A six-month-long initiative has recently begun at the Ktunaxa Nation Council (KNC) with leadership reassignments.

In an effort to encourage continued growth and learning at the leadership level, directors from five sectors of the KNC have been given new portfolios to bring a fresh perspective into each team.

“This is an exciting opportunity and a key step in the Chief Executive Officer (CAO) succession planning and mentorship goals the nation council has identified,” said Shawna Janvier, KNC CAO, in a recent press release. “The sector directors have expressed a desire for better cross-sector collaboration for many years, this will create day-to-day reality and the new space for this to be able to happen.”

That means the five sectors of operations which will be exposed to this shift in collaboration will include Lands and Resources, Education and Employment, Social Investment, Economic Investment and Traditional Knowledge and Language, and those participating are expected to rely on their new teams to learn more about other areas of governance.

“We are all here for the same reason — Q̓api qapsin kin ‘itkin hin ‘isti Ktunaxa — and doing everything with the intention of improving the lives of the Ktunaxa people,” she said. “This collaborative venture will create new opportunities for growth and truly make the KNC a learning environment for everyone. I am looking forward to supporting them, and I know that staff are also looking forward — maybe with some trepidation, but also with some excitement — to what’s ahead, and what could be ahead in these next six months.”

Donald Sam will be moving from the Traditional Knowledge and Language sector into Economic Investment.

Codie Morigeau from Economic Investment will be moving into the Traditional Knowledge and Language sector.

Justin Paterson will be moving from Economic Investment into Social Investment sector.

Debbie Whitehead will go from Social Investment into Lands and Resources.

Ray Warden from Lands and Resources will be going to Education and Employment for this initiative.

The hope is a fresh perspective to each sector could bring growth and development to the KNC.

“When they return to their sectors again, in February, they will have a better understanding of how other sectors work, and a better understanding of themselves as leaders,” concluded Janvier.