Native Band Near Oilsands Helping Other Native Bands

[Anonymous]

I still say Aboriginal chiefs and band councils are generally the most corrupt elected governments in Canada. However, some bands are good stewards of finances.

FORT MCKAY — Young members of southern Alberta's Blood Tribe are finding work and learning skills far to the north, courtesy of the Fort McKay First Nation.



"Our communities are on virtually opposite ends of Alberta, but we have overcome those obstacles and made it work," Clayton Blood, a communications adviser to the Blood Tribe, said. "It breaks a few myths about native people being lazy and too lonesome for home that they don't want to work.



"These people are doing what they have to do to keep their jobs. It proves the stereotype is wrong."



The bustling Fort McKay First Nation is sharing its wealth and expertise with less-privileged bands by employing native workers in construction projects on its reserve along the Athabasca River in northern Alberta.



As part of a pilot project that is about to conclude, Fort McKay has offered training in the trades to 96 members of the Blood Tribe and has put them to work building houses, an 1,800-seat amphitheatre and a walking trail.



A hamlet of about 800 people, Fort McKay has negligible unemployment. As long as residents are able, they either work on local infrastructure projects or are hired by one of the Fort McKay Group of Companies, eight limited partnerships with annual revenue exceeding $100 million.Situated about 200 km south of Calgary, the Blood Reserve has about 11,000 members and an unemployment rate of about 65 per cent. The collaboration with Fort McKay has already resulted in 75 band members being offered full-time jobs.



"These are mostly young individuals who are acquiring skills that make them employable off the reserve, and that's very important when you consider that the opportunities here are pretty limited," said Rick Tail Feathers, communications officer for the Blood Tribe, which is part of the Blackfoot Confederacy. "It is a special project for us."



As part of the program, workers from the Blood Tribe are flown in from Lethbridge for 10-day shifts and are provided with food and accommodations at the Barge Landing Lodge, an oilsands camp in which the Fort McKay First Nation holds a controlling interest.



To help prepare them, employees attend an orientation course designed by the Blood Tribe's employment and skills training division.



At a recent meeting in Fort McKay, the bands discussed broadening the program beyond tradesmen to include heavy equipment operators and engineers.



A collaboration between Fort McKay Chief Jim Boucher and his Blood Tribe counterpart, Charles Weasel Head, the venture has proved so successful that it will likely be expanded next year to include other First Nations.



"Right now, we are primarily concerned with establishing a workforce for our capital projects, so that is what we are focused on," Boucher said recently while seated in his corner office at the band's headquarters, 58 kilometres north of Fort McMurray. "We have a really good demand for employees, and believe there are going to be more opportunities for First Nations across the province and maybe even across the country down the road.



"We hope to see more buy-in from other communities, and will be working with our HR department to see how we can incorporate them and work out the logistics to make that happen. I think it is an untapped market."

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/Fort+McKay+band+brokers+deal+with+Blood+brothers/9119438/story.html">http://www.edmontonjournal.com/Fort+McK ... story.html">http://www.edmontonjournal.com/Fort+McKay+band+brokers+deal+with+Blood+brothers/9119438/story.html

[Anonymous]

I still say Aboriginal chiefs and band councils are generally the most corrupt elected governments in Canada. However, some bands are good stewards of finances.

FORT MCKAY — Young members of southern Alberta's Blood Tribe are finding work and learning skills far to the north, courtesy of the Fort McKay First Nation.



"Our communities are on virtually opposite ends of Alberta, but we have overcome those obstacles and made it work," Clayton Blood, a communications adviser to the Blood Tribe, said. "It breaks a few myths about native people being lazy and too lonesome for home that they don't want to work.



"These people are doing what they have to do to keep their jobs. It proves the stereotype is wrong."



The bustling Fort McKay First Nation is sharing its wealth and expertise with less-privileged bands by employing native workers in construction projects on its reserve along the Athabasca River in northern Alberta.



As part of a pilot project that is about to conclude, Fort McKay has offered training in the trades to 96 members of the Blood Tribe and has put them to work building houses, an 1,800-seat amphitheatre and a walking trail.



A hamlet of about 800 people, Fort McKay has negligible unemployment. As long as residents are able, they either work on local infrastructure projects or are hired by one of the Fort McKay Group of Companies, eight limited partnerships with annual revenue exceeding $100 million.Situated about 200 km south of Calgary, the Blood Reserve has about 11,000 members and an unemployment rate of about 65 per cent. The collaboration with Fort McKay has already resulted in 75 band members being offered full-time jobs.



"These are mostly young individuals who are acquiring skills that make them employable off the reserve, and that's very important when you consider that the opportunities here are pretty limited," said Rick Tail Feathers, communications officer for the Blood Tribe, which is part of the Blackfoot Confederacy. "It is a special project for us."



As part of the program, workers from the Blood Tribe are flown in from Lethbridge for 10-day shifts and are provided with food and accommodations at the Barge Landing Lodge, an oilsands camp in which the Fort McKay First Nation holds a controlling interest.



To help prepare them, employees attend an orientation course designed by the Blood Tribe's employment and skills training division.



At a recent meeting in Fort McKay, the bands discussed broadening the program beyond tradesmen to include heavy equipment operators and engineers.



A collaboration between Fort McKay Chief Jim Boucher and his Blood Tribe counterpart, Charles Weasel Head, the venture has proved so successful that it will likely be expanded next year to include other First Nations.



"Right now, we are primarily concerned with establishing a workforce for our capital projects, so that is what we are focused on," Boucher said recently while seated in his corner office at the band's headquarters, 58 kilometres north of Fort McMurray. "We have a really good demand for employees, and believe there are going to be more opportunities for First Nations across the province and maybe even across the country down the road.



"We hope to see more buy-in from other communities, and will be working with our HR department to see how we can incorporate them and work out the logistics to make that happen. I think it is an untapped market."

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/Fort+McKay+band+brokers+deal+with+Blood+brothers/9119438/story.html">http://www.edmontonjournal.com/Fort+McK ... story.html">http://www.edmontonjournal.com/Fort+McKay+band+brokers+deal+with+Blood+brothers/9119438/story.html

I have been through that reserve on my way to Waterton National Park..



It is right next to the town of Cardston and very close to the American border..



I am very happy both reserves have found a win win solution for each reserve's problems.