Prophet River First Nation - Newsletter - February/March 2021

Prophet River NEWS
February/March 2021 | ProphetRiverFirstNation.com
New Trust Portal
Page 2
New Team Members
Page 3
Community Q&A
Pages 4 & 5
Update from Council
Page 6
PRFN Facemasks
Page 8
New Lands & Culture
Building
Page 9
Capturing Stories
from our Elders
Page 10
Be Bold Be Positive
Page 11
Dene Tsaa School
Page 12
Prophet River First Nation
Dene Tsaa Tse K’Nai First Nation
P.O. Box 3250
Fort Nelson, BC V0C 1R0
Community Hosts First Virtual AGM
Prophet River held our first annual virtual AGM for members on Wed. Dec. 9. Despite COVID-19
challenges, we were one of the only nations in BC to host a virtual AGM and Community Hall for
our members. The meeting was well attended online and we’re continuing to see members
going online and viewing the presentation.
The presentations included an update
from Councillors Jacqueline Reno and
Beverly Stager, from our new CAO Julia
Corbett and from each department. The
program finished with open questions
from the community to the Councillors
and CAO.
We have posted recordings of the presentation and the question and answer section on our
website. To access the recordings, please visit ProphetRiverFirstNation.com and login as a
member. We have also included a transcript of the questions and answer portion of the meeting in
this newsletter on pages 4 and 5.
The Facts About COVID-19 Vaccines
The beginning of vaccine roll-out in First Nations communities is excellent news. However, rollout
of the vaccine is slow to start, so it is more important than ever for individuals, families and
communities to continue public health measures. Everyone is reminded to avoid social
gatherings and that socialization must be limited to immediate household bubbles.
Please follow public health guidance such as
physical distancing, washing your hands regularly
and wearing a mask. We will not be able to stop
these measures until most people have been
vaccinated or we have obtained heard immunity.
Stay up-to-date with all of the COVID-19 updates
at ProphetRiverFirstNation.com/COVID19.
ProphetRiverFirstNation.com
1.844.323.0324 (Toll Free)

Member Profile
New Trust Portal Coming Soon!
We are pleased to announce that we are working on a plan to make it easier for both urban
and community members to apply and manage their Trust Programs. Over the next few
weeks we will be launching a new web portal that will list all programs and member benefits
online. Each member will have a personal login to learn about the programs that are most
relevant to them and apply online.
Our goal is to develop and implement a fair and cohesive system for program
administration, including the communication, application process and administration of
program applicants. Each application will have a number so that it can be tracked in the
system for following up and all applicants will receive a response regardless of the outcome.
Jacqueline Reno
Councillor
Councillor Jacqueline Reno
was born and raised in
Prophet River. Education
has always been one of her
priorities. After finishing
school, she worked at the
Prophet River School and
progressed in various roles
in education. For ten years,
she held the role of
Education Coordinator and
she was proud to help more
Prophet River secondary
students graduate per
capita than in many other
larger nations.
Councillor Reno was elected
to Council in 2018 and is
leading the community
towards more transparency,
communication, and ease
of access to information.
She encourages members
to journey together down
the path towards our vision
of a strong, independent,
prosperous nation.
Councillor Reno is a proud
grandmother to eleven
grandchildren and lives in
Prophet River with her
family.
Members who do not have internet access or would prefer to have someone help them with
their application can call 1.844.323.0324 x106 (Toll Free) to talk to an administrator who will
help walk through the application and the process. We also plan to send out monthly
statements to each member with updates on their programs.
Members will have access to this portal through your member only login to the website. We
hope to announce the launch of the new portal in the next few weeks. We’re excited about this
new process and we believe that it will significantly improve transparency, communication and
ease of access to information for ALL members.
Member Trust Survey
Thank you to members who participated in the Member Trust Survey this month. Each year
we ask members for input into the ongoing PRFN programs funded by our Trust. This year
was more challenging because we were limited to gathering information online. However we
still had a strong response and lots of great feedback. There will be a report available
to share with the community on any comments from the survey and we will be announcing
our iPad winner soon! If you missed the survey, it's not too late to share your feedback. Visit
ProphetRiverFirstNation.com to complete the survey now.
Check Out Our New PRFN Website
ProphetRiverFirstNation.com is the official
website for Prophet River and the fresh new
design is inspired by the unique and beautiful
characteristics that make up our nation.
PRFN Members are now able to login to
a new ‘Members Section’ where they can
access trust applications and other members
only information. This section will also allow
members to connect with other members
and provide one spot for all PRFN member
information.
Check out ProphetRiverFirstNation.com now
and sign up for access to our brand new
members section!
2 February/March 2021 | ProphetRiverFirstNation.com

