. But I just wanted to maybe let the Minister know that if I think you know, if there's a way we could take a look at the medical travel policy and maybe have a thorough review of this policy so that I know it's a tough job that...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 146)

Thank you, Madam Chair. I just want to talk a little bit about some of the issues I have in my riding. I've been as you know, I've been dealing with the majority of my calls are coming from my constituents are medical travel and housing. And this year has been overwhelming. I just wanted to share a story with you about a member a constituent member who went south from Fort Resolution to go visit family. And when he got south, they were there for a few days and then he had a massive heart attack. And he had to be hospitalized in Edmonton at the Royal Alex Hospital. And anyways, he got the...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 146)

Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair. And thank you, Minister. My next question will be is that in regards to contract services for $844,000, can you maybe just elaborate a little bit on that, on the breakdown of that because I don't see it in here. Thank you.