Chief Louie. How do you like me so far?

[gardengirl]

The first step, he says, is all about leadership. He prides himself on being a stay-home chief who looks after the potholes in his own backyard and wastes no time running around fighting 100-year-old battles.

Maybe I'm overly cynical, or maybe I'm just too close to our local issues, but this sounded like it was directed at Stuart Phillip.

...and what would be the problem with that?

[-fluffy-]

...and what would be the problem with that?

No problem at all. Mr. Louie's perspective is a breath of fresh air compared to what was the local status quo for years.

[coffeeFreak]

Here's a few stats to ponder before you put this man on a pedestal. Makes you wonder about education, employment and wages
for such a wealthy band. Just sayin...

http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/prof/92-594/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=BAND&Code1=59630354&Geo2=PR&Code2=59&Data=Count&SearchText=Osoyoos&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&GeoLevel=PR&GeoCode=59630354

[-fluffy-]

What are you seeing in there that concerns you coffeeFreak? From what I see they are ahead of the provincial averages but I think a more meaningful comparison would be how they stack up against other Okanagan bands.

The challenges facing today's aboriginal community is largely of the white man's making. For a couple of centuries our strategy has been to throw money at them as an answer to whatever issue comes up. We have, in effect, turned them into a welfare society, increasing reluctant or unable to fend for themselves financially, which carries its own legacy in reduced self-worth and the problems that go with that. Chief Louie is trying to turn that around, and is apparently making some progress.

[coffeeFreak]

What are you seeing in there that concerns you coffeeFreak? From what I see they are ahead of the provincial averages but I think a more meaningful comparison would be how they stack up against other Okanagan bands.

The challenges facing today's aboriginal community is largely of the white man's making. For a couple of centuries our strategy has been to throw money at them as an answer to whatever issue comes up. We have, in effect, turned them into a welfare society, increasing reluctant or unable to fend for themselves financially, which carries its own legacy in reduced self-worth and the problems that go with that. Chief Louie is trying to turn that around, and is apparently making some progress.

Most of those stats are compared against the BC Aboriginal population and for a band worth what Osoyoos is worth 14.3% vs 15% unemployment rate isn't anything to brag about, nor is the low education rate. As for comparing one band with another, that is like comparing Fort McMurray to Kelowna. Yes what has happened on the Inkameep reserve is amazing, but the credit cannot go completely to one man who doesn't tend to give much credit to anyone else (this is my biggest issue).

Their history has some interesting twists that possibly play a part in the different outcome than other reserves may have had. During a time when it was mandatory to send children to residential school this band had a progressive chief who would not allow it and for ten years the day school influenced the children from the reserve and they in turn grew up with a greater sense of security and culture, which of course was passed on to their families.

Here is a link: http://osoyoosmuseum.ca/index.php/exhibits/collections/inkameep-day-school/about-the-inkameep-collection.html

[twobits]

Do you have any stats that are not going on 6 years old. Much has happened in the past five years of his now 10 year term. Bottom line is that his attitude and efforts are a welcome change and to be fair, no one is capable of reversing the crimes of the past century completely in one decade. I give him credit for starting them on a wiser path.

[coffeeFreak]

Yes, it will be interesting to see how different the stats will be once the 2011 census is released. And yes you are right, he has been part of change there BUT he did not do this alone...

[-fluffy-]

....he has been part of change there BUT he did not do this alone...

Which also begs the question "Would it have happened without him?"

[coffeeFreak]

....he has been part of change there BUT he did not do this alone...

Which also begs the question "Would it have happened without him?"

That's a question no one can answer, but let's go deeper here to ask other questions that can't be answered...would he have been able to do what he did without having the right leaders, educators and elders encouraging him along the way? I'm not against what has happened for the Inkameep people, I am against one man taking all the credit while self-righteously negating some of the real struggles other Aboriginal people have had including many of his own family.

I hear what you're saying fluffy, but I just have a really difficult time liking a man who is so full of himself.

[Roadster]

What are you seeing in there that concerns you coffeeFreak? From what I see they are ahead of the provincial averages but I think a more meaningful comparison would be how they stack up against other Okanagan bands.

The challenges facing today's aboriginal community is largely of the white man's making. For a couple of centuries our strategy has been to throw money at them as an answer to whatever issue comes up. We have, in effect, turned them into a welfare society, increasing reluctant or unable to fend for themselves financially, which carries its own legacy in reduced self-worth and the problems that go with that. Chief Louie is trying to turn that around, and is apparently making some progress.

:rate10:

Some might say he is full of himself here, if there were more like him there would be change, like how it is done or not,,, it would still be a good thing.

And then there are cheifs so full of themsleves they live quite nicely on what their people are supposed to get. Time they get it right and use that money to better the band and educate their people. We shoulda had this fixed many times over with what we have sent and nothing,,, still wanting more. I woulda loved to have the help they get to get where I am, had to do it all on my own...

Like I said a few times already, its old, time to get up and work together

[Tony]

Every good leader surrounds himself with a great bunch of people. That's how they succeed. No one person does it all by themselves, but the leader is who ends up getting the credit. That's the way it works. You can translate that to anything - Bono is a great singer, but with U2, he's fantastic. The bunch working together can accomplish so much more. Chief Louie gets the accolades because he's the one that's in the forefront - he's the one out in the public's eye.

[-fluffy-]

I don't know the man personally, I'm going by visual evidence coupled with conversations with a (very) few band members. I don't think the man's personality is as important as his accomplishments.

[Glacier]

Most of those stats are compared against the BC Aboriginal population and for a band worth what Osoyoos is worth 14.3% vs 15% unemployment rate isn't anything to brag about, nor is the low education rate. As for comparing one band with another, that is like comparing Fort McMurray to Kelowna. Yes what has happened on the Inkameep reserve is amazing, but the credit cannot go completely to one man who doesn't tend to give much credit to anyone else (this is my biggest issue).

All good points, but you have to remember that the 15% unemployment number includes the non-reservation population, and also that the unemployment rate on reserves is quite a bit higher (at least this is what I'm lead to believe). One significant factor driving the unemployment rate (as you rightly point out) is location, location, location. The Kamloops Indian Band (population 590) has an unemployment rate of only 15.8% while the remote Ulkatcho Indian Band bordering Anahim Lake (with a population of 330) has an unemployment rate of 32.4%.

Additionally, the unemployment number doesn't tell the whole picture. Take the Tl'etinqox-t'in on the Anaham Reservation (situated near Alexis Creek on the most productive agricultural land in the Chilcotin). Note: Anaham is by no means related to Anahim- a completely different First Nations. Among their 420 memebers, they only have an umemployment rate of 14.3%, however, only 16.7% of the population is actually participating the labour force. In other words, they only have 60 people out of 420 that have jobs.

In my view, Chief Louie is doing an excellent job, but he is also graced with a good location. It's also quite clear to me that a one-size-fits-all approach to First Nations challenges by the Federal Government won't work.

[jccamp95]

article from MSN money.

http://money.ca.msn.com/small-business/gallery/canada’s-most-fabulous-entrepreneurs#image=12

[OnTheRoadAgain]

Every good leader surrounds himself with a great bunch of people. That's how they succeed. No one person does it all by themselves, but the leader is who ends up getting the credit. That's the way it works. You can translate that to anything - Bono is a great singer, but with U2, he's fantastic. The bunch working together can accomplish so much more. Chief Louie gets the accolades because he's the one that's in the forefront - he's the one out in the public's eye.

None of us is as smart as all of us.
Synergy is success.
TEAM: Together Everyone Accomplishes More
There is no "I" in TEAM