Grand Chief Andy Carvill resigned Monday from the Council of Yukon First Nations (CYFN), the council formally announced today.

While rumours were floating around prior to Monday's meeting of the council's leadership, Carvill made it official yesterday morning at the beginning of the meeting, Teslin Tlingit Chief Peter Johnston confirmed to the Star this morning.

Johnston has been appointed spokesman for the council on the matter. He said Carvill resigned for personal reasons, and he suspects the long and drawn-out debate over restructuring the central organization was a factor.

"Ultimately, I think the whole restructuring thing has been tough on a lot of people, and at this point in his life, I think he is feeling it's time to move on and pursue other dreams

and aspirations,” Johnston said from his Teslin office.

Carvill could not be reached for comment.

It's not known if Carvill's connection to the Yukon's new political movement has anything to do with his resignation.

Initiated by former Conservative leader Willard Phelps, there is a move afoot to assemble a team of independent candidates for the next territorial election, under a Unity Party banner. At last November's founding meeting organized by Phelps, the CFYN grand chief emphasized his support for the movement.

"If I may, I want to be involved in policy development,” Carvill told the room of 100-plus last fall, insisting he was speaking as a regular citizen, and not the grand chief.

The former chief of the Carcross-Tagish First Nation was first elected in June 2005 from a slate of four candidates at the council's annual general assembly hosted in Pelly Crossing by the Selkirk First Nation.

Carvill replaced former grand chief Ed Schultz, who resigned halfway through his second three-year term to take a run at the leadership of the territorial Liberal party, though he lost to Arthur Mitchell.

Carvill was elected to his second term in June 2008 from a slate of three candidates at the council's assembly hosted by the Ta'an Kwach'an Council at Helen's Fish Camp on the shores of Lake Laberge.

After Carvill delivered his verbal notice of his intention Monday morning, the chiefs did discuss the matter. Some approached him to stay on until at least the next general assembly, Johnston said. But at the end, Johnston said, they passed a resolution accepting his resignation.

Johnston said the CYFN's constitution requires that an interim grand chief be appointed within 30 days of the resignation. The Tlingit leader, however, hopes it will be much quicker than that, because it is an important position which should not be left vacant for too long.

There is a pool of qualified people to draw from, Johnston insisted.

He added he'd like to see the appointment within the next week, though it will require some quick communication between the chiefs of the 10 first nations that make up the CYFN.

A general election for a new grand chief will take place this summer at general assembly hosted by the Teslin Tlingit Council July 13 to 15.

The Teslin chief pointed out the current restructuring initiative was kick-started back in 2007 at the CYFN's general assembly in Dawson City.

But its roots go back much farther, as first nations are wanting a new direction for the central organization which was originally formed as the primary vehicle to present a unified approach to aboriginal land claim negotiations, he explained.

Johnston said with 11 of the 14 first nations having signed settlement agreements which recognize their self-governing authority, there's a need to formalize new directions.

The first nations are also searching for a way to bring back four first nations that are not members of the council, he said.

Johnston said for the past two years, however, they've been unable to come up with an acceptable restructuring plan.

The intergovernmental protocol document, which would have established first nation-to-first nation protocols, was on the table Monday but did not receive approval, the Teslin chief explained.

He suspects the restructuring issue was not only weighing heavily on the mind of the grand chief, but has put stress on everybody involved.

There was also some talk during the restructuring discussions about changing the name of the top position from grand chief to the chair, as it was many years ago. The council, it has been argued, is more of a central administrative body and does not carry the same political clout or distinction as a self-governing first nation recognized by the Constitution of Canada.

The Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation of Old Crow withdrew from the council in November 2008 over concerns that Carvill was overstepping his authority.

Members of the first nation were seeing an uncomfortable trend with the office of the grand chief attempting to assume more political influence in areas that are solely the responsibility of the the self-governing first nations, Chief Joe Linklater explained back when the Old Crow withdrew.

Johnston said while the 10 chiefs failed to ratify the intergovernmental agreement on Monday, they did pass a resolution to keep working together on the issue of restructuring.

It is important to find a way to bring all 14 first nations back into the fold, said the chief.

Strength, said Johnston, lies in the unity of the 14 first nations, not in fragmentation among them.

The two Kaska first nations, Ross River Dena Council, and the Liard First Nation of Watson Lake, withdrew from the council back in the mid-1990s, citing fundamental differences with the organization's constitution.

The Kaska first nations have also told Ottawa they remain open to negotiating a land claim settlement, but not under the terms set out it under the Umbrella Final Agreement, the blueprint for negotiating agreements in the Yukon.

The Kwanlin Dun First Nation has a land claim settlement but withdrew its membership from CYFN several years ago.

The White River First Nation has also been unable to resolve its differences with Ottawa, and is without a settlement, but is a participating member of the council.