Richard Edjericon

Member Tu Nedhé-Wiilideh

Richard Edjericon was first elected to represent the district of Tu Nedhé-Wiilideh in by election during the 19th Assembly in 2022 and was re-elected to the 20th Assembly later the next year.

A descendant of Treaty 8 Chipewyan signator Chief Oliver Edjericon, Richard Edjericon was born and raised in Little Buffalo River near Fort Resolution. He attended Diamond Jenness Secondary High School in Hay River and Akaitcho Hall in Yellowknife.

Obtaining his journeyman carpenter’s certification from Thebacha College in Fort Smith, Mr. Edjericon has nearly four decades of experience as a journeyman certified carpenter working through out the Northwest Territories and Nunavut in residential and commercial construction.

Eventually his work in construction brought him to the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation as the North Slave Maintenance Coordinator. He would also become the General Manager for the Yellowknives Dene First Nation Housing Division.

Mr. Edjericon’s dedication to his community led him to seek the position of Elected Head Chief for Dettah and the Yellowknives Dene First Nation, holding that office from 1999 to 2003. He also became the Acting Grand Chief Spokeperson on behalf of the Akaitcho Chiefs for the Akaitcho Territory Government. He later joined the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board in 2007 and soon became chair, reappointed to this position in 2011.

Mr. Edjericon’s proudest moments include settling boundary disputes, signing political accords, creating fairer nation to nation relationships, and fostering economic development. As MLA he brings with him a passion for a fairer, more prosperous North, and a great depth of knowledge in housing, economics, and politics. He lives in Ndilo with his wife, Aleida.”

Tu Nedhé-Wiilideh Electoral District

Committees

Accountability and Oversight
Board of Management
Government Operations
Tu Nedhé - Wiilideh
Member's Office

Yellowknife NT X1A 2L9
Canada

P.O. Box
1320
Email
Email
Phone
867-767-9143
Extension
12185
Mobile
867-446-1335
Constituency Office
Email
Email
Phone
867-446-2564

Statements in Debates

Member’s Statement 1622-19(2): Mining Promotion
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 165)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, since June of this year Live Power, a Canadian exploration company with its head office in Vancouver, has been drilling for hard rock lithium on the mineral leases near Yellowknife and N'dilo and Dettah. Live Power has one of the most exciting exploration portfolios of hard rock lithium projects globally, with Yellowknife lithium project being the flagship project. Live Power commenced a 45,000-meter drill program, and the drill result for 40 drill holes. It illustrates extensive width and excellent grades of lithium in the Tu NedheWiilideh riding. The NWT...

Committee Motion 483-19(2): Committee Report 62-19(2): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Review of Bill 74: Forest Act – Additional Resources for Co-Drafted Resource Management Legislation, Carried
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 165)

Thank you, Madam Chair. In regards to this motion, you know, the last few days I have been speaking about treaty rights and Crown consultation and accommodations. And I just want to let people know that, you know, when we First Nation communities in my particular riding, we don't have settled claims. We rely on core funding that comes in from Ottawa directly to our First Nation based on population. And we also rely on the resources we get from the mining industry to offset some of these costs. And I keep saying that we signed an oath, and we swore an oath too as well, to respect the treaties...

Committee Motion 478-19(2): Committee Report 62-19(2): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Review of Bill 74: Forest Act – Information Sharing, Carried
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 165)

Thank you, Madam Chair. And, again, you know, I always ask myself how did we find ourselves in this situation? How did we get here? You know, communication is a big part of, you know, trying to get this information out to the public. And what went down here it was it was really scary for a lot of people, especially in my riding Tu Nedhe where I was in Fort Resolution. On one hand, we had fires happening in the south of us in Fort Smith and then you got the one in Hay River. Depending on which way the wind is blowing, Fort Resolution, we're caught in there. The roads get shut off, but we're...

Question 1605-19(2): Mining Promotion
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 165)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, Minister. Does the government have plans to support the critical mineral industry with green power to help ensure NWT resources will be competitive in the global market where low carbon products will prevail? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 165)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize Jackson Lafferty, grand chief of the Tlicho region. I just want to recognize him. Mahsi.

Also, Mr. Speaker, I also have with us today is Dr. April Hayward, the chief sustainable officer for Live Power. And Dr. Hayward has 25 years’ experience in the fuel environmental science. As well, and also, we have Mr. Daniel Gordon, the manager of investor relations for the company. Thank you and welcome. Mahsi.

Member’s Statement 1611-19(2): Lutselk’e Dene First Nation Caribou Enforcement
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 164)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today marks more than a year since a deeply troubling and unconstitutional event has cast a shadow over my riding of Tu NedheWiilideh. I speak not to dwell on the past but to demand justice and healing for our friends and the neighbours, who are Indigenous people, that have suffered greatly at the hands of this government's reckless action of the raid in Lutselk'e Dene First Nation Timber Bay culture camp on September 15th, 2022.

One year ago, the unthinkable happened when Lutselk'e Dene First Nation culture camp was raided violating the very essence of our constitution...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 164)

Thank you. I want to really bring this one up as well. I mean, it's a 20242025 Capital Estimates budgets. You know, for what we're looking at housing this year, I'm not sure where to start, but I already voiced my concerns in March about this issue of housing. You know, I guess as the Finance minister and the next government coming in, they're going to have some tough decisions ahead of them. Overall, you know, we got a budget of $2.2 billion, we're $1.6 billion in the hole with this fire season as it is; we're going to be reaching that in no time. You know, we got grants and contributions...

Question 1594-19(2): Lutselk’e Dene First Nation Caribou Enforcement
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 164)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday, the Minister offered to come across this House, Minister Simpson will go across I was hoping that will happen and we would have this thing resolved.

Mr. Speaker, has an internal review taken place internally into the unconstitutional violation of the Lutselk'e Timber Bay culture camp raid? Thank you.

Question 1594-19(2): Lutselk’e Dene First Nation Caribou Enforcement
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 164)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Tomorrow's the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Day. It's Friday. Everybody's tired and want to go home and that kind of thing, and so I'm just hoping the Minister is feeling good today.

Mr. Speaker, after a year with no further progress on the supposed investigation into the caribou harvesting in Lutselk'e, will the Minister now recognize the wrong that was done under his watch and apologize to the community of Lutselk'e and start the reconciliation process as mandated by this government? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

Committee Motion 470-19(2): Tabled Document 974-19(2): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 3, 2023-2024 – Deferral of Estimates, Carried
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 164)

Thank you, Madam Chair. I also want to make a couple comments. We got to keep remembering that education is a treaty right. Based on the treaties that was made in 1900, and Treaty 8, my great great grandfather's the one that signed the treaty in Fort Resolution. And Treaty 8 Treaty 11 was made in 1921 up and down the valley. And when the treaty was made, it was made with the Crown. And the Government of Canada was supposed to uphold those treaties. That's why we got a Governor General, and here we have a Commissioner of the Northwest Territories. When we do an oath to office here, it says...