New CAO Comes with a Wealth of Experience
We are excited to welcome Julia Corbett as Prophet River First Nation’s new Chief Administrative Officer!
Julia Corbett comes to Prophet River First Nation with a wealth of knowledge and a strong
background in administration, finance and accounting. She has worked with First Nations in
a variety of roles including working with the Gitxsan First Nation, Heiltsuk Tribal Council and
the Heiltsuk Economic Development Corporation.
After being raised in Toronto, Corbett moved out west in her early 20s. Her passion for
education and finance led her to a position teaching accounting at the Gitxsan
Wet’suwet’en Indigenous School as part of a Business Administration program working
with the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology. Julia is looking forward to meeting
members and working in the community. Welcome Julia!
New Director of Health & Wellness with Strong Ties to PRFN
Prophet River First Nation’s new Director of Health & Wellness is no stranger to our
community. Tony LaRocque has been working as a community paramedic for about
three years in First Nation communities, including Prophet River, providing health and
wellness clinics. In these clinics LaRocque checks residents vital signs and helps them to
maintain their own health records and keep them up-to-date. This helps people to
track their own health, shows trends and early warning signs of potential problems,
and is helpful to share with their doctor or other health care providers.
LaRocque works closely with the Northern Health care team and stakeholders to
develop programs and provide patient care, such as Home Health Monitoring. This
program sets up patients with tablets where they monitor and record their vitals on a
daily basis. Blood pressure, blood sugar levels, body weight and oxygen saturation are
all inputted daily, within about seven minutes. This information is helpful for LaRocque
to catch changes needed to patients’ medications and healthcare, and encourages
patients to advocate for their own health.
A Strong Community Leader Joins the PRFN Team
Prophet River First Nation is pleased to announce Penny St. Pierre is our new Executive Director of Sikanni River Ranch.
Penny is a proud member of Prophet River. She is the daughter of Mary St. Pierre, and grand-daughter of Sam St. Pierre.
Penny grew up around Dawson Creek, and moved to Fort St. John in the 1980’ where she resides with her two children.
Penny joined PRFN with a strong business background working with industry including
BC Oil & Gas and Enbridge. She is pleased to come back to work in the community and
the Sikanni River Ranch.
Despite the challenges from the decreased travel due to COVID-19, the ranch has had a
productive year and things continue to grow. Penny and Ranch Manager Doug McKee,
have been busy ensuring that things continue to operate, getting things organized, and
moving forward.
February/March 2021 | ProphetRiverFirstNation.com
3

Prophet River 2020 AGM Community Q&A
Below is an excerpt of some of the questions from community members that were asked during the question &
answer session at the 2020 AGM held on Wednesday, December 9th.
The full transcript is available online at ProphetRiverFirstNation.com.
Why are members being charged to visit Sikanni ranch?
The Sikanni ranch is a business. We have high operating
costs and the business needs to be successful. The cost for
members was lowered for rentals of the cabins.
Can Elders have face-to-face meetings with staff?
We cannot have face-to-face meetings at this time due to
COVID-19 and we only have our finance and health directors
in the office currently. There are more than 113 First Nations
communities in British Columbia that are closed right now.
We are still following COVID-19 rules and ensuring that we
don't break any protocols, while still serving the community
and the off and on reserve members.
How often do you check employee’s criminal record checks?
Anytime we are hiring an employee, one of the requirements is to have a criminal record check done. If there is anything on
the criminal record that comes up, it is reviewed. We will be looking at the policy in regards to how often criminal record
checks should be done for existing employees.
What are you doing for off-reserve members who are trying to build their lives in larger metropolitan areas?
We currently have 300 members; approximately 100 living on-reserve and 200 living off-reserve. All 300 members of Prophet
River First Nation are equally important and we are taking steps to look at additional programs and services that will be
accessible to all members.
What happened with the COVID-19 money that was distributed by INAC?
The INAC funding that we received for COVID-19 support was used for emergency response, as directed by the fund. The
money was spent on emergency management, including our security gate, the new barriers and other measures that we had
to put in place.
What is going on with the Site C settlement?
We have not formally received the funding from the Site C settlement as of the AGM on December 9, 2020. When the
money is received, we will set up a community meeting to discuss next steps.
4
February/March 2021 | ProphetRiverFirstNation.com

