Ah-neen, Elders, community members, and employees! Congratulations to us! I am proud of what we can do and being the top five good governance award recipients says it all.  I am pleased that we won the Big Bear Good Governance Award with the fifty thousand attached to it.  This tells me that we can do what we set out to do, thank you managers, senior directors, staff and community for speaking highly of us.  Thank you to the Frontier Centre for coming to our community to survey our abilities as governors and eventually providing the award.

This award tells me, we have grown substantially especially when we are in the top five for good governance amongst other First Nations across the Prairie Provinces.  We have been rated on how transparent we are on elections, communication, financials, audits, and community involvement.   As your Chief, I remember when we had to pinch pennies, pull us out of financial disaster, and wonder how we were going to accommodate the community needs. So this award speaks well of our ability to move forward, plan and work together.

This award now brings more responsibility and brings higher standards and we need to start with our educational and program systems. As I said, we are progressing and we need our young people to reach for higher education, to use the resources that we have for them (housing in Edmonton or Red Deer) and to keep our investments clean and well kept.  Students, we have tried to make things easier for you gain your post secondary education and be successful.  Your community has asked us to buy student housing in the city and to keep rents low ($600-$700 all inclusive). Unfortunately, this process is not going as well as we thought.  We have damaged property, we have students who are so behind on their rent, and we have no choice but to evict; what is it we need to do?

At home here, we are experiencing similar issues with housing and school. I noticed yards and new housing in poor condition and students not attending school. I do not like to ask this question; what are we doing that does not allow you to appreciate what we produce for you?  You need to remember it is our Capital funds; INAC does not make provision for new housing since the eighties. Our capital dollars is being expended to produce the housing, infrastructure, and maintenance, when will you begin to help us with maintaining your yard, your house and keep it damage free?

Our workers work together to provide you with additional financial assistance to keep our way of life, to provide you with activities that promotes community, family, and culture. These things the band may fund or we fundraise from many businesses outside of our community to provide for you.  Yes, as your, Chief, it is a function and obligation to provide some of this stuff and most of the time through the departments, I do.  I apologize if people take offense with this article but if we can win a substantial award then there is nothing that we cannot do together and maintain our pride in our community!!!

I congratulate all the students for going the next step and I wish you a safe and healthy summer, see you in September! As always, I thank the community, elders, and employees for their continued support, encouragement, and prayers.

Respectfully, Chief Darren Whitford, O’Chiese First Nation