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21TuesdayJune172014AGIANTTHANKYOUTothemanypeopleofFortSmithwhoforoverfiftyyearshavemaderoomintheirheartsforourmotherDoraJnesAssheleaveswewanttothankyouforallyourkindnessesandgoodworks.Ourfamilyissograteful.ThankyouandMahsiChoMichaelPeterandEricJonesandFamilyByMARIACHURCHTheMikisewCreeFirstNationwillbeheadingtothepollsonJune20toelectitschiefandcouncilforthenextthree-yearterm.Threecandidatesarerun-ningforchiefwhile18peo-pleaimforsixcouncillorpositions.ChiefSteveCourtoreilleislookingforreelectionandsaidthedrivingforcebehindhiscampaigntoretainofceisadvancingeducationinthecommunity.CourtoreillesaidhewantstoseeanewstateoftheartschoolbuiltinFortChipewyantoreplacethecurrentbuildingfortheAthabascaDeltaCommunitySchoolwhichhesaidisnolongerinacceptableconditionforstudentlearning.Educationisveryimpor-tant.Formeitisaprioritynowhesaid.Wehavesuc-cessfullyachievedthetoppri-orityforschoolsinAlbertaandthattooksometimetonegotiatesoIdontwanttoseethatgoingofftherails.CourtoreillesaidoneofthemajorlegaciesfortheMikisewCreeduringhistermaschiefincludestherecently-openedlong-termelderscarefacil-itytheKahkiyowKeykanowEldersCareHome.Mikisewraised12.5mil-lioninfundsforthefacilitythroughindustryandpri-vatecontributionsnoneofwhichcamefromgovern-mentCourtoreillesaid.Thatwasitselfachal-lengebutweknewweweregoingtogetitdoneandthiswasthetimetodoit.Wehadagoodteamofpeoplework-ingforusthatwerecommit-tedtogettingitdoneandmakingithappenhesaid.ThroughouthistermCour-toreillehasrepresentedtheFirstNationinnegotiationswithindustrywhichhesaidrequiresatrickybalanceofworkingwiththecompanieswhilekeepingMikisewscon-cernsfrontandcentre.IfIgetreelectedIcouldspendthenextthreeyearsghtingthemandImnotgoingtobeanyfurtherahead.InthepastthreeyearsIdidnotghtindustryIworkedwiththemandlookatthesuc-cesswevehadhesaid.Itsbeingsmartwiththeoppor-tunitiesinfrontofyouandatthesametimeeducatingindustryaboutourconcernsandndingwaystominimizethoseimpacts.TwoothercandidatesforchiefMatthewWhiteheadbornandraisedinFortChipewyanalsoseekstolltheroleaschiefoftheMikisewCree.Whiteheadwhoholdsarecentmastersdegreeinen-vironmentandmanagementfromRoyalRoadsUniver-sitysaidheconsideredrun-ninginthe2011electionbutbackedoutinordertonishhisstudies.NowwithdegreeinhandWhiteheadtoldTheJournalhewouldbringacombina-tionofformaleducationandtraditionalandenvironmentalawarenesstoofce.IcanwalkinbothworldsthemainstreamandtheFirstNationsworld.Icancommu-nicatewiththeconsultantsbecauseofmygraduatede-greebutIcanalsocommu-nicatewiththeeldersbecauseIspeakCreeandcanunder-standtheimpactstotradi-tionallandusershesaid.Whiteheadcurrentlyworksasdirectoroflandsandcon-sultationforWoodlandCreeFirstNation.Hehasprevi-ouslyworkedasawardenforParksCanadaandingovernmentandindustryrelationsforMikisew.AllanMercrediisthenalcandidaterunningforchief.AlsobornandraisedinFortChipewyanMercredisaidhisgoalinofcewouldbetocapitalizeonlocalbusinessgrowthinthecommunity.MercredihasworkedfortheMikisewGroupofCom-paniesforthepast14yearsandsaidhehasrst-handknowledgeofwherethena-tionisfailingtoprot.Workingwithinthecom-paniesIseealotoftheop-portunitiesoutthere.Wearemissingoutonalotofoppor-tunitiestogrowandexpandourbusinessesandmakethemprotablehesaid.Partofthatreasonisbecausewehaventhadmeetingsinregardstoournances.Asmemberswejustdontknowwhatsgoingon.Weneedtobetransparentandaccountableandconsultwithourmembers.Mercrediisaformalsocialworkerandsaidhisexperi-encewithaddictionscounsel-lingalsomakeshimagoodcandidateforchief.Healthinthecommunitywhetheritiscounsellingorpushingforindependentstudiesontheeffectsoftheoilsandswouldbeaprior-ityhesaid.CandidatesgearingupforMikisewCreeelectionPoliticsFirstNationsRonaldCampbellAlbertJohnCourtoreilleEdwardJ.CourtoreilleRussellKaskaminMaryLepineTerryIsabelleMartenJosephMartenAliceMartinDanMercrediPhotosprovidedThreecandidatesarerunningforchiefofMikisewCreeFirstNationintheJune20electionfromleftAllanMercrediMatthewWhiteheadandincumbentSteveCourtoreille.DarrenMercrediRoseMarieBingMercrediRubiHelenSakeskanip-ShirleyGibotBillyJoeTuccaroPaulStevenTuccaroJuanitaWhiteheadLeonWhiteheadMarinaWhiteknifeMargaretAnnWigmoreCandidatesforcouncil