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

Tu Nedhé - Wiilideh
Member's Office

Yellowknife NT X1A 2L9
Canada

P.O. Box
1320
Email
Phone
Extension
12185
Mobile
Constituency Office
Email

Statements in Debates

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 153)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today the Vatican development and education office released a statement formally reputing to the doctrine of discovery. These theories, backed by 15th century Papal Bulls, legitimize colonial era seizure of Indigenous lands and formed the jurisdiction for the forceful disposition of sovereign Indigenous nations from their territories. The doctrine of discovery interbills are based on the presumed racial superiority of European Christians people and has been used for the to dehumanize, exploit, and subject Indigenous people and dispose Indigenous peoples of their land...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 153)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I also want to say the same thing as the Premier, welcome everybody from the the Minister and all his colleagues and staff here to the House. And I'm glad that they were able to listen to what we have to say in our riding. And it's very important. Also I just want to say that, you know, you come out to Dettah this coming weekend and enjoy your time out there. Mahsi.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 152)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, Premier, for your response. Normally at the end of a public inquiry, through that process we also could look at, you know, compensation and also a public apology. So that's kind of what I'm hearing from the community, from the chief and council in Lutselk'e, and they brought that to my attention. So in our dialogue, I guess as we bring this out and look at it and how we're going to approach it, that's also something that the people are looking for. So just so the Premier knows about that so maybe if she could just add a comment to that as well. Thank...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 152)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you for your latitude in extending me some time to conclude my Member's statement. And thank you to all my colleagues as well.

Mr. Speaker, whenever I go back into my riding in Lutselk'e or Fort Resolution, they keep talking about Cosmos 954 and the impacts and the cumulative impacts as well. And that happened in 1978. And I know bringing this up now, but I didn't give enough time to the Premier, and I do apologize about that as well. But I just wanted to see if there's a way we could work with this government and Government of Canada to start bringing this...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 152)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When I go back into the communities, like we got a lot of community members and elders talk about that there is still probably a large uranium that's probably in the water and they're concerned about that. That's also on the land. So that affects the fish and the aquatic life and birds and everything else. So I look forward to work with the Premier on this. But this is going back to 1978. Giant Mine, you know, it happened in 1946, 56 years later it closed, and we had a public inquiry, a public inquiry which essentially is like an environmental assessment hearing...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 152)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the headwaters is the life and blood of our homeland in the Mackenzie River basin. Throughout the years, we have been forced to adjust to a confluence of industrial threats upstream from us, a toxic cocktail of deadly contaminants flowing past our camps, communities, and impacting our waters sorry, cocktails impacting our waters, lands and animals and the people. The health of the water and the land is connected to the wellbeing of our people. We face increased health problems from a rare disease and a climb in cancer rates throughout the North but, in...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 151)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this year is the time of year when we celebrate spring and the arrival of spring and the animals and that kind of thing. This year we didn't have the Long John Jamboree, and it's something that, you know, we all bring our families out and enjoy a good time and that kind of thing. But this year in the Chief Drygeese territory, the Yellowknives Dene First Nation are planning their spring carnival from March 31st to April 2nd, 2023, in Dettah, and they're looking at, on Friday, they are looking at a fish derby, many hand games, and a talent show. I think this...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 151)

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I remember coming into the Assembly here February 10th, 2022, and when I was asked to put my name forward to run for MLA, in my riding they talked about the high cost of living. And we take a look at the community of Lutselk'e alone, you know, we have problems with the internet service that's just down the road. It costs a lot of money just to fly there and the cost of living in that community is high already as it is. And right now a lot of my friends are talking that, you know, where does this end? Like, the high cost of living in the North is here. Friends of mine...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 151)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yeah, I as a former chief as well for the Yellowknives Dene First Nation, I also support this motion. Prior to 1990, the DeneMetis claim, the GNWT wasn't really at the table. They weren't part of that process. But when it fell apart in Dettah in the fall of 1990 that gave way to the creation of other claims in the North, the Gwich'in, Sahtu Gwich'in. And prior to that, though, my colleague from Inuvik had talked about this motion. And their claim goes back even further. And those claims that are spirit and intent, you know, when we make like, when the treaty was made...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 151)

You're welcome to read that if you want. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Committee heard loud and clear that Indigenous youth are the future of the NWT. Incentives to attract, train, and retain Indigenous students by developing practicum and coop placements within vacant GNWT positions, and transitioning students from Aurora College into GNWT jobs, are essential to increasing Indigenous representation and retention across the GNWT.

Committee heard about the need to track the number of Indigenous youths seeking public service employment under programs such as the Schools North Apprenticeship...