Sheryl Yakeleya

Member Dehcho

Mrs. Yakeleya was elected to the 20th NWT Legislative Assembly to represent the constituency of Dehcho.

Mrs. Sheryl Brenda Yakeleya was born and raised in Fort Providence. NT.  During her younger life, she lived on the land with her parents. Mrs. Yakeleya has also resided in Fort Simpson, Yellowknife, Norman Wells, and Tulita, NWT. She holds a Business Administration diploma and Office Administration certifcate from Aurora College, as well as a Training of Trainers certificate from the Nechi Institute. 

For many years Mrs. Yakeleya has dedicated herself to serving community, by talking to people and working for them. She served as a Board Member for the Native Women’s Association and has volunteered with a variety of community social events. It was this active involvement that inspired the people of her community to encourage her to serve residents at the highest level as an elected politician.

Prior to being elected Mrs. Yakeleya worked in the Indigenous Community Wellness Division in Yellowknife, a Contracts Administrator for the Norman Wells Housing Corporation and most recently as a Family Mentor Worker with the Zhahti Koe Friendship Centre, and Caretaker for the Seniors Home in Fort Providence. She also was employed as a Community Program Coordinator promoting community wellness and justice.

In her spare time, Mrs. Yakeleya loves to read, sew moose hair tufting, sing, clean, and organize.

Mrs. Yakeleya is married to Mr. Norman Yakeleya, former MLA for the Sahtu in the 15th, 16th, and 17th Assemblies, as well as former Dene National Chief. Together they have 6 children, 3 sons and 3 daughters, and 3 granddaughters.

Dehcho Electoral District:

Committees

Accountability and Oversight
Social Development
Public Accounts
Member Sheryl Yakeleya
Dehcho
Member's Office

Yellowknife NT X1A 2L9
Canada

P.O. Box
1320
Email
Email
Phone
(867) 767-9143

Statements in Debates

Question 75-20(1): 2023 Enterprise Wildfire Management
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 8)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the Minister. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister explain if ECC has in place any sort of early warning detection system for natural disasters to help protect communities in an answer safety to disasters? Thank you.

Question 71-20(1): Low Water Levels in the Mackenzie River
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 7)

Thank you, and thank you to the Minister for that. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister tell us what communications ECC has had with the Alberta government regarding the drought command team that they just recently initiated? Thank you.

Question 71-20(1): Low Water Levels in the Mackenzie River
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 7)

Mr. Speaker. My questions are to the Minister of ECC. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister of Environment and Climate Change explain how his department is responding to the historic low water levels in the Mackenzie River that we seen over the last year? Thank you.

Member’s Statement 81-20(1): Water levels and Climate Change
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 7)

To conclude my statement.

Question 71-20(1): Low Water Levels in the Mackenzie River
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 7)

Thank you. And thank you to the Minister. Mr. Speaker, the Government of Alberta has begun telling the residents to conserve water and that they've launched water sharing negotiations with all of their water licensing holders. Can the Minister tell us if the NWT is in a similar boat and our residents will need to begin conserving water usage like Alberta? Thank you.

Question 71-20(1): Low Water Levels in the Mackenzie River
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 7)

Mr. Speaker, can the Minister explain if ECC is anticipating low water levels in this year for the Mackenzie River? Thank you.

Member’s Statement 81-20(1): Water levels and Climate Change
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 7)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is also partly what fueled the worst fire season ever had last summer. Our government needs to respond to this, Mr. Speaker. I will have questions for the Minister of ECC. Thank you.

Member’s Statement 81-20(1): Water levels and Climate Change
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 7)

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Last year the Deh Cho and the Mackenzie River reached historical water levels across the NWT. There are many news stories about this, and many people shared their own photos online of receding shorelines up and down the Valley. These low water levels caused a lot of problems for many people, from harvesters unable to cross the river to go hunting to tugboats running aground and getting stuck, to barge deliveries cancelled and unable to deliver goods to Norman Wells and Tulita. These are just some of the issues low water levels have caused us in the last year.

In addition, Mr...

Question 60-20(1): Support for Indigenous Languages
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 6)

Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Minister, for that. Mr. Speaker, with the transformation of Aurora College into a polytechnic university, is the Minister aware of any plans for the new institution to bring back the accredited interpreter training program for Indigenous languages that used to exist in the 1990s? Thank you.

Member’s Statement 67-20(1): Indigenous Languages Month
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 6)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. [Translation unavailable].

Mr. Speaker, in the NWT, February is the Indigenous Languages Month which was first celebrated in the NWT in 1993 as one designated day; however, the NWT's first Language Commissioner recommended, based on feedback from NWT residents, that the territory devote more than just one day to celebrate the importance of languages within our society. Since then, the NWT remains the only jurisdiction in the country with an entire month celebrating the Indigenous languages. The NWT is also the only jurisdiction that has 11 official languages.

Mr. Speaker...