Ousted Tłı̨chǫ Investment Corporation board chair says she should be reinstated

The ousted former board chair of the Tłı̨chǫ Investment Corporation wants to be reinstated immediately.

"I still have two years to complete my term, and I still have a job to finish," Morven MacPherson said on Monday. "The Tłı̨chǫ people are really upset and they want me back on that board."

MacPherson, who was appointed chair in February 2019, says she was let go on Feb. 5, 2020 via email without warning or reason.

"Just to get an email and no heads up — it really upset me, and it really upset a lot of the Tłı̨chǫ people," said MacPherson.

The Tłı̨chǫ Government owns the Tłı̨chǫ Investment Corporation. The corporation is meant to work for the economic benefit of the Tłı̨chǫ people. Board members, including the chair, are appointed and removed by the Chief's Executive Council, which consists of the Tłı̨chǫ grand chief and the chiefs of the four Tłı̨chǫ community governments.

In a statement, the Chief's Executive Council confirmed it ended MacPherson's term. A spokesperson said the council "regularly reviews director appointments and makes new appointments to the board from time to time."

MacPherson said the council replaced her with former Tłı̨chǫ Grand Chief Eddie Erasmus. On Thursday, Erasmus confirmed that he's the new board chair.

Only woman on the board

MacPherson grew up in Behchokǫ̀, N.W.T., and was the only woman on the Tłı̨chǫ Investment Corporation board.

"I went to the university for six years and for the five chiefs to remove the one lady on the board of six, that's just not good," she said. "It's sending a terrible message to the young people. It's sending a terrible message to the ladies. It's just not a good way to operate."

The Chief's Executive Council declined to give the reasoning behind letting MacPherson go, but the former chair can think of some possible ones.

"There definitely were personal reasons," said MacPherson. "I worked with [Monfwi] MLA Jackson Lafferty for years and they've not liked Jackson Lafferty for all that time, so automatically they see me as somebody on the other side."

Laffery represents the Tłı̨chǫ communities of Behchokǫ̀, Whatì, Gamètı̀ and Wekweètì in the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly. MacPherson worked as his executive assistant.

CBC reached out to Lafferty via email and his office phone line at the Legislature, but did not hear back by deadline.

When asked about MacPherson's comments on Lafferty, Whatì Chief Alfonz Nitsiza, who sits on the Chief's Executive Council, said "that's her own story, I guess. We have no comment on that."

Nitsiza also dismissed the questionable optics of removing the only woman on the board. "That's not how we operate," he said. "We pick who we think can do the work."

CBC attempted to call all the chiefs of the four Tłı̨chǫ community governments. Gamètì Chief David Wedowin and Behchokǫ̀ Chief Clifford Daniels could not be reached. Wekweètì Chief Charlie Football referred CBC to Grand Chief George Mackenzie. Mackenzie could not be reached by phone for comment.

Troubled trucking companies

MacPherson's removal comes as the Tłı̨chǫ Investment Corporation is in the process of selling off assets of two trucking companies it owns, Ventures West Transport LP and Tłı̨ Chǫ Landtran Transport Ltd. The corporation had been loaning the companies money for years.

The companies specialized in ice road transportation and primarily shipped fuel, cement and other supplies to the Northwest Territories' diamond mines. They're currently protected from court action against them by creditors while they work to sell around 250 trucks, trailers, shipping containers and shop equipment, according to court documents.

Court filings from December say the trucking businesses employed 43 people, all of whom were let go save five, who stayed on to help wind down operations.

The deadline for bids on the assets was last Friday, but the nature and number of bids received is unclear. Mark Brajer, Tłı̨chǫ Investment Corporation CEO, did not respond to requests for an interview.

'A bit concerning'

Ted Blondin, a Tłı̨chǫ Investment Corporation board member, said it's "a bit concerning" that the board's chair was removed during a period of change at the corporation.

"We've made some changes to turn the business around, and on debt recovery, and put in stronger policies so the board can be run more effectively and efficiently," said Blondin.

He said the corporation was in "a big deficit, so we had to make some tough decisions." Those included selling the assets of the trucking companies to pay off creditors, and changing policies on credit cards, human resources and salaries.

"We were making progress and right in the middle of all that, this happens," said Blondin, referring to MacPherson's dismissal. "It means we have to realign our team."

Blondin said MacPherson was an effective leader.

MacPherson said the board had been working hard to make "positive changes and improvements to the organization."

"I don't think they liked that," she said of the Chief's Executive Council. "They're stuck on staying with the status quo, and I don't believe in that."

MacPherson said she's led the board with the Tłı̨chǫ people front of mind.

"I told them when I got on that board I was not there for myself," she said. "I was there for every single Tłı̨chǫ shareholder, every Tłı̨chǫ citizen, and every time I made a decision, I always thought of all of those people."