What I Stand For

What I Stand For at a Glance

What I stand for begins with healing our people and protecting the future of our youth. The priorities below are connected. They are not separate promises competing with one another; together, they describe the kind of Nation I believe Thunderchild can become.

• Healing Our PeopleMake healing a responsibility across government - mind, body, spirit, family, culture, land and community.
• Women, MMIW, MMIM and FamiliesStrengthen safety, crisis response, long-term family support and prevention, with culture and healing included.
• nêhiyawêwin, Culture and LandMake actual speaking ability a goal, involve fluent speakers, strengthen ceremony and reconnect learning with the land.
• Children and YouthMake sure our children are safe, loved, valued and prepared for adulthood, while remaining connected to who they are.
• Accountable Self-GovernmentKnow the State of the Nation, explain finances clearly, improve service, and report honestly to members.
• Our Laws and SovereigntyStrengthen our Constitution, legislation, Appeal Tribunal and institutions so Thunderchild law has practical force.
• Homes, Infrastructure and CommunityImprove housing, roads and basic infrastructure, and make returning home realistic for those who want to.
• Economic IndependenceStrengthen Nation businesses, citizen businesses, local procurement, a practical general store and opportunities for our people.
• Resilience and Food SecurityBuild land skills, local food capacity and emergency preparedness so development makes us stronger, not more dependent.
• Long-Term Nation BuildingPlan beyond one election term and make major capital decisions with the people and with realistic costs and priorities.

The people come before the political institution. Government exists to serve the people, protect the next generation, and strengthen our ability to care for one another.

1. Healing Our People

Healing our people is the foundation of what I stand for. For me, healing means looking at the whole person - mind, body and spirit - and being honest about the effects that colonization, residential schools, addiction, violence, trauma, grief and disconnection from our land, language, culture and Creator have had on our people.

Healing is not the responsibility of one department. Our people do not live their lives in departments, and government should not expect them to. Healing has to reach across health, culture, language, families, youth, housing, education, employment, community safety and the way government itself treats people.

Healing is not a department. It is a responsibility across Thunderchild government.

A whole-person approach

I want ceremony, traditional healing, Elders and knowledgeable cultural people to have a meaningful place alongside clinical and professional services for those who want them. We need more frontline capacity where the need is greatest, and we need people involved in healing work to have the training and support required to do that work safely.

Healing also means rebuilding the conditions that allow people to stay well. Someone returning from treatment needs more than a ride home. A young person leaving for school needs more than tuition. A family living through violence needs more than a phone number. Housing, employment, family support, culture, safety and belonging all matter.

Healing through every part of the Nation

When someone cannot find safe housing, healing becomes a housing issue. When a young person loses connection to family and culture, healing becomes a youth and education issue. When our language is no longer being passed on, healing becomes a language issue. When members lose trust in their government, healing becomes an accountability issue.

My goal is not to create one new "healing program." My goal is to make healing part of the way Thunderchild governs.

Read Marilyn’s message: Healing Through Our Culture→

2. Women, MMIW, MMIM and Families

The safety of our women is a measure of the health of our Nation. Women must be heard seriously in Thunderchild government, and families dealing with violence, crisis, or the loss of a loved one should not have to navigate everything alone.

I want Thunderchild to strengthen support for women and families dealing with violence and for families affected by Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Men. That means immediate safety, access to emergency accommodation when needed, transportation, advocacy, help navigating police and justice systems, and long-term family support.

Families need support around the whole crisis

We also have to think about the children who live through these situations, the grandparents and relatives who step in to raise children, single parents carrying heavy responsibilities, and the long-term effects that violence and loss can have on families.

Healing also has to include men and boys. We need healthy men, healthy women, healthy relationships and healthy families. Prevention, accountability, healing and teaching our young people what respectful relationships look like all belong together.

Culture, ceremony, Elders and knowledgeable cultural helpers should be available as part of these supports where families want them.

3. Addiction, Recovery and Community Safety

Addiction is hurting our people and our families. When someone asks for treatment, we need to respond quickly. There are times when a person is ready to accept help, and that opportunity may not remain open forever.

Treatment must connect to coming home

Treatment should be part of a full recovery path: a response when help is requested, a treatment plan, treatment itself, a return-home plan, aftercare, family support, housing and employment planning, and a healthy support network.

Traditional healing and ceremony should be available alongside clinical treatment for people who want them. Recovery should not end at the treatment-centre door.

