Mrs. Margaret Thom was appointed as the 17th Commissioner of the Northwest Territories on June 26, 2017. She is very active in the North as an educator, counselor, facilitator and volunteer with many years of service to the people of the Northwest Territories. Commissioner Thom also promotes the North and the people in her travels outside of the Northwest Territories. She continues to help to preserve the Dene Zhatie and Dene Culture.

Commissioner Thom’s professional career has included work as a School Community Counselor and a Deh Gah Got’ie First Nation Program Officer. She has led many workshops and has participated in conferences and other events for diverse audiences on topics such as wellness, Aboriginal languages and community development. She is also the co-editor of a Dene Elder’s book titled “Nahecho Keh – Our Elders”.

Commissioner Thom has served on a variety of boards all in support of protecting and advancing Indigenous communities. In celebration of her work, Commissioner Thom is a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee medal, the Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee Medal for Nova Scotia, a member of the NWT Education Hall of Fame and has been honoured with an NWT Wise Woman Award.