Chair (vacant)

New chair to come

Allen Bouvier, Secretary Treasurer 

Dehcho First Nations Representative

Allen Bouvier was born in Fort Providence and graduated from high school in Fort Smith. He loves the land and has made it his career. He was in the second graduating class from the Renewable Resource Technology program in Thebacha College. With this training, he was hired by Renewable Resources Department, GNWT and worked in habitat management and preparing for the transfer of the forest management program from Canada. In 1986, he transferred to Economic Development and Tourism Department, GNWT and took training in renewable resource development in Calgary and helped start various projects in the NWT and Nunavut. When Evergreen Forestry started in the 1990’s, he spent his summers as base manager and in winter, he helped set up and work for the Fort Providence Renewable Resource Management Board. From 2007 to 2015, he was the land and resources manager for Liidlii Kue First Nation. In his spare time, he tracks down historical stories and photographs about Dehcho people and the land.

Herb Norwegian, Vice-Chair

Dehcho First Nations Representative

The Board's responsibility is to guide the development of the plan and ensure proper consultation and communication is occurring with all relevant parties.

In fall 2011, Herb Norwegian was re-appointed to the Dehcho Land Use Planning Committee as one of the two members for Dehcho First Nations. Herb is Vice-Chair of the Committee. He has been involved with Dehcho First Nations governance for over 25 years. He was Vice President of the Dene Nation from 1979 to 1993, and chief for Liidlii Kue First Nation from 1992 to 1997. In July 2012, Herb was again elected Grand Chief of Dehcho First Nations, a position he has held twice before. Herb also served as the assistant negotiator for the Dehcho Process from 1997 until 2003. He has also worked as a consultant with Dehcho First Nations on negotiations, lands and resources made presentations to groups across Canada about the Dehcho Process. Herb is passionate about promoting Dehcho culture and language. Whenever he can, he follows his traditional lifestyle -- hunting, trapping and fishing, and keeping trails open to the Edehzhie (Horn Plateau).

Janet Pound, Director

Government of Canada Representative

Janet arrived in Yellowknife, from Prince Edward Island in the fall of 1986 and began her Federal Government career with Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC). This lead to a position with Medical Services, Health and Welfare Canada. In 1988, she transferred to Fisheries and Oceans. It was during this time, and as a result of working with both the Great Slave Lake Advisory Board and the Great Bear Lake Management Committee, that she came to embrace the benefits of cooperative and collaborative management approaches. It was also there that she entered the world of Aboriginal Land Claims processes and found the work to be of great importance as well as exciting and rewarding. In 1995 she found her way back to INAC and worked in the Land Negotiation office as Claims Analyst, Land Negotiator and eventually Chief Land Negotiation/Senior Negotiator. In addition to land related negotiations Janet held the position of Federal Negotiator on the Dehcho Process Negotiations, the Gwich’in Self Government Negotiations and the K’atl’odeeche Recognition of Indigenous Rights and Self Determination Discussions. Janet retired from the Federal Government in April of 2020.

Sharing the volunteer workload within her community has always been an important part of Janet’s life. She currently works in this capacity with Civil Air Search and Rescue and Special Olympics NWT.

While retirement provides her with more time with her family and to enjoy boating, fishing and snowmobiling, in December of 2020 she welcomed an opportunity to work with the Dehcho Land Use Planning Committee as the Federal Representative.

Gina Ridgely, Director

Government of the Northwest Territories Representative