KAMSACK - Spending the majority of his childhood on his homeland, Ketchemonia says he was away for approximately four years of his youth, travelling between his home and a temporary residence in Saskatoon, while his mother, Stella Ketchemonia, balanced taking care of him and his siblings while earning a bachelor’s degree in education.
“Living in the city was a culture shock for sure,” recalled Ketchemonia. “I was between the ages of nine and thirteen at that time – and being in the city was so overwhelmingly different from growing up in Keeseekoose. But I grew up in a good, solid family. My dad stayed home and kept up the family farm while my mom studied. Those were good times, being a farm kid, riding BMX bikes and playing basketball.”
When remembering his father, Leonard Ketchemnia, who passed away 15 years ago, the new young chief describes his dad as his rock, his anchor, and the man who always pushed him to do his best.
“My dad was a well-known and respected leader in the community. He was a band councillor for over 20 years and went on to retire after many years working for the provincial government. He never moved away from the farm. He taught me a lot about farming, the importance of a good education, and exceptional work ethic.”
Ketchemonia’s siblings include eight sisters and two brothers – many of whom went into careers in education like their mother. While all of his siblings attended residential school in places like Qu'appelle Indian Residential School and Marieval (Cowessess) Residential School, Ketchemonia shared that he was the only child in his family that was somehow spared from the experience.
A terrible loss struck the family in 2020 when Ketchemonia’s 24-year-old daughter overdosed, leaving behind an eight-year-old of her own to be raised by Ketchemonia and his wife, Muriel.
“There have been so many deaths. We’ve seen many of our members suffer from addiction and many different types of drugs - some really heavy drugs. Crystal Meth, for example, is so hard to overcome – no matter how hard they try. That’s why we have been researching medical detox centres for members that want help with addiction. We need to build that kind of centre here. Right now, the three communities of Cote, Keeseekoose, and Key are currently planning to build a multi-use health facility that will service the surrounding areas. Although a medical detox facility is not part of the current phase, it is something that our community will be working towards. The ground breaking for the multi-use facility is slated for 2022, with construction expected to take approximately 18-24 months.”
While the nation is expecting to soon settle an outstanding specific land claim with the government of Canada, Ketchemonia says now is the time to gets plans in place. One of the projects includes partnering with Parkland College. The nation has submitted a proposal to request government support for a “smart farm” initiative. The concept involves approximately 1000 Keeseekoose-owned acres to be farmed with cutting-edge farming technology, while offering infrastructure education, workplace training and future jobs. The nation is also currently in its second year of raising livestock, beginning with 50 head of Black Angus cattle, with plans for bigger ranching initiatives on the horizon. The Chief hopes the three-year project revolving around grain and cattle farming will initially help feed the community and further promote economic prosperity. A family-run poultry operation is also in its second year of operations – offering fresh farm eggs to community members.
“We live in a province rich in agriculture, but very few people in our community work on farms. Farming is in my blood. I know I will be farming to feed my family for the rest of my life. Whatever years of experience I have, I want to expand on that and take it as far as we can go. The sky is the limit.”
Ketchemonia says that once the nation’s financial stability is secured, the council looks forward to upgrading their public works equipment, providing more funding for post-secondary education from its own source revenue, renovating the 25 year-old community gas bar and store to include Keeseekoose-raised beef and groceries, and building more housing.
“We’ve really got to address our housing situation. Some of the homes on Keeseekoose have three or four families living under one roof. And they’re not big homes.”
Prior to his role as Chief, Ketchemonia stepped away from politics to earn his bachelor of education degree. He went on to teach for a time at Parkland College, as well as Grade 7 at the Keeseekoose Chiefs Education Centre for four years. This fall, the Keeseekoose school will be opening once again for in-person attendance after enduring nearly a year and a half of remote learning. Ketchemonia hopes the reconnection and routine will help alleviate the pressure on children and families who have had to navigate learning from home. The Chief says he plans on pressuring the federal government to increase education funding for children attending school on the reserve.
“We have a very dedicated staff in both the administration office and school. Also – we have one of the highest per capita rates across the country when it comes to post-secondary education graduates.”
Looking towards October, the Keeseekoose Nation is planning to host an Appreciation Gala which will bring the community together to share in a supper and recognize a number of community members for the good work they have done. Ketchemonia says the event would be nothing but positive in nature, leaving business talk out of it, and will be focused on celebrating outstanding achievement in public service.
Ketchemonia says he has faith in the current council who he describes as smart and talented – and he adds that they all get along well together. Under his leadership, the new Chief hopes that moving strategically toward self-sufficiency and economic development will ultimately help elevate his community.
