Strategic Plan
Following the completion of our Comprehensive Community Plan in 2017, DRFN Chief and Council and the Band Manager completed the DRFN Strategic Plan. It establishes the necessary goals, priorities and strategies to achieve the community’s vision and mission.
The Council Strategic Plan (2019-2021) serves as our roadmap and is used to prioritize initiatives, resources, goals as well as department operations and projects. The strategic plan is a big-picture document that directs our efforts and resources toward the community’s vision.
Legacy Goals
The legacy goals set out below are drawn from the DRFN Council Strategic Plan 2019-2021 and define what Council aims to achieve during their term as DRFN’s elected leaders.
Legacy Goal #1:
We take steps to ensure our community is healthy, strong, and prosperous.
Priority actions to achieve this goal are:
- Negotiate an agreement with Canada to assume jurisdiction over employment and training programs
- Complete the final transition work with Uujo Developments (Band Economic Development Corporation)
- Corporate re-structure of DRCC, new business and operational plan for the farm and ranch lands
- Establish a trust and a development corporation for the Urban Reserve Lands
- Support social enterprise and entrepreneur support programs
- Improve K-12 education outcomes for members by negotiating a new Local Education Agreement with School District #60
- Updated Post-Secondary Education and Training Policies
Legacy Goal #2:
We achieve tangible results that people can see.
Priority actions to achieve this goal are:
- Complete construction of the Community Church
- Complete the 5-year Capital and Infrastructure Plan
- Implement garden option(s) for food security based on members’ needs
- Assess fire suppression options
- Construct the new Water Treatment Plant
- Explore an Independent Living Elders Lodge at DRFN
- Pursue the Urban Reserve Commercial Development Plans
- Construct the Tea Dance Circle Arbor
- Complete the Housing and Clean Energy Plan and seek to transition to energy-efficient housing
- Improve playground facility and establish new playground sites at DRFN
- Complete a residential servicing plan so we can construct new homes at Jackpine Subdivision
Legacy Goal #3:
We continue to practice our treaty rights and protect the land.
Priority actions to achieve this goal are:
- Complete TLE Land Entitlement and Settlement Agreements
- Complete Mineral Rights and Trapline Claims and Settlement Agreements
- Pursue K’ih Tsaa?dze Tribal Park Projects
- Strengthen and build new relationships with governments that advance treaty rights and treaty implementation
- Complete implementation of the Lands Office Needs Assessment
- Develop and implement Lands Office Policies and Procedures
- Establish a Development Office for Reserve Land Development
- Develop a Land Code with support of the First Nations Lands Advisory Board through the First Nations Lands Management Act (FNLMA)
- Assert jurisdiction to implement taxation programs for DRFN lands, Aboriginal Resource Tax on industrial development
Legacy Goal #4:
We use our Dane-zaa language, stories, and cultural traditions to prepare future generations for a modern world.
Priority actions to achieve this goal are:
- Repatriation of artifacts to establish our own museum and exhibitions
- Work with School District #60 to add our history, timeline and knowledge into curriculum that recognizes us as the original people in the territory
- Incorporate language and culture into the Health and Social Development Plan and programs
- Work with community members to document cultural skill sets and contributions
- Include genealogy in the cultural archiving and Community Knowledge Keepers
- Beaver Literacy Programming
- Incorporation of technology to transmit culture and language (language app, virtual reality)
Legacy Goal #5:
We are a high-performance organization with grass-roots values.
Priority actions to achieve this goal are:
- Incorporate Dane-zaa code of honour into our organizational policies and procedures
- Implement our new Governance Code, Finance, Human Resources and Information Management Policies and Procedures
- Complete our First Nation Management Board System Certification
- Implement Indigenous Governance and Operations Systems (INDIGO) software to manage our information, policies, procedures and processes so we become more efficient, effective and responsive to members’ needs
- Become more proficient in the work we do by improving our communications, technology and program implementation through short term training, capacity building and skills development
- Continue to be proactive in securing own source revenue and submitting proposals to provide improved programs and services to our membership
- Fully implement the DRFN Membership Code
- Develop community communications plan and DRFN website
