-ROSS RIVER-
Dene First Nations

Chief Jack Caesar

Jack Caesar is the chief of Ross River, Yukon, the people which he guides are the Kaska Dena. Jack, himself is Kaska Dena, he is also of Slavey decent.

Chief Jack Caesar is very respected by the people of Ross River, he gets respect by giving respect, he treats people with the same respect that he wants to be treated with. Jack is very in touch with his language and culture. He speaks his language fluently, he is very spiritually connected to is land and he carries many teachings from his elders. He carries their songs of joy, of sadness and of prayers. Their teachings inspired him to fix his drums for ceremonies and spiritual chants, the beat of the drums guide him when decisions are to be made. There is definitely a movement to return to traditional ways and values, like how the Kaska Dena of Ross River are going back to sweat lodges, ceremonies and fasting, Jack heavily participates. Nekawdazo is Jack’s Dena name, he was named after a spiritual man of the past who led his people through hardships and was very gifted, visionary and respected. Jack is a talented artist as well, he does paintings of wildlife and portraits of elders. He has held two exhibitions and even has some paintings at the Native National Art gallery in Ottawa. Jack paints for enjoyment, relaxation and for gifts to family as well as clients on orders. He also does leather work and carvings of wildlife.

As a chief, Jack is there to lead, make positive decisions with the inputs from his members, for he is mandated from those he re2004s. He says you are also a role model and you’re there to walk your talk. Jack is a carrier of visions constantly directed by the winds of change and always shape-shifting to meet the needs at hand, and ever slightly into the future. He listens to his members with intent, he said not necessarily with his ears but with his heart as well. His inspiration to step into leadership were the elders, Jack truly sees them as the foundation and roots. He once heard the old wise one say, “There are more roots than branches.” The chief doesn’t make a decision on his own, it’s a combination of Chief and Council, as well as members input depending on the situations in need of being dealt with. Chief Jack and Council are trying as a team, for the members, to build capacity in areas that are going to effect them the most. As they see it, their most basic needs are to develop the resources they cherish the most and can lean on in the future. Their children! The land is part of the Dena and the Dena is part of the land, they are definitely interwoven. So with their traditional values and beliefs, Chief Jack Caesar and the Dena try to seek out positive interaction with industries at their door-steps of change. The goals they have as Dena is to build capacity and to heal their members from the past which, in many ways, stunted their growth by the way of being whole persons. Jack envisions one day seeing his band stand taller with accomplishments and well being. As well utilizing the land, while seeking and implementing traditional values to it’s fullness. In that respect, Jack would like to see them regain their strength as whom they are.

Essay by Alicia Harry