appointed commissioner and council, composed entirely of senior civil servants based in Ottawa. Beginning in 1951, elected members were added gradually to the previously all-appointed council until it became a fully elected body in 1975. The commissioner used to be a deputy minister in the federal department in charge of the administration of the Yukon Territory and the NWT in addition to other major responsibilities. In 1966, the federal government created federal electoral constituencies in parts of the Northwest Territories. In 1967, a resident Commissioner was appointed and many federal programs were transferred to the territorial government. Morin, Don Don Morin, government leader of the NWT (courtesy Government of NWT). In 1967 the seat of territorial government was moved to Yellowknife and the commissioner relocated there with the nucleus of what has become a territorial public service. The federal Northwest Territories Act contains the written constitution and defines the powers of the territorial government. The territorial assembly consists of 19 members, one of whom it chooses to preside as Speaker, and one as premier. There are no political parties in the territory. A unique feature of the assembly currently is that the majority of members are native. The chief executive officer for the territory is the commissioner, appointed by the federal government, who is required to administer the territory under instructions from the minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development. The government leader serves as chairman of the executive assembly, whose members are chosen by the legislative assembly from among