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

Richard Edjericon
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 , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 46)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yeah, Mr. Speaker, we all know that there is -- there are overhead costs to do business that are unique in the NWT, such as administration and logistics. What is the GNWT doing to make it easier to do businesses in small communities so that Nutrition North subsidies can be more effective? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 45)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As well as you know, in the 19th Assembly, I think it was Bill 85 on the -- where we worked on the UNDRIP file, and we did that for about a year and a half and we finally brought it to the House in the 19th Assembly, and we passed it, and that legislation. So that legislation recognizes and respects the Indigenous governments' culture and values. So I just wanted to ask the Minister now that there's a chance where we could go back and revisit to make -- to modernize this agreement -- or sorry, this new legislation so that we are able to exhume further remains that we...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 45)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we know too well how Indigenous children were failed by Canadian government, were separated from their families, their communities, and their culture, and put them into residential schools where they were exposed to trauma, injury, and illness. Many are dealing with physical and mental consequences to those experiences to this day. Whether through the experience or through intergenerational trauma, tragically many are who also passed away at those schools, we are still searching for their unmarked graves, so their remains are still -- we're still looking...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 45)

Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I just want to briefly talk about that little 5-year-old boy that we want to bring home to the family and Fort Smith. And I just wanted to ask the Minister now that we know what needs to get done, what can we do now to bring that little boy home? Like you got to remember, this little boy was buried, had no family around, died of probably TB or whatever at the time, but the family wants to have a proper burial now in Fort Smith. I just want to ask the Minister what can we do now to work together in collaboration to bring this little boy home? Thank you...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 45)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier I talked about bringing a young child that was buried in Fort Resolution home to Fort Smith. But, Mr. Speaker, right now in our community, the family has reached out to the chief in Fort Resolution to help do that. But we ran into a little bit of a problem now as we went looking into this whole situation about how we're going to exhume the body of the baby and bring him home. But we understand that the GNWT has a policy on archaeological artifacts dating back over 50 years, and I'm not really sure if that applies to cemeteries. So I just want to ask the Minister...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 44)

Okay, thank you. I'll go to the Member from Range Lake.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 44)

Thank you. I'm going to go to the Member from Yellowknife North.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 44)

Okay, thank you. I'll go to the Minister.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 44)

Thank you. I'll go back to the Member from Great Slave.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 44)

Thank you. Does committee agree? Thank you. Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses into the chambers.

Okay, would the Minister please introduce her witnesses.