Jackson Lafferty facts for kids

Jackson Lafferty, born on October 9, 1969, is an important leader from Canada's Northwest Territories. He used to be a politician and is now the Grand Chief of the Tłı̨chǫ Government, which is the government for the Tłı̨chǫ people.

Jackson Lafferty's Early Life and Education

Jackson Lafferty grew up in the Northwest Territories. He went to high school in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. After high school, he studied at different colleges and universities. He earned a degree in Management from Athabasca University. He also took a special program to learn about leadership.

Jackson Lafferty's Political Career

Jackson Lafferty began his political journey in 2005. He ran for a seat in the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories. This is like being a member of parliament for the territory.

Becoming a Member of the Legislative Assembly

In July 2005, Jackson Lafferty won a special election. This election was for the area called North Slave. He won against two other people who were also running.

In 2007, he ran again in the general election. He won against Henry Zoe, who had been the MLA for North Slave before.

Serving as a Minister

After the 2007 election, Jackson Lafferty was chosen by his fellow politicians to join the cabinet. The cabinet is a group of top leaders who help run the government.

Premier Floyd Roland chose him to be a Minister. He became the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. He was also the Minister of Justice.

Roles in the 17th Assembly

Jackson Lafferty was elected again in 2011 for the 17th Assembly. During this time, he had many important jobs. He was the Deputy Premier, which is like a vice-leader.

He continued as Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. He also became the Minister responsible for Official Languages. This means he helped make sure all official languages were supported.

Speaker of the Assembly

In November 2015, Jackson Lafferty was elected to the 18th Legislative Assembly. His fellow politicians chose him to be the Speaker. The Speaker is like the referee in the assembly, making sure meetings run smoothly.

He was elected again without anyone running against him in October 2019. This was for the 19th Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly, representing the area of Monfwi.

Moving to Tłı̨chǫ Government

On June 4, 2021, Jackson Lafferty left his position as an MLA. He decided to run for a new leadership role. He wanted to become the Grand Chief of the Tłı̨chǫ Government. This is a very important leadership role for the Tłı̨chǫ people.