Sky-Deer: Honoured to Have Served the Community

A Tobacco ceremony was held this morning outside the MCK to welcome the new council following Saturday’s election. Outgoing Ohén:ton Í:iente ne Ratitsénhaienhs Kahsennenhawe Sky-Deer was on hand to lend her support. She served the last 15 years on Council:

“I know that the climate that we’re in right now and with the cost of living going up, things are changing rapidly around us, so, I think people just want something else. In terms of looking at the evolution at the council, it’s a pretty new table and I hope that the change that they were seeking comes, but again, just an honour to have served the community. Thank-you for allowing me to make history, no one will be ever be able to take that away from me and yeah, I’m going to go into this next chapter of my life with my head up.”

When asked if there was interest in perhaps one day running again, Sky-Deer was clear:

“It’s hard to say, I mean, I’m always a believer in moving forward and you don’t go back to something. I guess we’ll have to wait and see, but if you ask me now I if would be my name in 3 years from now, the answer is probably no. I think that I’ve done all I could and if it wasn’t enough for the community now, I don’t know why things would change.”

Gina Deer was second with 343. Incumbent Sky-Deer had 275 votes. All of the incumbents who ran for Ratsisahiens were re-elected, including Ross Montour and Ryan Montour. What does the future hold for the now former Grand Chief Sky-Deer:\

“It’s going to be hard walking away from this job, it’s something I was really passionate about. I think there’s something bigger for me out there and I’m just going to follow the path, trust the process and see where I end up. I have a lot of skills, I have a lot of knowledge that I acquired in the time that I was here and we’ll see where the next chapter takes me.”