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FedsdelaydecisiononNWTborrowinglimitFinanceMinsterMichaelMilt-enbergersmeetingwithhisnewfederalcounterpartyieldedadelayeddecisionontheNWTsdebtceiling.Seepage2.LutselKelearnstotanmooshidesatnewcampResidentsinLutselKearekeepingtheirculturealivewitharst-evermoosehidetanningcampheldinthecommunitylastweek.Seepage22.CaringforEldersNewdirectorandlocalemployeesllFortChipselderscarehome.Seepages15-16.GreenhousebloomsunderthemidnightsunInuviksgreenthumbsaregearingupforanotherseasonofgrowinginthemostnorth-erlygreenhouseinCanada.Seepage10.YellowkniferalliesafterpublicbenchesremovedYellowkniferesidentssetupchairsandmakeshiftbenchesoutsidethepostofcelastweektoprotestthecitysremovalofpublicseating.Seepage7.Visitwww.norj.caAnationalawardwinningindependentnewspaperservingnorthernAlbertaandtheNorthwestTerritoriessince1977June172014Vol.38No.071.00ByNATHALIEHEIBERG-HARRISONRobertAlexieJr.presidentoftheGwichinTribalCoun-ciltookhislaststepsonJune9surroundedbyhisbelovedbluemountainsacrossthePeelRiverfromFortMcPherson.Alexiewaselectedpresi-dentofthetribalcounciltwoyearsagobuttothecommu-nitythatgatheredlastweektomournhisdeathhewasconsideredachiefofthepeopleatruechiefoftheGwichinNation.RobertwasastrongleadersaidWilliamKoechiefoftheTetlitGwichininAlexieshometownofFortMcPher-son.Hedidntsaymuchbutwhenhesaidsomethingpeoplelistened.GwichinrememberastrongleaderRobertArthurAlexieJr.April261956toJune92014Alexiewasastrongyetquietforceknownjustasmuchforhisachievementsasanegotia-toroftheGwichinRegionalLandClaimashewasforhissoftspokennatureanddedi-cationtoyouth.TheMackenzieDeltacametoastandstillSaturdayaf-ternoontohonourhislifeandtributespouredinfromacrossCanada.Morethan500peopleat-tendedhisfuneralinFortMcPhersonincludingfam-ilyfriendscolleaguesanddignitaries.Thosethatspoketalkedabouttheshockofhissuddendeathhisworkstrengthen-ingtheGwichinNationandtheneedtocarryhislegacyintoitsnextact.Whenwewokeupitwasrainingbutitwasstillsun-shinesaidJosephTetlichiatthefeastfollowingAlexiesfuneralservice.IthinkthatswhatRobertwanted.Tetlichilikesomanyoth-ersspokeaboutAlexiesabil-itytomoveseamlesslyfrommeetingswithbureaucratsinOttawatoteawitheldersatcampsalongthePeelRiver.AsaGwichinpersonImreallyhappythathewasmyleaderTetlichisaid.Roberthasreallytouchedalotofusinalotofways.OldCrowChiefJoeLinklatersaidAlexiespokeofavisionfortheGwichinpeopleofAlaskaYukonandNorthwestTerritoriesatastrategicplan-ningsessionearlierthisyearinYellowknife.HedreamedofaunitedGwichinworkingto-gethertowardscommongoals.HewasamanoffewwordsbutalwaysswiftactionLin-klatersaid.OneofAlexiesgreatestpas-sionsalongwithwritingandphotographywasstrengthen-ingthecapacityofyoungpeo-plesotheycouldonedayleadtheGwichinself-government.Twenty3050yearsdowntheroadhewantedustobeaself-sufcientnationwhocandependoneachotherhelpeachotherandbethebestnationthatwecouldbesaidsisterGladysAlexie.TodayIwantyoutodomybrotherproud.Getyoureducationdothebestyoucan.Helpthisdreambecomeareality.GwichinyouthBobbiRoseKoesaidshehopespeoplere-memberAlexiefortheworkthathedidandthewayheledhispeople.Hewasstraightforwardtruthfulandhedidntactlikehewasbetterthanyou.Hewaslikeanyotherperson.Hewasntlikethepresident.KoesaidshealwaystriedtositnexttoAlexieinmeet-ingstowatchthewayheworkedandtotrytolearnfromhim.HetaughtmethatIcoulddoanything.Anythingispos-sibleshesaid.VuntutGwichinNormaKassialsospokeofAlexieslegacyandsaidnowisthetimetobandtogether.SeeChiefonpage3.PhotoStephanieYuillStudentscheerafterahelicopterrideovertherecentburnareanearHayRiveroneofseveralactivitiesembarkeduponaspartoftheforestecologycampputonbyEnvironmentandNaturalResourcesforyouthfromFortProvidenceandFortMcPherson.Seestoryonpage9.