JUNE 2016
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business elite canada
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and the construction of the Rocky Pines
Community Centre ($3 million).
“Our development corporation is key and
we’re very happy with our board of direc-
tors. I believe that when you have a real-
ly good board, you’re going to be able to
make informed decisions when it comes
to creating potential business opportuni-
ties,” Chief Sam said.
The most difficult part of being chief is en-
suring good governance. “The key steps
in moving forward is to have good policies
in place, appropriate bylaws… I felt that
we’ve really taken some steps forward in
terms of creating a stable government and
separating the politics from the business,”
Chief Sam said.
Aboriginal rights and issues of land claims
are another challenge of the job. Presently,
the LNIB is in the process of implement-
ing the Land Code, which gives the band
self-government over land issues.
“What you’re doing is transferring the au-
thority that the Department of Indigenous
Affairs has to the First Nations themselves
so that we can make the decisions be-
cause we’re the ones who live here and
we’re the ones who understand our cul-
ture and our customs as it relates to land
issues,” Chief Sam said.
THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE
Aside from the entrepreneurial aspect of
his job description, Chief Sam serves as
the representative of the people who elect-
ed him to the position of chief. A lot of it
involves communicating with community
members and listening to their thoughts
and concerns. The chief also serves as
the voice of the people in dialogues with
government and corporate officials, where
interest in the utilization of the LNIB’s tra-
ditional land is concerned.
One example of this is the negotiations
that are currently underway between the
LNIB and Highland Valley Copper, a min-
ing company owned by Teck Resources.
“We’ve had a fairly successful relationship
with the HVC Teck. We have done studies
for them on culture, the land, animals and
plant life, and the effect of mining on tradi-
tional land use. HVC Teck has been a will-
ing positive partner in that regard,”Tolerton
said.
The LNIB has also engaged in talks with
“The world is our oyster.We actively seek out any kind of economic development
activity that will benefit the land, benefit the band and its members, all the while
respecting our traditional values, which includes protecting land, air and water.”
RuthTolerton, communications coordinator.
