An interview with Robert Kitchen
Running for Deputy Grand Chief, Waswanipi’s Robert Kitchen has had a lengthy history in politics having been part of the Youth Council, various regional councils and having served his home community of Waswanipi as Chief. He has also spent many years working in the field of economic development.
On a personal level, Kitchen prides himself on his hunting skills and traditional knowledge. As a family man, Kitchen went as far as contacting the Nation a second time to ensure that his wife, Laura Tanoush, and his two daughters, Sylvia and Charity, were all thanked for their support, devotion and the sacrifices they have made throughout his political career.
The Nation: What do you think you have to offer to the Cree Nation that other candidates do not?
Robert Kitchen: What I have is an understanding of the best of both worlds that the Crees have right now, that is one of the advantages. I have an understanding of the Cree culture having been brought up learning that and also following and understand the non-Native society.
I believe that by all of the different experiences I have encountered on the journey that I am walking through. I did not just wake up one day and say that I want to be a leader. It has taken me my whole life to learn and get to where I am. I have been involved with the youth since a young age by being part of the Regional Youth Council and the local councils, leading the community as a Chief, having been mentored by many good leaders throughout the Cree Nation and having a vision of what we can provide for our young people and developing a plan that we can foresee as hope for our Nation.
TN: Tell me about yourself?
RK: My background is in the economic development field and I have studied this. I also have a lot of traditional knowledge; I have hunted with great hunters in the Waswanipi territory, the Nemaska territory and in areas within Mistissini’s territory.
I served one term as Chief for the Cree Nation of Waswanipi. For years I was also the regional youth chief and one of its founding members. I am really pleased with where the youth council is at right now. I have led a lot of different corporations within the communities. I have also been at the regional level of the Grand Council, the Board of Compensation, James Bay-Eeyou. I have been appointed through different organizations from the government like SDBJ, Le Fonce Solitarie and many other local boards and councils, which are the grass-roots committees. I have been involved in school committees and local committees that have involved on different task forces on health and social development committees.
TN: Why do you want to run for Deputy Grand Chief?
RK: I believe that we have to develop healthy families and try to develop a balance. I believe that we have to have a vision in working with the youth and understand that the population of young people in the Cree world is just tremendous. Over 50% of us are under the age of 30-35, which is enormous. One of the things we really need to develop is good economic development opportunities and strategies for the Nation. Before that there is a lot of education that is involved because a lot of young people are coming out of universities and colleges that can help develop this structure and plan that I foresee. We signed two major agreements, which I see as social development agreements, but now it is the time to focus our energy on developing the Cree economy.
It is not going to take just one person however, it is going to take the whole Nation to move forward and I can guide them into that direction.
TN: What in particular do you think is wrong with the current governance/ leadership and do you have any particular issues with the way things have transpired over the last few years?
RK: It seems like we have given in to the governments. Where are the old Cree Nation fighters who we used to have? Where are the leaders who used to put their feet down and say, ‘No, we do not believe that is the direction that we should be going in’? It seems like we have really impacted our Nation by some of the compromises that we had to make to be able to take on especially the Quebec agreement. We have diverted one of our most beautiful rivers. What really hits me is the Canada-Cree agreement which we have been waiting on for 20 years. It’s just fulfilling what was supposed to benefit us in the regional agreements. I feel that we need a strong government and I think with my abilities we can really push for a lot of the issues that the people want to put forward.
TN: What issues in particular?
RK: There definitely has to be a review of how our government structure is put in place. I know we have been doing a lot of work on that lately. I have always believed that instead of just having one Deputy Grand Chief, we should maybe have three and split up the workload in order to maximize the extra information from the people.
There are things, such as the environmental issues, that need to be looked at closely. We seem to be letting those issues fall short and I think that is one of the major issues that need to be brought forth.
We also need to put together a strong economic base. We have always believed in sustainable development within the Cree territory and I think there is a way of meeting half way in terms of developing the Nation. We can look at developing together if that is the opportunity with the non-Native people in the territory and look at where we want to go.
One of the areas that we need to tackle is drugs. The government has to develop strong policies and declare war on the illegal drugs that are coming into our communities. This is one area that a lot of energy needs to be focused on.
TN: By that you mean what? Step up police action?
RK: Yes, support the police force and the frontline workers – that is key to developing healthy families and a strong government. We can become a powerful Cree Nation if we deal with these issues.
TN: Are there any other elements of your campaign platform that you would like to mention?
RK: I have touched upon a lot of areas that impact our youth but I think that we need to develop a strategy for where we want to go. I have not seen a plan yet that tells us what we want to do in the next 50 years or in the next 20 years, but we need the input of the Nation to put this concept together. You can develop the policies from there and bring it to the provincial government.
One of the big areas that I like to focus my energy on is developing the green projects and green energy projects in the territory be it wind or bio-mass. This is one of the key areas that we can develop and through it develop an interesting economy for the Crees.
I have seen and experienced the international trade aspect. One of the messages I will send out is develop a seaport along the James Bay area in one of the Cree communities or combine the forces of all of those coastal communities, in order to develop a seaport and gain access to the Northwest Passage and to Asia.
When I was in leadership in Waswanipi we did some international trade missions so we could create opportunities for our Nation by looking at trade. Canada is trading, the U.S. is trading, everybody is trading, but nobody has opened up this door for the Cree Nation. I have experience and I know the vehicles in developing this opportunity. That is a big one.
Of course, entrepreneurs are also going to be a key issue and this is an area where I have a strong background, developing opportunities for the entrepreneurs.
In a nutshell, these are some of the key points that I would like to see developed. But there are a lot of other community development projects that I would like to see and the communities would like to see. One thing that I fought for when I was Chief was proper services for the Elders homes and youth centres. There are a few nice youth centres that have been established in the Cree territory. I believe that in each Cree community the youth should have an efficient youth centre where they can enjoy their time with their friends instead of being out on the streets where there are no facilities for them.
It’s going to be a nice challenge. I really want to help the trappers and it’s going to be one of the key areas also. This is where there is a clash between two societies, between the non-Native and the Cree. These young people don’t realize what an opportunity they have in having the best of both worlds, being out on the land and also learning the new era of a fast-moving technological world. It’s just amazing what these kids can do!