Help people struggling with addiction - address trafficking and violence

I make a clear distinction between a person struggling with addiction and someone deliberately trafficking dangerous illegal drugs in our community. People living with addiction need help. Community safety also requires us to address trafficking, violence, intimidation and fear.

I want stronger coordination among Thunderchild services, Thunder Security, RCMP and other responsible agencies, along with safer and more credible ways for members to report serious concerns. Any enforcement measures must follow the law and proper legal processes.

4. nêhiyawêwin, Culture and the Land

Our language and culture are not side programs. They are part of who we are, how we understand our responsibilities, and how we remain connected to one another, the land and the Creator.

Thunderchild should lead in developing better ways to learn Cree

I do not want language revitalization measured only by how many classes are offered. The real question is whether more people are actually speaking nêhiyawêwin.

I want Thunderchild to take a leadership role in developing and testing teaching approaches that help people understand and use the language. Fluent speakers should be directly involved and properly compensated. Children, parents, adults and citizens living away from home should have meaningful opportunities to learn. We should also make greater use of Cree within our own Nation government.

If we find better ways to help people speak the language, we should be willing to lead, improve those methods, and pass that knowledge to the next generation.

Culture must be lived

Culture should be present in the way we raise our children, care for our Elders, understand our responsibilities, use the land, gather together and govern ourselves. Knowledgeable Elders, ceremonial people and cultural people should have a meaningful role in the life of the Nation.

Our relationship with the land is also part of healing. I want young people to have opportunities to learn from hunters, trappers, fishers, fluent speakers and other people who carry practical land knowledge and are willing to teach.

Read Marilyn’s message: Healing Through Our Culture→

5. A Cultural and Ceremonial Home

I want Thunderchild to seriously examine the development of a dedicated cultural and ceremonial building - not simply another general-purpose hall, but a place designed around our own cultural and ceremonial needs.

It should be a place for feasts, Sundance singing, round dances, language activities, cultural teaching and other appropriate gatherings. Elders, ceremonial people and knowledge holders should help define what the building needs before architects determine the design.

The design should follow the culture - not require the culture to fit the building.

6. Children, Youth and the Next Generation

My reason for running is our youth. The first thing a Thunderchild child should be able to expect from their Nation is to be safe, loved and valued.

After that, we have a responsibility to prepare them for adulthood. That includes education, trades, employment, post-secondary opportunities, entrepreneurship, mental wellness, culture, language and practical life skills.

Prepare young people for real life

Young people leaving home for school or work can suddenly find themselves dealing with rent, transportation, budgeting, food, school and city life without the family support they were accustomed to. We should prepare them better through financial literacy, budgeting, driver licensing and transportation support, housing knowledge and other practical skills.

Young people should also have a direct voice in telling us what they need. I do not want us designing everything for youth without talking to youth.

Our goal should be young Thunderchild people who are confident, capable and independent while remaining connected to their families, their Nation, their culture and their language.

7. Knowing the State of Our Nation

Before making major financial promises, I believe we need a clear understanding of where Thunderchild stands. I want to begin the term with a practical State of the Nation review.

This should not become an expensive attempt to study everything at once. We should begin with information Thunderchild already has, identify the important gaps, and bring in specialized expertise only where it is actually needed.

A clear baseline, not an endless study

The review should give us a practical picture of our financial position and major obligations; Nation businesses and assets; housing and infrastructure; how administration and services are functioning; the condition of our laws and institutions; and the major needs and opportunities ahead of us.

The findings should then be explained to members in plain language. Our people should be able to understand where we stand, what we own, what we owe, what is working, what needs attention and what we can realistically afford.

8. Financial Accountability and Transparency

Our people have a right to understand the financial condition of their Nation. Financial information should not be technically available but impossible for an ordinary member to understand.

I want plain-language financial reporting and meaningful opportunities for members to ask questions. Nation-owned businesses should report their performance clearly. Members should be able to understand how major revenues, investments, royalties, own-source revenues and business profits are being managed and used.

We need clear conflict-of-interest rules. Boards and committees should include people with the knowledge and qualifications required to make informed decisions, while also making sure new members can participate meaningfully rather than being shut out of the process.

At the beginning of a new administration, more frequent reporting may be necessary while we establish where we stand. Over time, reporting should become part of the normal way Thunderchild government operates.

