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Some of Willard Martin's associations and positions
are:
- moved back in 1989 to work with the Health board
- also worked for the School District
- chairman of LVG Finance and personal member of NLG Finance Committee
- NLG Programs and Services Committee
- Nisga'a Capital Commission and the Nisga'a Museum Advisor Committee
- board member for the Skeena Native Development Society (HRDC)
- Commissioner for Anglican Church of Canada
- Indigenous Self Government Commission
Willard is
excited to be involved with the council during these years of dramatic change. Now he feels council and government must
address these changes and become accountable to the people rather than to Indian Affairs. Council is becoming more
progressive and aggressive in their thinking.
There is no room for family
politics in this new regime. Present legislation does not respond to personal agendas. Hanging on to the old ways as
they were under Indian Affairs - such as housing and staffing - will impede progress. Council members need good academic
background to deal with the legislation. As long as our constituents elect people with knowledge and foresight, we will
succeed.
The present councillors are committed. Similarly, the
village government engages a very capable staff that is most accountable to the community. We have the premise that we
are the most efficient and solvent administration within the nation.
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Deputy Chief - Jacob McKay
Jacob McKay
has been on council for twenty plus years since he moved back to Greenville in
1978. There was only one two-year term when he was not on
council.
He was elected to the School Board in 1984
as a trustee and was chairman of the board for 14 years.
Jacob has thoroughly enjoyed his years on
council and especially witnessing the changes from the early days under Indian Affairs to the newly
emerging responsible, policy-making council.
Jacob has always been a strong advocate for
education. He is still the chairman of Education. He fights hard for empowering of people through
education. He feels we need to help break the vicious cycle of dependence and improve ourselves through
culture and education. Education must be even more crucial and accessible for our people.
He is fluent in the Nisga'a language and is
proud of his culture and heritage and he wants to see the young people well educated in the Nisga'a
ways. The children need to attend our feasts and other cultural events to learn their
heritage.
In the new council regime, he chairs the
Programs and Services committee. He has, over the years, been a member of all the committees that
the council has had, and was also the Chairman of Housing. In addition, he is one of senior negotiators in
Specific Claims with the Federal Government. They have just completed one claim and are now working on
another. He also is a member of the Church Building Fundraising Committee.
He also is an elected member with the
Nisga'a Tribal Council's Training Needs Committee. This committee looks at Nation's training needs
leading up to effective date. This committee formed the Wilp Wilxo'oskwl Nisga'a institution and Jacob has
been the chairman of this institution for the past 6 years. Jacob, through WWN, is a member of the Center
for Indian Scholars via the Vancouver School of Theology.
In the spring of 2004, Jacob attended a
conference at the University of the Arctic Son WWN to participate in the circumpolar Universities
meeting.
Jacob is an avid sports fisherman. He
learned to use a rod and reel at an early age from his uncle, W. C. Stevens. Out of his love for
fishing and the outdoor life, he started a business as a guide/outfitter. He ran that business for
about 10 years and it was highly successful.
However, eventually, he found he
couldn't sleep well at night and was bothered by the killing of the wildlife for "sport" rather than
necessity. So he got out of the business.
For the past ten years, in the fall season,
Jacob and his family can be found deep in the woods picking pine mushrooms.
Jacob would like to thank his wife, Nora,
and the rest of his family for their support. Nora has been his key supporter throughout his political
career and his driving force to keep going.
Jacob is looking forward to the exciting
times to come in the next ten years of true Nisga'a self Government.
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Craig McKay - Councillor
Craig is the chair for Law and Order. He has been in council for approximately six
years. He is the youngest council member and says he encountered a huge learning curve when he was elected to
office. He feels that he gained some of the best training for the council position from being President of the Greenville
Athletic Club. In addition, he is thankful to elders and family who have stood behind him and helped him to get where he is
now.
He plans to continue in council for sometime and to work to
improve conditions in the community though his dedication to the position.
Craig is also a member of the Nisga'a Lisims Government
Fish and Wildlife Committee. His extensive experience with fishing (from the age of 5 years old) has given him expertise in
this topic. He fished seasonally for most of his life and still loves the water. He only left commercial fishing when
he was 25 years old and saw the industry take a downturn. Afterwards, he worked for Nisga'a Fisheries as a vessel
operator for 4 years doing catch monitoring.
He also was involved in logging for 10 to 12 years. He
started at the Ginulack dump banding & bucking, then went on to tower logging where his work ethics and dedication took
him right though the ranks to being boss of the company.
Craig has a wife and three children - all girls. Having all
girls has opened his eyes to another viewpoint. He now wants his girls to have all the available opportunities
and makes him a strong advocate for opportunities for youth and especially for girls.
Craig is also an alternate representative for Nisga'a
Finance Commission. In addition, Craig plays trombone with the Greenville Concert Band.
Peter Leeson - Councillor
Peter has been on council for about 6 years
now. He is the chair for Social Development and is also the co-chair for Personal and Finance
Committee.
He is also a representative for Nisga'a Child and Family
Services Joint Management Committee.
In addition, he sits on the School Planning Committee for
Laxgalts'ap. He also is the President of the Greenville Athletic Club.
Peter also held one term on the School Board and found this
experience enlightening. He feels the board moved in a positive way to improve education.
The past 5 or 6 years have been a positive experience. He
feels he has recognized the needs of the people and sees great opportunities opening up in the near future from the results
of the treaty. He feels the treaty will benefit the people-especially our children.
Peter was a logger for about 10 years in the Nass
area. He got into politics because he felt the need to help people. He saw the economics in the valley were poor
and he saw politics as a way to improve conditions for the people of the area.
Peter is very active in sports and enjoys playing
basketball with the Masters. He also enjoys sport fishing.
Peter has a wife, Allison, and 3
children, Danica, Eve and Genna.
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