Edward John (Akilech’oh) is a First Nations Summit (FNS) elected Commissioner. He is serving his first term as Commissioner and was elected by the FNS Chiefs in Assembly in April 2024. Edward is from the Tl’azt’en Nation, is a Hereditary Chief, Dene Zah Akilech’oh, and is the current elected Chief.

He has been involved in the advancement of Indigenous rights and the treaty negotiations framework for decades. Edward was instrumental in the creation of the FNS and the BC Treaty Commission and served on the FNS Task Group for 11 consecutive
terms. From 2011 to 2016, Edward served as the North American Expert Member to the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. He was also part of the negotiations and adoption of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples by the UN Human Rights Council and the General Assembly. Edward was also Minister of Children and Families in BC and the Special Advisor on Aboriginal Child Welfare to the Minister of Children and Family Development in BC.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Victoria in sociology, and a law degree from the University of British Columbia. He also received Honorary Doctor of Laws degrees from both the University of Northern British Columbia and the University of Victoria.

Edward is a Dene fluent speaker with extensive Dakelh traditional knowledge. He is a proud father and grandfather and enjoys time in his home community of Tache and his wife Wendy’s community of Musqueam.