6-figure Gwich'in Tribal Council salaries cause stir on social media
The Gwich'in Tribal Council released the salaries and benefits for its senior staff this week, and the numbers caused a stir on social media.
The First Nations Financial Transparency Act does not apply to the Gwich'in Tribal Council, a land claim organization that represents the interests of approximately 2,700 Gwich'in in the Mackenzie Delta, according to its website. It is under no obligation to disclose or discuss its finances, but says it's doing so to be open and transparent.
It posted its 2015 annual disclosure on Facebook Tuesday morning, but deleted it Wednesday. However, many people shared the post on Twitter.
People questioned why Vice President Norman Snowshoe took home $279,059 in salaries and benefits between April 1, 2014 and March 31, 2015; almost $100,000 more than the year before, and nearly twice the amount paid to the organization's presidents.
Many complaints were focused on Showshoe's abnormally high salary as juxtaposed with high rates of poverty in Northern communities. A 2012 report by the Government of the Northwest Territories found that 16 per cent of the territory's families live in poverty, with a total household income of under $30,000.
Snowshoe said his total package was higher because the tribal council wasn't paying into his RRSP or retirement savings plan — something he says was outlined in his employment contract.
He says his benefits bumped up this year because the tribal council finally paid him the 30 months of contributions it owed him. Neither Snowshoe nor the organization specified how much those contributions totalled.
The annual disclosure also shows that during the fiscal year ending March 31, 2015, the tribal council paid $183,050 in total salaries and benefits to the two presidents it had during that time.
Former president Robert Alexie died in June 2014. Until the position was filled by James Wilson in November, Snowshoe filled the role of acting president, for which the tribal council says he was also compensated.
Snowshoe's base salary also includes costs related to his secondment from the territorial government.
The tribal council also had three different chief operating officers and three different financial officers during that period.
Snowshoe isn't the only one taking home six figures. The president and executive staff each take home close to $200,000; a salary similar to the pay and benefits of the N.W.T. premier.
Both Wilson and Snowshoe say they would be happy to answer further details about their salaries at the land claim organization's annual general meeting beginning Sept. 15 in Aklavik.
Correction : A previous version of this story incorrectly said that Norman Snowshoe earned $350,752 in salary and benefits. In fact, that figure included $71,693 in reimbursed expenses. The story has also been changed to include more information about what was included in Snowshoe's base salary.(Sep 04, 2015 5:21 PM)
