Youth Attend Strategic and Tactical Planning Workshop in Fort Simpson

Top Row: Garth Wallbridge, Dallas Thom, Neilson Vandell, Grand Chief Herb Norwegian, Julian Tsetso, Tyler Lafferty, Jade Tesou, Joshua Bertrand, William Alger, Anthony Betsaka Front Row: Amber Gargan, Shannel Landry, Ryanna Bonnetrouge, Bailey Gargan

Students from Fort Providence and Fort Simpson attended a strategic and tactical planning workshop on the Dehcho Process in Fort Simpson February 9 – 11, 2016. In addition, individual youth attended along with the member organizations of each Dehcho community. The youth were there observing for the most part, though we certainly encouraged and did hear from them. There was a good presentation from the students about what they are thinking about the Dehcho Process.

There’s a very old idea, and it’s a very valid one, that the youth are the next generation of leaders. We need these young people to be fully aware of what’s going on today, to inspire them to find summer jobs and indeed full time work with the First Nations in the region. We all share in the responsibility to encourage and interest them in continuing their education, to become lawyers, social workers, and all sorts of other important jobs for them to become leaders. We need them to be involved in the land claim and self-government process, to actually being in control. We need these young people to become the next generation of Chiefs and Metis Local presidents.

Young people who want to stay up to date should spend as much time as they can on the Dehcho First Nation website. The website is extensive, is being updated now and will be relaunched soon to make it even more accessible. It is a huge resource with an immense amount of information on there. As we move forward, you can expect regular updates from me as well. We need to make sure that local Dene and Métis are hearing about the process as it unfolds. I look forward to working with people of many generations as we move forward.