Board of Directors
Co-Chair,
Chief Clarence Easter
Chemawawin Cree Nation
Chief Clarence Easter has been actively involved with The Summit of Treaty Five Sovereign Nations and TFAO Inc. since its inception in 2017. Chief Easter has been Chief for over 26 years at Chemawawin Cree Nation and is a passionate advocate for Indigenous rights. As Co-Chair Chief Easter assists in providing strategic plans and steering the Treaty 5 movement in a way that serves the people well. Chief Easter believes in the wellbeing of our nations and strives for a better quality of life for all Treaty 5 people. He hopes the relationship between Canada and the Treaty 5 nations will improve based on our sacred Treaties.
Co-Chair,
Chief Sheldon Kent
Black River First Nation
Chief Sheldon Kent has been a board member of TFAO Inc. since it was first established in 2017. Chief Kent is originally from Black River First Nations and is a strong believer in maintaining his traditions but also to make Canada understand about ways of our people and our rights. As Co-Chair, Chief Sheldon Kent provides guidance and aids in steering the Treaty 5 process. He is committed to the Treaty 5 process and wants the people to come together become unified in reclaiming sovereignty. In his personal life, he is passionate about learning and promoting the traditional ways. He believes with all the wealth in our territories we should be wealthy people; wealth that can be passed down to each generation to come. He believes prosperity will replace generations of pain and poverty.
He declares the Summit of Treaty Five Sovereign Nations are sovereign and the Treaty 5 Nations are united. His vision for our Treaty 5 Nations is to plan for the future and the ability to say “we accept this or do not accept this”. When asked what his hopes are for the future, Chief Kent said he hopes to see our people recognize the strength they have as a people, become self-sustaining, exercise sovereignty, take our land back, protect our resources for the future generations and to honour and respect the Treaties and their true intent. He said, the Denesuline, Ininew, Anishaabe and Anishininew people have been sovereign since time immemorial, we are part of the land, and we want what is rightfully ours.
Chief Rene Chaboyer
Cumberland House Cree Nation
Chief Rene Chaboyer has been a board member of TFAO Inc. since 2018. He is Chief of Cumberland House Cree Nation and is a big supporter of the Treaty 5 movement. He believes in collective action and unity amongst our Treaty 5 nations. Chief Chaboyer believes we need to restore First Nation government jurisdiction. Restoring Okimaawin is a priority for him to remove First Nations from the Indian Act. He said, “economic development is key to prosperity”. He further added that, “Natural Resources Transfer Agreement must be revisited so it’s consistent to the spirit and intent of our treaties”.
Don Lathlin
Swampy Cree Tribal Council
Don Lathlin is from Opaskwayak Cree Nation, sits on the Summit of Treaty Five Sovereign Nations’ board of directors and is currently working with Swampy Cree Tribal Council. Don Lathlin has been working with Treaty 5 since 2017. Don is passionate about advocating for his people, and has dedicated over 30 years to working with First Nations; and upholding Indigenous peoples rights. Don strongly believes that we have rights given by the Creator and its essential that we know these rights, fight and stick up for them. Don intends to stay with the Treaty 5 movement. His future plans include reaching out to other Treaty territories to create unity, allowing us to move forward collectively as we continue to recognize the spirit and intent of treaties, while reclaiming and maintaining our inherit rights and sovereignty, protecting the abundance that the Creator provided for us.