Gwich'in Tribal Council deputy chief on 'tough barriers' and why he's not running again

The Gwich'in Tribal Council's outgoing deputy grand chief says the COVID-19 pandemic helped him recognize the importance of family — one of the "driving factors" that led him to decide not to seek re-election.

"It just comes back to the importance of community and family, and those are some of the things that I really recognized during COVID-19," said Jordan Peterson.

"It's a big reason and what influenced my decision not to run."

The deputy chief was elected at 29 years old in 2016, alongside Grand Chief Bobbie Jo Greenland-Morgan, who is also not seeking re-election for family reasons. The next election is scheduled for Sept. 3.

Peterson said being a young leader was a challenge, but feels he brought new perspectives to the table.

Sometimes you just need to slow down, go into the communities, and that's something that I really wish I did more of.- Jordan Peterson, outgoing deputy chief

"Sometimes as a young person in leadership, you don't get the respect that you need or you think that you deserve, to really …  move things forward," he said.

"At the end of the day, people have seen that I've grown in this role and I've evolved and I'm quite ambitious."

'Fight against Goliath' and slowing down

Peterson said his four-year term came with challenges. 

"But I think there is a lot that's been accomplished and we've done a pretty good job with some pretty tough barriers," he said.

Upon election, Peterson said he was assigned the Gwich'in Steering Committee portfolio — a group that represents Gwich'in communities in Alaska and Canada.

Gwich'in leaders have lobbied to protect wildlife in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, where the U.S. government hoped to drill for oil. In the past year, major banks have announced they will no longer invest in new oil projects in the region, and in September, the Democratic-controlled U.S. House voted to reinstate a decades-long ban on oil and gas drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

"It's a tough thing to do when you're up against President Donald Trump," said Peterson.

Peterson said he got his strength thinking about how Gwich'in ancestors first gathered in 1988 and created the mandate to protect the refuge. He said the partnership between communities and leaders across Alaska, Yukon and N.W.T., also empowered him.

"That's where the strength comes from," he said. "At the end of the day, regardless of the challenges that we face, we all stand united in that fight against Goliath — which is the United States government."

Peterson said something he's learned in his role as deputy chief was to slow down.

"Even COVID-19 has taught me that," he said. "Sometimes you just need to slow down, go into the communities, and that's something that I really wish I did more of."

He said he wanted to thank his family, and Greenland-Morgan's family, for the sacrifices they made.

"[The decision to not run] it's something we all need to make together because the sacrifice is not just mine."