Kehewin Leadership Empowered by a New Direction for the Nation

The past ten months have proven to be challenge but the new Chief and Council of the Kehewin Cree Nation are overcoming the challenges of contentious issues that face the Nation. A long legal battle has ensued within the Nation and has created a rift that many First Nations across Canada have faced over time. There are legal implications that can further put the Nation back ten steps and but Kehewin wants to move forward and need remedy the issues as a community.

The Kehewin Cree Nation has come out of third party management, which they incurred from the previous leadership. The Cree Nation feels undermined by Canadian laws, which imposes out dated electoral requirements that Canada imposes on the First Nation. The Nation is changing this to dictate to their own rights to self-determination that the Creator has given them.

“We are in these positions to make a difference for the next generation and seven after that. We want to put an end to the lateral violence and give this upcoming generation hope and trust that we as a community can come together based upon our traditional values,” said Chief Brenda Joly.

The Kehewin Cree Nation is striving for good governance that honours our traditional values and pass our own constitution. We have to learn by those opportunities and acknowledge that communication needs improvement and now implementing a communications strategy,” said William John

Three quarters of the Nation voted in the current Chief and Council. The Nation has a population of approximately 1300 people on reserve and 900 people off reserve. The total population is 2200 on the Cree Nation, which is located in Treaty No.6.

*Press Release from Kehewin Cree Nation