9. Our Constitution, Our Laws and Our Sovereignty

Our Constitution and our laws must have meaning. If we make Thunderchild laws but our own government does not follow them, we weaken the sovereignty we are trying to protect.

Chief and Council must follow Thunderchild's Constitution and Acts. Where laws conflict, are outdated or no longer function properly together, we should review and correct them through proper legal processes and meaningful consultation with our people.

A stronger legislative function

I support developing a stronger legislative function within Thunderchild government so that our laws can be reviewed, organized, updated and developed properly. Our people should be able to find our laws and understand how they affect them.

Cree values, natural law and our own political traditions should have a meaningful place in the way Thunderchild governs. Sovereignty is not only something we declare. It is something we practise through strong laws, fair processes and institutions that work.

An independent Appeal Tribunal

Our justice institutions must be trusted. An Appeal Tribunal should be capable of making decisions independently of Chief and Council. I support strengthening that independence through fair selection processes, appropriate qualifications, conflict-of-interest rules, fixed terms, understandable procedures and written decisions.

If Thunderchild is serious about governing under our own laws, our institutions must be strong enough to apply those laws fairly and without improper political interference.

10. Government That Serves the People

Government exists to serve the people. That has to show up in everyday life - not only in policy documents.

A responsive administration

When someone contacts a department, they should know their message was received. When someone submits an application, they should receive confirmation. When something will take time, they should receive an update. When a person reaches the wrong department, government should help direct the issue internally rather than sending the citizen from office to office.

I want Thunderchild to develop reasonable service standards so people know what they can expect from their government.

Modern communication

Our website should be current and useful. Members should be able to find laws, policies, forms, program information, employment opportunities, financial information, public notices and contact information. We should make appropriate use of newsletters, email, text messaging, social media and livestreaming of public meetings. Printed communication should remain available for people who need or prefer it.

Modern technology should bring government closer to the people, not make it more complicated.

Thunderchild citizens wherever they live

Living away from Thunderchild does not make someone less Thunderchild. Our citizens remain connected through their families, ancestors and Nation. I want to build a stronger bridge between citizens living away from Thunderchild and the home community.

Citizens should receive Nation information and employment information, be able to learn about programs for which they qualify, participate remotely in important meetings where appropriate, and have better access to language and cultural opportunities. People who want to return home should have a pathway to do so.

Thunderchild has real financial limits, so support has to be fair, organized and protected from misuse. But people and children experiencing genuine need should not simply be turned away without an effort to connect them to help.

Thunderchild as a modern employer

I expect professionalism and good service from employees. I also recognize that employees have children, families, Elders, cultural responsibilities and lives outside work. Where the job allows it, Thunderchild should explore flexible hours, hybrid or work-from-home arrangements and compressed schedules such as four 10-hour days, while protecting or improving service to citizens.

11. Housing, Bringing Our People Home and Building Community

Housing is fundamental. If people do not have a safe place to live, almost everything else becomes harder.

I want a housing system that is understandable and based on clear criteria. We need to know our housing inventory, waiting-list pressures, overcrowding, major repairs, vacant units, construction needs and future demand. Members should understand how housing decisions are made.

Different people need different housing options

Families, young adults, single people, couples, Elders and people returning to Thunderchild may need different types of housing. I want Thunderchild to seriously examine multi-unit and apartment-style housing so that someone who wants to come home does not have to choose between remaining away and moving into an overcrowded relative's home.

Bringing people home means more than housing

People also need employment, roads, services, internet, childcare and a functioning community. We should ask our people directly what would make returning home realistic for them rather than assuming everyone wants the same thing.

Roads and essential infrastructure

A growing community needs functioning roads, drainage, water, wastewater, utilities, internet and community buildings. Thunderchild should maintain a long-term understanding of what infrastructure we have, what condition it is in, what needs immediate attention and what will need replacement in the future.

Where another government or agency has responsibility, funding or an opportunity to partner, we should pursue it rather than automatically carrying the entire cost ourselves.

12. Economic Development and Keeping Wealth in Thunderchild

Economic development should improve life for our people. It should create jobs, strengthen Nation revenues, support citizen businesses and keep more money circulating within Thunderchild.

Know what we already own

The first step is understanding our existing businesses and investments. I want Nation-owned businesses reviewed so we know which are performing well, which need improvement, what jobs they create and what value they return to Thunderchild. Strong businesses should be strengthened. Businesses that need improvement should have clear plans and professional governance.