What happened with Tsaa-Dunne & what measures have been put in place to avoid similar situations in the future?
In late August 2018, Council set up the limited partnership Tsaa Dunne in the business of leasing heavy equipment to
businesses in the oil and gas sector. The Trust loaned the company $800,000 with monthly payments to help with the initial
capital costs. The company ceased operating in the summer of 2019 after a difficult year of losses from bad debts and asset
costs. Total losses to PRFN and the Trust will be about $2.7 million. Some of these losses will carry over into our 2020
statements. Since then, we have put tighter financial reporting structure in place including the hiring of a new CAO with an
accounting background to avoid repeating a similar situation in the future.
Can members get a monthly update in the newsletter of how many meetings Council members attend and how many
they have missed?
Yes. We have plans to move many of our communications and Council meetings online. We will be posting Council minutes
online in the members section of our website.
Outside of a monthly newsletter, how are you reaching out and connecting with our community?
We understand there have been some challenges in the past with communications and we are working hard to make sure
everyone is connected and we have full transparency. We have contracted City Media, to assist with the communications role
for Prophet River First Nation. We are still here working for the community. Our contact information is all available on the
website. We can book either telephone or virtual meetings, and we do encourage the members to reach out to us.
What is done when a complaint is received about an employee and what are the consequences?
We are working on a written, clear complaint process. If the issue is not something the member can sit down, by phone or
virtually to address with the employee, they can always approach the employee’s supervisor. We do encourage though that
complaints come in on a written basis, in order to best address the issue.
Are there any opportunities for members to assist in either administrative ways,
helping with proposals, or helping in any way? Could there be a system put in
place to post opportunities for members to help in some way, even if they live
off reserve?
We are currently examining what the needs are both short-term and long-term in
the office. We anticipate that there may be some opportunities for members and
there are going to be some more employment opportunities coming up.
ProphetRiverFirstNation.com/BBBP
February/March 2021 | ProphetRiverFirstNation.com
5

Update from Council
Over the past several weeks, Council has been working very
hard to move many new projects forward.
Council is excited to have Julia Corbett in her new role of our
Chief Administrative Officer, along with Tony LaRocque, our
new Director of Health & Wellness, and Penny St. Pierre, our
new Executive Director for Sikanni River Ranch.
Our new website has been a large undertaking and will
provide important resources to all members, both community
(on-reserve) and urban (off-reserve). We encourage everyone
to visit us online at ProphetRiverFirstNation.com and register
as a member now. Once registered, you will have access to
login to the members only section, where you will find
member information, trust applications and other resources.
The Treaty, Lands & Resources Department has been working
towards establishing a Lands Stewardship Elder Council. The
Council will assist in capturing the important stories and
information from our Elders on trips around the nation.
We are excited about our plans for a new Lands and Culture
Building and have also been working very hard on a new trust
initiative that we will be sharing more about soon.
Council Meetings
Council has been meeting every second Wednesday and when
possible, the meetings will be held in the office. The Council
meeting dates are listed below.
COUNCIL MEETINGS
Wednesday, March 24
10am - 12pm
Wednesday, April 14
10am - 12pm
Wednesday, April 28
10am - 12pm
How to Reach Us
Due to the Covid-19 Crisis, the Chief & Council will be
working remotely and using conference calls to engage
in meetings that pertain to the nation.
Staff is working in the office, however the office is
currently closed to the public. We will keep members
informed on any updates through our social media and
at ProphetRiverFirstNation.com.
Each member will create a login to access any
confidential “members only” information. Please go to
the website and create your account and login with your
current email address. This will help us stay in touch
and keep you informed on what is happening in our
nation.
For members that do not have internet access, we can
mail out a copy of our newsletter, upon request.
If you have any questions, please refer to the contacts
below and online to discuss any information, questions,
issues or concerns.
Please reach out to the Chief Administrative Officer or
Department Head before contacting Chief and Council
directly.
Contact:
PRFN Office NEW Toll Free Number
1.844.323.0324
PRFN Trust Programs Applications
prfnprograms@prophetriverfn.ca
ProphetRiverFirstNation.com
Questions about the website and/or newsletter:
communications@prophetriverfirstnation.com
6 February/March 2021 | ProphetRiverFirstNation.com

