08/05/2026
What is the purpose of governance?
I’ve been asking myself this question a lot lately.
Not because I think I have all the answers, but because I believe every First Nation in this country is on a journey. Some are still operating largely within the structures created by the Indian Act. Others are rebuilding their own institutions through Constitutions, citizenship laws, financial laws, consultation laws, land laws, and governance frameworks rooted in their own Nationhood.
Every Nation’s journey will look different.
But I believe the destination should be the same, which is to build governments that empower the people.
Sometimes I think we focus so much on who holds power that we forget to ask what power is actually for.
Is governance about protecting those who are elected?
Or is it about protecting the people they were elected to serve?
For me, the answer has always been clear.
Long before Canada existed, our Nations governed ourselves. We had our own laws, our own systems of accountability, and our own ways of making decisions. Leadership was never about status or authority. It was about responsibility. A leader carried the hopes, concerns, and voice of the people. Their role was to protect the Nation - not to own it.
That teaching is just as important today as it was generations ago.
As we continue rebuilding our Nations, I believe our institutions should reflect that philosophy. Laws should protect the people. Policies should ensure fairness. Governance should create accountability. Transparency should empower citizens. None of these exist for the benefit of leadership alone, they exist to strengthen the Nation as a whole.
Our citizens should know what policies guide their government. They should understand what programs and services are available, how decisions are made, and how to challenge those decisions when they believe something isn’t right. Information shouldn’t belong to only a few people. An informed citizen is an empowered citizen, and empowered citizens build stronger Nations.
We also need to become comfortable with accountability.
Somewhere along the way, we’ve started confusing accountability with personal criticism.
Respectfully asking whether a policy was followed isn’t an attack on a person.
Asking why a decision was made isn’t disrespect.
Questioning government isn’t disloyalty.
In healthy Nations, accountability isn’t something we fear. It’s something we value because it builds trust.
Our communities are unique. We’re relatives. We attend the same feasts, ceremonies, funerals, graduations, and celebrations. We laugh together, mourn together, and raise our children together. That closeness can make difficult conversations uncomfortable, but it should never prevent honest ones.
I also believe we should never lose sight of Treaty and our inherent rights.
Our Treaties established a nation-to-nation relationship. They were sacred agreements that continue to place obligations on the Crown today. Holding Canada accountable to those promises isn’t incompatible with sovereignty. It’s part of exercising it.
At the same time, exercising our inherent right to govern ourselves also means holding ourselves to a high standard.
Nation-building begins at home.
One thing I’ve come to believe is that strong Nations are not built by strong leaders alone.
They’re built by informed citizens.
Citizens who know their rights.
Who understand their responsibilities.
Who participate.
Who ask thoughtful questions.
Who challenge respectfully.
Who volunteer.
Who sit on committees.
Who vote.
Who mentor young people.
Who help solve problems instead of simply pointing them out.
Leadership will always change.
Governments will come and go.
But if we build informed citizens and strong institutions, our Nations will continue moving forward regardless of who occupies leadership tomorrow.
Perhaps that’s what gives me hope.
Across this country, I see First Nations reclaiming language, revitalizing ceremony, asserting jurisdiction, creating businesses, developing their own laws, and raising a new generation that knows both who they are and where they’re going. We’re not simply rebuilding governments, we’re rebuilding Nations.
For me, that’s what governance has always been about.
Not concentrating power.
But returning it to where it has always belonged.
The people.
Because when citizens stop asking questions, stop participating, or stop believing their voice matters, we don’t just lose accountability.
We lose the voice of the Nation.
And I don’t believe that’s who we are.
I believe our future lies in building Nations where leadership serves with humility, institutions operate with integrity, our traditional teachings walk alongside modern governance, Treaty is honoured, inherent rights are exercised with confidence, and every citizen knows they have a voice in shaping the future.
If we can achieve that, I believe the strongest days of our Nations are still ahead.