Support citizen-owned businesses

Thunderchild should also help our entrepreneurs succeed through business planning, financing support, bookkeeping, procurement readiness, partnerships and mentorship. Government does not have to own every business for Thunderchild people to benefit.

A practical Thunderchild general store

I want us to examine a proper Thunderchild general store - something broader than a convenience-store model and focused on what our people actually need. That could include food staples, household necessities, personal-care products, basic hardware and work supplies, and practical necessities connected with hunting, fishing, trapping and a land-based lifestyle where appropriate.

The goal is not to open a store simply so we can say we own one. It has to be competitive enough in price, quality and selection that people actually want to shop there.

13. Build Thunderchild Businesses, Workers and Skills

Keep more government spending with Thunderchild people

Thunderchild government itself purchases goods and services. Where possible, more of those opportunities should help build Thunderchild businesses and workers - including construction, trucking, maintenance, catering, security, equipment and professional services.

This must remain transparent. Supporting Thunderchild people should never become political patronage or favouritism. People should meet qualifications and provide good value. Government's role should be to help our people develop the skills and business capacity needed to compete successfully.

Turn major projects into lasting capacity

Housing, roads and major facilities are more than construction projects. They can create apprenticeships, trades experience, contracting capacity and long-term careers. When Thunderchild spends significant money, we should look for ways to leave more knowledge and opportunity behind in our own community.

Know the skills we already have

We have Thunderchild people working as tradespeople, teachers, health workers, administrators, entrepreneurs and professionals, along with fluent speakers, hunters, trappers, farmers and knowledge holders. I support a voluntary skills and education inventory so we know what capacity already exists among our own people and who may want employment, contracts, board positions, teaching roles or opportunities to return home.

Our people are one of our greatest resources. Economic development should begin by recognizing that.

14. Food Security, Land Skills and Community Resilience

I believe Thunderchild should prepare for the future in both modern and traditional ways. Development should make us stronger and more capable, not more dependent.

Build another generation of land-based capability

We should strengthen opportunities for people to learn from experienced hunters, trappers, fishers, farmers, fluent speakers and other knowledge holders who are willing to teach. Land-based learning should connect practical knowledge with nêhiyawêwin wherever appropriate.

The purpose is larger than recreation. It is about making sure knowledge is passed on, strengthening our relationship with the land, and building the ability of our people to help provide for their families and community.

Strengthen local food security

Food security should connect agriculture, gardening, local production, traditional harvesting, food storage and preservation, transportation, Nation businesses and the proposed general store. We should understand how capable Thunderchild would be of supporting its people if normal supply systems were disrupted.

Emergency preparedness

We should also know how our Nation will respond to severe weather, wildfire, flooding, extended power failures, water problems, communication outages, evacuation or interruptions in essential supplies. Plans should identify responsibilities, communication, transportation, support for vulnerable citizens and coordination with outside emergency services, and they should be reviewed and practised.

Thunderchild should become more resilient as it becomes more developed.

15. Long-Term Nation Building

Some of the work our Nation needs will take longer than one Council term. That is why Thunderchild needs a long-term plan that survives elections and allows our people to see where we are going.

A 5-, 10- and 20-year plan

Housing and essential infrastructure should remain central. We should also assess the need for a modern administration building that can properly serve citizens and support secure records, departmental work, Council functions and public meetings, as well as the dedicated cultural and ceremonial building described earlier.

Major projects should be presented honestly. Members should know why a project is needed, what it is expected to cost, what outside funding is available, what Thunderchild would have to contribute, what it will cost to operate and what other priorities may have to wait.

Work with other governments without giving up who we are

Thunderchild should maintain strong working relationships with surrounding municipalities and RMs, Saskatchewan, Canada, other First Nations and other agencies where cooperation benefits our people. That can help with infrastructure, emergency services, funding, training, economic opportunities and major projects.

Working with another government does not mean giving up our sovereignty. A strong government knows when to stand on its own authority and when cooperation can bring resources and opportunities home to its people.

16. Reporting Back to the People

The State of the Nation should establish where we begin. After that, Chief and Council should report back to the people every year.

Members should be told what was planned, what was completed, what was delayed and why. They should be able to understand major spending, capital projects, outside funding, business performance, housing and infrastructure progress, and changes in Thunderchild's financial position.

If something does not work, government should say so. If circumstances change, government should explain. If something succeeds, we should show the results.

Accountability means being willing to return to the people and answer for what we have done.