Who Are We
The Sahtu Dene Council is a non-profit Society incorporated in 1987 under the Societies Act of the Northwest Territories. The offices of the SDC are shared with the Sahtu Secretariat Inc. and are located in Deline, Northwest Territories. The SSI is the regional land claim implementation organization established following settlement of the Sahtu Dene Metis Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement.
The SDC serves as the central Tribal Council organization to the four Sahtu First Nations. Tribal Councils are defined as institutions established as "a grouping of bands with common interests who voluntarily join together to provide advisory and /or program services to member bands".
The Sahtu Dene Council member bands (First Nations) are: Fort Good Hope Dene Community Council; Deline Got’ine Government; Tulita Dene Band; and the Behdzi Ahda First Nation (Colville Lake).
Both the SSI and the SDC are organized to represent the individual and organizational membership in all Sahtu communities and are generally viewed as regional organizations working for the benefit of all the Sahtu people.
SDC has a board of four directors. Each director is appointed from their respective Sahtu indigenous community. The Board of Directors appoint a representative amongst themselves to be Grand Chief and Vice-Grand Chief of the Council.
The SDC Executive Director is most senior position with the organization and is accountable for planning, organizing, structuring, staffing, and directing the SDC. This position has a direct reporting relationship to the Board of the Directors.
The Executive Director also provides leadership consistent with Board-approved policies, goals, and objectives including the development and implementation of the strategic plan and annual strategic operating plans.
SDC’s mandate is to provide a vehicle to promote regional political representation and administer Tribal Council and other programs for benefit of the indigenous people of the Sahtu that leads to the preservation of Sahtu cultural while advancing training, education, and economic development opportunities.
The SDC envisions an environment which allows its members limitless opportunities to successfully participate in business and labour while respecting and practicing the traditional way of the Sahtu Dene.
