PORT ALBERNI – The Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council (NTC) is pleased to announce that Andrew Callicum has been elected as the new vice-president of the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council.
Andrew won at an extraordinary general meeting by-election held by the NTC on November 30 in Port Alberni, winning the majority of votes over vice-president hopeful, Pamela Webster. Andrew will serve as vice-president of the NTC for the next four years.
Andrew is a member of the Mowachaht First Nation. He has worked as the Manager of the Nuu-chah-nulth Employment and Training Program and as the Tribal Administrator for Hesquiaht First Nation.
Andrew was involved with the Canadian Red Cross in response to a series of violent events in the Port Alberni region and successfully worked with municipalities, School District 71 and the United Way to bring Bullying Prevention training to the School District.
During his time as the President of the BC Coastal Region of the Canadian Red Cross, Andrew actively led strategic planning efforts for a Canada-wide restructuring effort in the Society’s governance structure.
In October 2016, he responded quickly to the Nathan E. Stewart incident – the spilling of thousands of liters of diesel in close proximity to traditional harvesting grounds of great importance to Heiltsuk. Andrew participated in negotiations and lobbying efforts with Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada, Transport Canada, Department of Fisheries and Oceans and other ministries for immediate remediation.
He also took to Facebook to leverage the online platform to reach over 1.5 million individuals in a week to gain national attention for this issue.
Andrew received a Bachelor of Arts, First Nations Studies from Vancouver Island University.
The NTC provides programs and services to over 9,000 registered members. The role of the NTC is to represent fourteen First Nations in three regions stretching 300 kilometers of the Pacific Coast of Vancouver Island from
Brooks Peninsula in the North to Point-no-Point in the south. The NTC represents Ahousaht, Ditidaht, Ehattesaht, Hesquiaht, Hupacasath, Huu-ay-aht, Kyuquot/Cheklesaht, Mowachaht /Muchalaht, Nuchatlaht, Tla-o-qui-aht,
Toquaht, Tseshaht, Uchucklesaht and Ucluelet First Nations.