Announcements & Updates

Aba'ashtenah, Eessneesh eechee gehwan, neh bare neh…

For the Hearts and Minds of the People, for our Future!

I acknowledge our Elders and our ancestors, who carried our language, our laws, ethics and morals, and our way of life so we could be here today. It is because of them that we stand strong.

Today, we are being called home—not just to vote, but to remember who we are as Nakoda people. We are people of relationship, responsibility, and respect.

I am stepping forward as a candidate to become your leader, and to work in service for the sake of the hearts and the minds of The People. I value my deep connection to our community, whether it's family, ceremony, recreation or simply talking with folks at home. This year marks the 16th year since I last ran for leadership. Since then, I have grown a lot as a family man, individually and professionally as I have acquired other skills. I have since earned a Chartered Public Accountant (CPA) license in Alberta, and served on governing boards for Alexis and within the University of Alberta. I also worked as a Housing Director and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for the Penobscot Indian Nation in the US.

I commit to using my professional designations & senior administrative experience, education and community service background to be a strong and fearless champion for Our People. Similar to my being the captain of a division 1 hockey team that I served on, I will take the necessary sacrifices, penalties and scrap on your behalf where needed and strategize carefully to make decisions that serve the community's highest good. I envision the team we elect as a community to work in solidarity and believe will have skills to help move the community's agenda forward.

As an elected Chief, I will guide the people to do good things for each other on every level: health, financial, social and housing/infrastructure, economic development. I look forward to building upon what the current and past leaderships have worked hard to develop and nurture.

The core priorities as I look into the future are as follows:

1. Health and Wellbeing

Our People's health and wellbeing is our greatest strength. We have a gap in Health coverage as an example, services and what we have Treaty rights to needs to be addressed. Healthy communities start with healthy individuals; mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally.

• Support wellness programs and traditional healing practices
• Invest in mental health and addiction recovery services
• Strengthen cultural programs that connect youth to identity
• Prioritize family wellness and support for Elders

2. Education & Training

I see the need for formal education for our people in every sector, and bring a strong commitment to shortening the achievement gap. I will prioritize identifying ways that strengthen educational funding for all of our students, it is a treaty right owed to all of our people both off and on reserve. The reality is we can always do better to prepare our youth for a rapidly changing society and environment, this will require leadership guidance rooted in educational experience and knowledge, of which I bring to the role of Chief.

3. Finance

I bring with me a designation in accounting and experience in leading major audits, this will be the first time in Alexis history that a Chief will hold a license in accounting and I will ensure that the nation will have the most refined and updated finance/accounting systems to improve financial stability, accountability and transparency. Our Nation is facing financial uncertainty. Families are feeling the pressure, and our Nation feels it too. Our businesses and resources must be protected—with transparency, accountability, and discipline—so they serve our people now and for future generations.

4. Infrastructure

Water and water…very critical to the livelihood of Our Peoples. Our Ancestors and Elders of the past have guided us and warned us to make sure we have access to clean water and I commit to the development of improved systems to increase access to better quality and quantity of water on our reserves for our People.

• Homes for Elderly: We have an aging population who are forced to find homes off the reserve, we need to find a way to house more of our Elders in the Nation.
• Youth Center: Critical piece to developing our youth to have space they can engage and safe space to visit, for homework for meetings for other events.
• Shore development of the lake for better and safer access to the water and boats.
• Housing: Continue to build on housing stock on the Nation; renovate and rehab current units. Invest in off reserve housing, in addition to the 70 plus new homes being built, we commit to off reserve homes as well. Down payment assistance programs for off reserve home buying and rental assistance and advocacy to house our People living off the reserve.