Salt River First Nation Chief David Poitras describes a time decades ago when the band was all living in what was called 'Indian Village,' an area where they could be unified in one place.

In 1968, a landslide destroyed the village and scattered its residents all over Fort Smith.

SA国际影视传媒淚t totally disrupted our whole band,SA国际影视传媒� Poitras says. SA国际影视传媒淎ll our relationships and communications and Elders got spread out and itSA国际影视传媒檚 never been the same for our band again.SA国际影视传媒�

Now, Salt River First Nation (SRFN) is looking to rebuild with a project that would entail 39 homes on serviced lots integrated with Fort SmithSA国际影视传媒檚 water, sewer and street systems.

SA国际影视传媒�ItSA国际影视传媒檚 rebuilding our nation,SA国际影视传媒� says Poitras. SA国际影视传媒淲e wonSA国际影视传媒檛 get all of our band members down there this year but maybe in the next 10 years or 20 years living on reserve.SA国际影视传媒�

The development project, in negotiations for over a decade, is being pulled back into the spotlight as communities seek to put Covid emergency response funding in the hands of their people. 

The $16.8-million "shovel-ready" infrastructure project would create 70 jobs for community members and would allow residents to take ownership of their growth, rather than having external corporations coming in, breaking ground, earning profits, and then leaving, according to Dene National Chief Normal Yakeleya. 

SA国际影视传媒淢y big push for now is to the federal government and the territorial government to directly put the money into the hands of the people who know best what economic stimulus needs to happen in the communities,SA国际影视传媒� said Yakeleya during a teleconference last week. SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 high time that communities take on their own wellbeing and not be dependent so strongly on the federal government and the territorial government dictating what projects should be done in the community... ItSA国际影视传媒檚 just a bureaucratic process thatSA国际影视传媒檚 getting in the way of the peopleSA国际影视传媒檚 aspirations and their desires of their well being."

Poitras says that the First Nations Finance Authority SA国际影视传媒� a non-profit, Indigenous-run entity SA国际影视传媒� is willing to amortize the costs for the project, SA国际影视传媒�so itSA国际影视传媒檚 not like the federal government is going to have to put out $16.8 million right off the bat,SA国际影视传媒� he says.

Once they receive the green light to get started, Poitras suspects the project could get underway in a matter of months. 

SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檝e done all the buffing and things like that, so itSA国际影视传媒檚 pretty much ready to go once the feds approve it,SA国际影视传媒� he says.

With dollars circulating through Covid economic stimulus recovery plans, for SRFN, this proposal has risen to the top of the agenda.

SA国际影视传媒淚t is so important for us to get our nation back together,SA国际影视传媒� Poitras says.

Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Development Canada, the federal department handling the file, was not able to be reached for comment prior to publication deadline. 

Yakeleya is calling on all levels of government to step up, and SA国际影视传媒渨alk the talkSA国际影视传媒� of their promises to Indigenous people. 

SA国际影视传媒淲hy donSA国际影视传媒檛 we invest in our own people, in our own communities, with our own companies,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淩ight now, there are too many people walking around in our community in hopelessness, not doing too much, and then we wonder why they get into trouble, why they are doing things that are not healthy for the community. WeSA国际影视传媒檝e got to take a giant leap and ask the federal government once again, do you really mean what youSA国际影视传媒檙e saying?SA国际影视传媒