Charles McNeely re-elected chair of Sahtu Secretariat in N.W.T.

Sahtu Secretariat voters re-elected longtime chairperson Charles McNeely on Wednesday afternoon in Fort Good Hope.

McNeely was one of three contenders for the position this time around. On the first ballot,McNeely received 26 votes, while Paulie Chinna received five and Robert Kelly received zero.

The vote for the three-year position was held on the second day of the secretariat's annual general meeting.

The secretariat is the organization responsible for administering the Sahtu Dene and Mtis Land Claim Agreement. It is formed by the seven Sahtu land corporations.

Addressing the crowd before the vote, McNeely touted his record as chairperson for the last six years and asked for another mandate.

Once being granted that mandate, McNeely was greeted by applause and walked around the room shaking hands.

The role of chairperson is essentially the head of the secretariat's board, but they don't have voting powers and follow the decisions of the board.

McNeely described the position as essentially a spokesperson for the secretariat.