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Jude Ratt is running to become LLRIB chief. (submitted photo/Jude Ratt)
band election

Ratt looking to enhance quality of living if voted in as LLRIB chief

Mar 12, 2020 | 12:26 PM

Jude Ratt believes he has accumulated enough experience in his lifetime to serve as Lac La Ronge Indian Band (LLRIB) chief.

He’s one of six individuals running for the position and he’s promising to do his best to enhance the quality of life and living conditions for band members living on and off-reserve. In particular, there are several social issues Ratt would like to address.

“I believe I have the knowledge and know-how to be able to help my people the best way I can,” he said.

Ratt would like to reduce the unemployment rate among members with job creation and boosting economic development. With carefully laid out plans and partnerships, he noted the band could work toward being more self-sustaining and somewhat eliminate the need to depend on government funding. By generating more funds, Ratt added there will be room for more healthy programming and suicide intervention.

Other issues Ratt would like to address are ensuring there are qualified band members to fill internal positions, increase supports for members when it comes to health concerns, continue programs for culture and language retention, the building of more housing and creating a different model for family services.

“A good chief is a person who will listen to the people and address not just the immediate needs, but also be pro-active and kind of plan for things that are coming our way and be ready for those things before they come,” Ratt said. “That’s one of the things I pride myself on doing because I like to look ahead and try to see what’s happening.”

Ahead of the election, Ratt will be visiting with as many members as possible, noting he has already knocked on every house in Grandmother’s Bay. He has plans on visiting Brabant Lake, Pinehouse Lake and Prince Albert in the coming days.

Ratt has served as the manager of the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies in La Ronge for the last six years. While he doesn’t hold a university degree, he has taken university classes in the past, as well as other courses.

“I pride myself in being open-minded and there is no way I will ever have the illusion I know everything or have all the answers,” Ratt said. “I surround myself with people I can bounce ideas off of and who will be able to criticize me constructively.”

Other candidates seeking the three-year term as chief are Tammy Cook-Searson, Bruce Mckenzie, James Mckenzie, Eugene Mirasty and Natalie Aldridge. Advanced polls are March 19 between noon and 7 p.m. Election day is March 30 with polls open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

larongeNOW is reaching out to all LLRIB candidates for chief and more articles will appear highlighting each one throughout the week.

derke.cornet@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @saskjourno