Darius Mortimer Elias (1972 - 2021)
Darius Elias was born in Old Crow, the son of Norma Kassi. Darius held a diploma in renewable resources management and was a Vuntut National Park warden before being elected to the Yukon Legislature in 2006. He defeated the ten-year incumbent NDP candidate to represent the Vuntut Gwitchin riding for the Liberals. He was re-elected in 2011, one of the two Liberals elected that year, and became the interim leader of the party after Arthur Mitchell stepped down. Sandy Silver remembers Elias as a great mentor for neophyte politicians. He was known as a very strong voice for his community and a great orator who had the respect of politicians from all sides of the Legislature.1)
In July 2012, Elias crossed the floor to join the governing Yukon Party, granting the party a majority on the Select Committee on Hydraulic Fracturing. In 2014, after he was fined and lost his licence for a year, he admitted to having a problem with alcohol. In 2015, he was appointed Government House Leader and Caucus Chair of the Yukon Party caucus. When David Laxton resigned from the position of Speaker in May 2016, Elias briefly became the Deputy Speaker when Patti McLeod became Speaker. He ran for re-election again in 2016 and lost to Liberal Pauline Frost by just seven votes.2)
Elias went on to become deputy chief of the Vuntut Gwitchin and was an outspoken advocate for the environment and the protection of the Porcupine Caribou Herd. He resigned as deputy chief in June 2021, saying he was sure that his grandmother Mary Kassi would have been proud of his successes.3)
A new community centre in Old Crow was named the Darius Elias Community Centre and opened in May 2022. Architects Kobayashi + Zedda designed the building based on caribou prints while retaining the circular shape and wood finishes from the previous centre. The glulam pinwheel roof structure is beautiful and unique.4)