Gerald W. Kisoun ONWT (born 1953) is the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories since 2024. He was the deputy commissioner of the Northwest Territories from 2011 to 2017.[1] He served as acting commissioner of the Northwest Territories between the retirement of George Tuccaro on 10 May 2016 and the appointment of Margaret Thom in June 2017.[2]
Gerald Kisoun | |
|---|---|
| Commissioner of the Northwest Territories | |
| Assumed office May 14, 2024 | |
| Prime Minister | Justin Trudeau |
| Premier | R.J. Simpson |
| Preceded by | Margaret Thom |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1953 (age 70–71) Northwest Territories, Canada |
Personal life
editKisoun was born in 1953 in the Mackenzie Delta area and is of Inuvialuit and Gwich'in heritage.[3]
Kisoun has four grown children, five grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.[4]
Biography
editKisoun was a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) for twenty-five years, from 1971 to 1996, serving in Tuktoyaktuk and Inuvik, Northwest Territories, as well as in Alberta and the Yukon. After retiring from the RCMP, he worked for 17 years with Parks Canada, within the Western Arctic Field Unit, where he liaised with local schools and advocated for students’ science and cultural heritage education.[5]
Kisoun has served on various boards and committees, including the Northwest Territories Tourism Board, the Gwich’in Land and Water Board, the Gwich’in Land Use Planning Board, the RCMP Commanding Officers’ Indigenous Advisory Committee, and the Board of the Inuvik Community Corporation’s Elders Committee. He has also dedicated time to the Muskrat Jamboree Committee and the Northern Games Society, most recently as its President and Chair.[6]
In 2015, Kisoun was awarded Canada's Polar Medal; in the citation he was described as a "well-respected Elder" who had "worked tirelessly at strengthening the awareness and understanding of northern Canada and its peoples".[7]
In February 2016, Herbert Nakimayak made a Members' Statement in the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories about Kisoun's cultural contribution.[3]
Honours
editGerald Kisoun's full medal entitlement is as follows.
| Ribbon | Description | Notes |
| Order of St John (K.StJ) |
| |
| Order of the Northwest Territories (OWNT) |
| |
| Polar Medal |
| |
| 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal |
| |
| Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal |
| |
| Royal Canadian Mounted Police Long Service Medal |
|
References
edit- ^ "Gerald W. Kisoun Deputy Commissioner of the Northwest Territories". Government of Northwest Territories. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 31 October 2017.
- ^ Wilkinson, Cameron (16 June 2017). "Dene nation congratulates new commissioner of NWT". My YellowknifeNow. Retrieved 31 October 2017.
- ^ a b "Herbert Nakimayak on Recognizing The Cultural Contribution Of Gerald Kisoun". Hansard. OpenNWT. Retrieved 31 October 2017.
- ^ O'Connor, James (19 April 2024). "Inuvik's Gerry Kisoun is new Commissioner of the Northwest Territories". CKLB Radio. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
- ^ "Inuvik elder Gerry Kisoun to be the N.W.T.'s next commissioner". CBC. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
- ^ "Biography: Gerald W. (Gerry) Kisoun". Prime Minister's Office. 19 April 2024. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
- ^ "Inaugural Presentation Ceremony of the Polar Medal". Governor General of Canada. 2015. Retrieved 31 October 2017.
- ^ "Gerald W. (Gerry) Kisoun's Diamond Jubilee Medal Citation". The Governor General of Canada. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
External links
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