Ah neen, Elders, members, youth and children! I hope that your year is going well and continues to go well. We begin another year together; another year to start over, another year to reach our goals and another year to learn and move forward. I realize that we have concentrated on building our economy, building our community, and building our future that now I need to put emphasis on one of our unique features- our culture. I realize that in order to have good governance and stability; we must maintain and practice our culture. Using Prayer and the concepts of the ceremonial practices can only keep us strong, focused and remind us of what is important.
Our Elders remind us that we have survived, lived, and adapted to the changing world around us through the strength of our heritage, language, tradition, and ceremony. When we carry this belief in all things that we do, we can become better adapted at being better planners, prepared to prosper and ensure steady progress as our community moves forward.
Today, the level of modification that our community has seen has led us to increase our knowledge and begin to think of how our culture fits in. We want to protect the area in which we live; as we are semi isolated, we have the environment that can keep our traditions and cultures alive. As we progress, we are influenced by designers, engineers, and legalities. These influences are required by the funders to substantiate their flow of funds and ensure their compliance issues are addressed such as fire requirements. These requirements are fine and our community is improving but my concern is our educational system is slow to promote our capacity needs. We consistently hear of funding cuts, of re-evaluating program functioning and more bureaucracy to impede our progress. It is a wonder that we continue to move forward despite the slow progress of our capacity, erosion of cultural practices through not only our neglect but also through the influences of media, and the educational system.
Our educational system has been a long standing frustration for First Nation’s communities, especially ours. Since our Nation is developing at an increasing rate, the Ministry of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada is not able to keep up. Their funding formulas do not adequately address the funding needs nor does it address the method in how it can flow the funds properly. More often than not, our Nation misses opportunities which we have no recourse to hold INAC accountable. Although they require us to comply, there are no checks and balances in their methods to accommodate our Nation to improve our quality of life or lessen the impact that Federal and Provincial Governments policies and legislations have in and around our community.
Since the federal government not only has a Treaty obligation, it also has an obligation to reduce harmful impacts especially when it is not ‘…beneficial to the Indian’ (Indian is the legal term in the Indian Act). Not only is other First Nations facing these issues but our government also is trying to make sense of the many issues confronting us today. As you know I have brought these issues to the community level in past articles, at community meetings, and at Elder meetings in order to keep you informed. Sometimes, it is overwhelming especially when we do not always have the expertise such as the Federal and Provincial Governments can afford. At the Leadership tables, we deal with education, economic development, fiduciary obligations, social issues, justice, housing, environment and the issues continue. It could be said that the Federal and Provincial governments also have to deal with these and yet we do not work together. Sometimes the Governments are areas that require time, information and expertise that as Leaders we need to group together and try to resolve or provide solutions to promote and lobby for our needs.
In our community, our Senior Managers and Leadership continue to work together to improve our community, I am mindful of the need to ensure that our culture is reflected in the work that we do. I thank those Elders from the past who had the forethought and foresight to take care of us. This gives me strength, structure, and faith that we can overcome some of the adversities that come our way. We have a duty to continue to protect what those elders that fought to include in the treaty which is to be long lasting.
As always, I thank the community, elders, and employees for their continued support, encouragement, and prayers. Always my biggest supporters, my wife and family; I thank you.
Respectfully, Chief Darren Whitford, O’Chiese First Nation