Meet the Prophet River First Nation Department Managers
Julia Corbett
Chief Administrative Officer
julia.corbett@prophetriverfn.ca
1.844.323.0324 x109
Melissa Knight
Director, Treaty, Lands & Resources
melissa.knight@prophetriverfn.ca
1.844.323.0324 x101
Tony LaRocque
Director, Health & Wellness
tony.larocque@prophetriverfn.ca
1.844.323.0324 x104
Katina Vatcher
Finance Manager
katina.vatcher@prophetriverfn.ca
1.844.323.0324 x105
Kristiana Bailey
Principal & Head Teacher
kristiana.bailey@prophetriverfn.ca
1.844.323.0324 x102
Penny St. Pierre
Executive Director,
Sikanni River Ranch
penny.stpierre@prophetriverfn.ca
1.844.323.0324 x110
Richard Chipesia
Operations & Maintenance
Manager
richard.chipesia@prophetriverfn.ca
1.844.323.0324 x103
BINGO is Back!
Prophet River First Nation’s weekly BINGO is back!
Each week, bingo cards will be available at the PRFN Office from Monday to
Wednesday or online. A 45 number pre-call will be done every Sunday and
three numbers will be drawn daily from Monday to Friday until a bingo is
claimed. Cash prize is based on the amount of cards sold that week.
All proceeds directly support Prophet River Dene Tsaa School!
For more information or to purchase your weekly BINGO cards, please visit
ProphetRiverFirstNation.com/BINGO
February/March 2021 | ProphetRiverFirstNation.com 7

A Lot is Happening at Sikanni River Ranch
Written by Doug McKee, Sikanni River Ranch Manager & Guide Outfitter
Well, a lot has happened since July 15, 2020. It was then that I started my position here at the Sikanni River Ranch.
At start up a crew of workers from the Prophet Community came and did a lot of hard work. The crew rebuilt the majority of
the old snake type fence lines. The great old fence surrounds much of the ranch, and was in very poor repair. As a result of
all the hard work, we can now keep the horses in, and the bison out. Great job everybody!
The Prophet Boys also brushed the roads, and brushed back the many blind corners, making the road lots safer for all
travellers. We also got out to some of the camps. Tremble, Big Mountain and Twin Lakes. We cut trails out, and got the
horses familiar with the more remote surroundings again. Great work team!
In our first few months of operation, we also started and completed the major job of rebuilding the septic system here
at the lodge.
To read more, visit: ProphetRiverFirstNation.com/SikanniRiverRanch_March2021
Do You Have Your PRFN Facemask?
We’ve ordered facemasks for all of our members. These masks are branded with our Be
Bold Be Positive logo as a reminder that we need to focus on lifting each other up with
positive statements about each other and the community. Wear your mask proudly!
Post a picture of you wearing your mask on social media and tag #PRFN & #BBBP!
To get your own PRFN facemask, visit ProphetRiverFirstNation.com/prfn-masks and
send us your mailing address or call the office, and we will ship one out to you!
Congratulations on Supreme Court Boundary Decision
The Western boundary of Treaty 8 was officially defined as the Arctic-Pacific Divide on Jan. 22, 2021, by
the Supreme Court of Canada. Finally, after 120+ years, a Treaty 8 First Nation member can step outside
their front door and know exactly where they may exercise their Treaty rights.
Congratulations to those Treaty 8 First Nations who have been fighting for so long, to the
Elders who shared their histories, and to the numerous legal counsel, experts, law students, legal
assistants, and consultants who had a hand in the victory
Jobs & Training Portal Now Online
Are you looking for a new job? Do you want to explore training opportunities?
Our new online Jobs & Training Portal offers members an easy place to find
jobs and training postings in one place. Easily search by location, job type,
length of employment and other categories.
Visit ProphetRiverFirstNation.com/jobs now!
8 February/March 2021 | ProphetRiverFirstNation.com

