Q&A: Fred Sangris on his priorities in the Ndilǫ Chief election

Voters in Ndilǫ will head to the polls to elect the next chief of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation community on August 18.

Advance voting will run from August 11 to August 14 at the Ndilǫ Housing Boardroom, from 1 pm to 5 pm.

Four candidates are in the running: incumbent Fred Sangris, Shirley Tsetta, Elizabeth Liske, and Ted Tsetta.

CKLB spoke with each of the candidates about why they’re running, what their priorities are, and how they plan to lead if elected.

Fred Sangris is the current Chief of Ndilǫ and a longtime leader with decades of experience in band governance and land claim negotiations.

The following has been edited for length and clarity.

Josie Wu: You’re seeking re-election after serving as chief of Ndilǫ since 2021, as well as during your previous term in the 1990s. What makes you want to run again?

Fred Sangris: I’ve been approached by Elders in both communities (Ndilǫ and Dettah) back in March. I wasn’t planning on running; I was thinking about buying a canoe and a paddle. But I’ve been receiving phone calls quite a bit, and finally I said, ‘Okay, people want me to run again, I think I can do it’. I want to continue doing a lot of things for the First Nation. They need experienced leaders to move ahead.

JW: Looking back on your last term, what would you say are your biggest accomplishments, and where do you feel ore works need to be done?

FS: The Akaitcho agreement is now very close to Agreement-in-Principle. We just need to do a little bit more work with the legal counsel to make sure this agreement is what we want. I’m making sure that we understand all the clauses and wording in there. The treaty agreement is very important and I would like to see it signed off in the next several years. Once the agreement goes through, it’s going to be really, really good for our children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. This will give us a lot of opportunity to build our own economy, businesses, and tourism.

JW: How close are we to getting the agreement signed?

FS: I would say we’re probably about 95 per cent complete. The Akaitcho agreement goes back to July 25, 1900, when the treaties were made by Chief Emile Drygeese. The agreement is very old, but it has not been properly negotiated, it has not been worked upon. So now we picked up the 1900 treaty and we’re trying to make it work for us today. Hopefully by this winter, something good will come out of it.

JW: Besides the Akaitcho agreement, what are your top priorities going into the next term if re-elected?

FS: If I’m re-elected as chief, there’s a lot to be done. Right now, we’re at a critical time. The food prices in the North are already high, and with the tariff going on, it’s going to increase further. It’s going to be terrible times coming. So we need to have an action plan for how we can get food on the table for our membership. I think it’s time for Indigenous people in the North to build a big food store – like a Costco – where they can buy bulk food at a very cheap price. That would be a dream.

The delivery of housing is also a big problem for all the communities in the North. But at the same time, if you provide homes, you have to train people how to take care of them – how to do maintenance and pay the bills.

JW: How about encouraging people to go out on the land and hunt for wild meat?

FS: You need a boat and a skidoo to get out. If you don’t have those things, then you have to rely on community harvesters. One of the things I had a vision about is having a Yellowknives Dene Hunters and Trappers Association, where the community could say, ‘Okay, we need to get a moose for a ceremony, or for a member in the community who’s not doing well’. We can call on the hunters and trappers to go get it and supply the community. That way, you don’t have to rely on store-brought meat, which is expensive.

JW: When you were elected back in 2021, you spoke about revitalizing the local economy and improving infrastructure. What are the current challenges, and what are your plans moving forward if re-elected?

FS: I’ve talked with various Indigenous leaders in B.C. – Port Alberni, Nanaimo, Tsawwassen First Nation – and they wanted to work with us on economy. They want our wildlife, and we want their salmon and potatoes. So I think the future is that First Nations across Canada will be trading with each other and build economies for themselves.

Let’s go back to commercial fishing. Let’s go back to wood product. Let’s go back to collecting medicine plants. All those are important things that our fathers and grandfathers used to do and could build an economy. I’m trying to bring people back to that.

Tourism is a big thing here, but my members are not catching on because nobody’s telling them. I hope to bring tourism economy to the community, because many people are not going to America anymore for a visit, they’re going North, so let’s accommodate them.

JW: With recent cuts to Jordan’s Principle, what impact are you seeing or hearing about in your community, and what would you do as chief to support families?

FS: Jordan’s Principle helps many Indigenous families across Canada, including us Yellowknives Dene. Those changes are not supported, it’s not going to work. We used to provide ski pants, jackets, hats for the winter to all families because not everyone can afford those things. Jordan’s Principle is very important, parents are depending on it.

JW: What message would you like to share with Ndilǫ voters and why should they vote you?

FS: I’ve worked with the band council and the Elders in the community for the past four years, and I happen to be a very trustful person. I want to give back to the community because my grandfather, father, and cousins were all chiefs in the past. They gave everything they had to the community, so I follow their footsteps to do well for the community. And that’s why I’m running again.

I’m an open person, well-respected, and I’m not shy to talk to anybody. If I need help, I reach out and get help. If I’m told to do something, I do it. That’s who I am.