Above: Grand Council Chief John Beaucage and Dave Porter of the First Nations Summit.
Below: Chief Judith Sayers of the First Nations Summit and Allan Dokis.
Our Mission to B.C. – Day 3
VANCOUVER, B.C. — There was one thing that was common throughout our entire mission to BC: each First Nations organization we met with had an inordinate amount of wisdom and true leadership vision. Not to say that there isn’t vision and wisdom in Ontario, but that we met with the best and brightest people that British Columbia has to offer.
Today was a great case in point. The morning involved a visit to the West Vancouver offices of the First Nations Summit. It was a pleasure to meet the formidable, no-nonsense approach of Dave Porter. Mr. Porter is a member of the Political Executive of the First Nations Summit. His experience as a Cabinet Minister and government Associate Deputy Minister and his various forays into First Nations politics commands a great deal of respect. He was able to provide answers and resources for all of our questions about the New Relationship and Transformative Change that is happening between government and BC First Nations. We also met with the equally wise and fiesty Chief Judith Sayers, who is also on the First Nations Summit Executive. She has an excellent grasp of the community and provides a great balance between her political role and her heartfelt responsibility for her community.
We had the pleasure of meeting Chief Commissioner Steven Point of the BC Treaty Commission. His Honour Mr. Point has been a provincial court judge since February 1999. Judge Point served as the Tribal Chair of the Sto:lo Nation from 1994 to 1999 and elected Chief of Skowkale First Nation for 15 years between 1975 and 1999. He is a great choice for Chief Commissioner and has an unmatched grasp of the treaties and constitutional law.
Grand Council Chief Beaucage, Communcations Director Brian Mitchell and Chief Commissioner Steven Point of the BC Treaty Commission.
