{"id":99525,"date":"2025-11-24T09:25:42","date_gmt":"2025-11-24T14:25:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theturtleislandnews.com\/?p=99525"},"modified":"2025-11-24T09:25:42","modified_gmt":"2025-11-24T14:25:42","slug":"just-come-talk-to-us-first-nation-leader-uses-award-win-to-send-a-message","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theturtleislandnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/11\/24\/just-come-talk-to-us-first-nation-leader-uses-award-win-to-send-a-message\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Just come talk to us\u2019: First Nation leader uses award win to send a message"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>By Matt Prokopchuk, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, TBnewswatch.com CAT LAKE \u2014 Cat Lake\u2019s chief has been recognized as one of the country\u2019s leaders in sustainability and says he used the win to send a message to senior levels of government. \u201cThere are people that live up there on the land which you hope to gain and acquire resources from \u2014 Indigenous people,\u201d Russell Wesley told Newswatch about what he said at a ceremony in Toronto in October. \u201cWe&#8217;re not opposed to development if you would just come talk to us.\u201d Wesley was recognized by Clean50, a series of awards founded by Delta Management Group, which is a search firm that says it specializes in recruiting \u201cgreen professionals.\u201d They have been given out since 2011 and, among other things, recognize 50&#8230; <\/p>\n<div class=\"pmpro\">\n<div class=\"pmpro_card pmpro_content_message\">\n<div class=\"pmpro_card_content\">This content is for Yearly Subscription, Yearly Subscription &#8211; Corporate, Print Subscription Only, and Canada Print and Online members only.<br \/><a href=\"http:\/\/theturtleislandnews.com\/wp-login.php?action=register\">Register<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"pmpro_card_actions pmpro_font-medium\">Already a member? <a href=\"https:\/\/theturtleislandnews.com\/wp-login.php?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Ftheturtleislandnews.com%2Findex.php%2F2025%2F11%2F24%2Fjust-come-talk-to-us-first-nation-leader-uses-award-win-to-send-a-message%2F\">Log in here<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Matt Prokopchuk, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, TBnewswatch.com CAT LAKE \u2014 Cat Lake\u2019s chief has been recognized as one of the country\u2019s leaders in sustainability and says he used the win to send a message to senior levels of government. \u201cThere are people that live up there on the land which you hope to gain and acquire resources from \u2014 Indigenous people,\u201d Russell Wesley told Newswatch about what he said at a ceremony in Toronto in October. \u201cWe&#8217;re not opposed to development if you would just come talk to us.\u201d Wesley was recognized by Clean50, a series of awards founded by Delta Management Group, which is a search firm that says it specializes in recruiting \u201cgreen professionals.\u201d They have been given out since 2011 and, among other things, recognize 50... <\/p>\n<div class=\"pmpro\"><div class=\"pmpro_card pmpro_content_message\"><div class=\"pmpro_card_content\">This content is for Yearly Subscription, Yearly Subscription - 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