TANSI !
First of all, I would like to say that I am very proud of what is happening at the Thunderchild First Nation right now. Chief and Council are working hard to make sure that there are new opportunities for members of our First Nation. To do so, we are negotiating agreements with many of the companies working on our lands, and planning for a future where our First Nation members have access to jobs, training,and opportunities.
We recently held a meeting with our Elders to seek direction and gather input from them on how to proceed. Our Elders contributed their advice, experience, and their opinions on the work that needs to be done by Chief and Council in our area. Thank you to all the Elders who participated.
I am also concerned that as development grows in our area, we must protect the traditional use of our lands. In order to do that, we have been negotiating with many of the companies you've probably seen in our area. We recently held meetings in Edmonton and Calgary with some of the most well-established companies in the oil and gas sector. Chief and Council met with Husky Oil, Devon, Bona Vista, Pearl, CrescentPoint, and EOG Canadian Natural Resources. Each company has made acommitment to work with First Nations by offering training, economic benefits, scholarships, and opportunities for contractors. We believe that building agreements with these companies is going to help theFirst Nation protect our way of life, and give our members the opportunities that we need.
Chief and Council are putting the financial affairs of our First Nation in order. First of all, we are negotiating agreements with companies on our lands. The agreements will mean that more funds come in to the First Nation. Secondly, we are starting a community trustfund, which will guarantee that the money we make from our joint ventures will be used for community priority projects, such as Elder's centres, youth activities, and training opportunities for Thunderchild First Nation members.
I'm happy to see this paper going out to all of our members, and I hope that the information inside is useful to you. Take a look at the list of joint venture partners to see if there are any opportunities there that interest you. Also if you're a person who likes to write, or have story ideas or pictures, please contact the Administration and the let them know.
Hai hai,
Chief Dale Awasis