Yahkohtêwin: We Are Moving Forward

Meet yahkohtêwin: the Governance Planning Committee for the Beardy’s & Okemasis First Nation.

Yahkohtêwin was created to work as a team to ensure that a constitution is created for the Beardy’s & Okemasis First Nation.

Chief & Council agreed that elders would participate in a Governance Planning committee struck to oversee the Governance process agreed upon at the Jackfish Lodge Governance Planning session in August, 2014.

Our Vision

Guide our community toward reasserting our nationhood.

Our Mission

We will work together to strengthen and share our traditional knowledge, values, beliefs, and customs; we will nurture our identity by teaching our people ‘sisip sakahikan iyiniwak‘ – our way.

Objectives

1. To work together, help, and support each other to realize our mission and vision;
2. Engage and communicate with community, elders, youth, and leadership;
3. Create a foundation for our laws and enable “nêhiyaw paminisowin” (Indigenous governance);
4. Create and support opportunities for people to share and teach traditional knowledge and teachings.

Membership

1. Councillor Leighanne Gardipy-Bill (Chair);
2. Councillor Kevin Seesequasis (Member);
3. Councillor Jeremy Seeseequasis (Member);
4. Elder Angus Esperance (Member);
5. Elder Suzanne Seeseequasis (Member);
6. Elder Betsy Gamble (Member);
7. Elder Wilson Charlie Sutherland Sr.

The term of ê-nîkânohtahisoyahk shall expire January 1, 2017.

Chief & Council ratified the terms of reference for the Governance Planning Committee at a duly convened Council meeting on January 20, 2015.