Over 750 Artifacts Collected in Trutch
Recently Heritage North and Prophet River First Nation conducted forestry
archaeological assessments in Trutch. During the assessment, over 750 artifacts
were collected from a disturbed site previously impacted by a forestry road. This
is only a sample of what was found. This confirms there is significant potential
for more artifacts to be found throughout the valley.
The picture to the right is a stemmed biface point recently collected near 202 Road
in Trutch. The picture below is of the Trutch Creek Valley taken using a drone.
Council Approves New PRFN Lands & Culture Building
Council has approved the construction of a new Lands and Cultural Building for Prophet River First Nation!
After identifying the need for a Lands Office and a Cultural Facility, the Treaty, Lands & Resources Department had an initial
meeting with David Nairne and Associates Ltd in the fall of 2018 to develop a draft project plan. The new proposed facility will be
approximately 6,240 square feet (580sqm), and will include administrative offices for lands, forestry, visiting
professionals, staff support space and equipment bays, combined with a cultural gallery and reception that will be open to
the public with interactive display of artifacts, maps and displays of cultural significance to the Prophet River First Nation.
This space will be multi-purpose in nature which can be used for exhibitions and workshops that will educate
interested community members and visitors on matters of Lands, Culture, History and Traditions of the Prophet River
First Nation people, enhancing the overall identity and sense of well-being and pride in our community.
The building will provide a working hub for management of
lands with equipment bay, admin offices, meeting rooms
and support spaces. Prophet River First Nation have also
identified a need for space to house workers and visiting
professionals to the community who travel in to complete
work related to the facilities and land management. The
facility has also proposed to house two apartment units
(one-bed) that can be rented to visiting workers.
Supporting our land management and promoting our culture
and tradition around lands within our membership and wider
community is essential in creating and maintaining our
sense of identity and well being as a community. We are
very excited about this new project and will keep community
members updated on its progress.
February/March 2021 | ProphetRiverFirstNation.com
9

Capturing Stories From Our Elders
Recently, Council has approved the development of a Lands Stewardship Elders Council. This new Council will help to advise
and guide the Treaty, Lands & Resources Department about our lands. The goal is to have the Treaty Lands and
Resource Department meet regularly with the Elders and coordinate outings on the land. This will be an opportunity to
receive advice and stewardship guidance from the Elders, which will be the foundation for future decision making.
Another benefit of the program includes visiting various sites to share their memories of the area, which is being recorded
to be used in our new online mapping tool. Recently, Elder Mary took a trip out to Sikanni River Ranch and Elder
Michael visited the Site C Dam area.
From the Archives
Cutting up meat, camp scene, Prophet River, 1965
St. Pierre Family, Prophet River, 1965
Dane-zaa chief and family, Peace River area Alberta,
1899, Glenbow Museum
10 February/March 2021 | ProphetRiverFirstNation.com

Be Bold Be Positive This Year!
As proud members of Prophet River First Nation, we want to build up our
community, support each other and promote the positive work being done. In a
time where there is so much negativity around us, we invite you to become
leaders in the community and take the initiative to show positivity.
This can be something small like a compliment or a word of encouragement
or recognition. If you know of a member who has done something positive let
us know so we can help give them the recognition they deserve. We have so
much to be thankful for, let us share our community pride.
Wear your PRFN Be Bold Be Positive masks proudly! If you don't have a mask
you can order one here: ProphetRiverFirstNation.com/prfn-masks. Take
time to recognize members personally for their contribution to our
community and then share the story online. When you post on social media
use the hashtag #BBBP so we can share your posts and mentions.
What can you do?
• Take the pledge to Be Bold and Positive this year
• Share your pledge online with the community
• Use our Facebook filter to let others know you’ve taken the pledge
(Find it here: ProphetRiverFirstNation.com/BBBP)
• Share our social media posts with your family and friends, and don't
forget to use the hashtag #BBBP
In every newsletter, we will feature a positive story about a member to help to
build the #BBBP awareness.
Do you know someone who you want to recognize as a #BBBP Champion?
Email us at communications@prophetriverfirstnation.com.
#BBBP Champion
Valerie Askoty
PRFN would like to recognize the support and hard work of Valerie
Askoty, Housing Co-ordinator. For anyone in the community who has
had the opportunity to work with Valerie, you know she is quick to
help out! Valerie has volunteered to manage the PRFN Bingo
Program this year and many members look forward to seeing her
posting the weekly numbers on Facebook. All proceeds from the
Bingo go to the school. Thank you Valerie for your volunteer work
and for being such a positive role model in our community!
Be Bold Be Positive Challenge
We challenge Valerie to pass it on and recognize a member in the
next issue of our newsletter. #BBBP
February/March 2021 | ProphetRiverFirstNation.com
11

Prophet River Dene Tsaa School Update
The teachers and students have had a busy first half of the school year! Our students
have recently learned how to make traditional drums, celebrated Black History Month
and have been enjoying the outdoors! Students return to in-class learning on April 6th!
Prophet River News is published monthly.
For past issues, visit: ProphetRiverFirstNation.com/newsletter
February/March 2021 | ProphetRiverFirstNation.com