Kakisa (Jun 19/06) - For the past 16 years, council manager Ruby Landry has helped run the affairs of Ka'a'gee Tu First Nation in Kakisa.

"I oversee everything that comes through the band office - recreation, housing, everything," Landry says. "I have to run the whole thing."

That means making sure all programs and services offered by the band are operating smoothly, she says.

People in Kakisa, a community of about 50 people, also look to the band office for help with everything from power outages to completing their taxes, she notes.

Plus, she is also involved in such things as healing workshops on the land, activities at the local school and many more special events.

"Even though we're small, we have a lot of things going on," Landry says.

She says the work can get kind of hectic, especially at year-end when accounting has to be completed for various programs and new proposals have to be prepared for the coming year. The 45-year-old works under the guidance of the band council and has done so since July 9, 1990. She has been the only council manager since the band was officially formed.

When she was first hired as council manager, Landry notes she didn't have any experience in such a position. "I learned on my own."

She got the job after earning a diploma in management studies from what was then Arctic College in Fort Smith.

Landry says she is dedicated to her work, noting she serves the whole community.

She believes it is important for people to be comfortable in approaching the band for help.

"You've got to have a good, easy-going personality and be friendly," she says.

If a worker is unfriendly or grouchy, it reflects badly on the band, she adds. "I like my workers to be happy and in a friendly mood."

In all, six people work at the band office, plus a part-time janitor. Landry says some people drop into the band office every day just to chat. "If they ask you a question, you've got to know the answer."

That includes more than just questions about band affairs, she explains, noting some people might simply want to know the score of the previous night's NHL game.

It's challenging work, but interesting, she says. "You've got to work hard to keep on top of things so you can do things at the band and community level."