James Wah-Shee

Who is James Wah-Shee?

James Wah-Shee is Tłı̨chǫ elder and a former territorial level politician from Northwest Territories, Canada. He served as a Member of the Northwest Territories Legislature from 1979 until 1987.

In the 1970s Wah-Shee became President of the Dene Nation.

Wah-Shee ran for a seat in the Northwest Territories Legislature in the 1975 Northwest Territories general election. His candidacy caused controversy at the time, because he ran for election against the wishes of the Dene chiefs. In response to him running for office he was deposed as President. George Erasmus who was leading a boycott on Dene running in the territorial elections at the time replaced him. Wah-Shee was elected, winning the Great Slave electoral district.

After being elected to his first term, Wah-Shee quickly resigned with fellow Member George Barnaby over the lack of attention to Dene issues being focused on in the Legislature. The Northwest Territories government responded by creating the Department of Natural and Cultural Affairs to focus on aboriginal issues. Wah-Shee was returned to council in the subsequent by-election and Erasmus lifted his boycott.