NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
Jake Heron has had many roles over his decades of working with the territorial government and other organizations in the NWT.
James (Jake) Heron is the chief negotiator for the Northwest Territory Metis Nation, but he has had many roles in his career. - photo courtesy of Northwest Territory Metis Nation |
Heron - almost always referred to by his nickname Jake, as opposed to his given name James, is well known even though he rarely served in elected office, and never in the legislative assembly.
"The irony of it all is that, whenever I meet people, they ask me, 'Are you still in politics?'" he said with a laugh.
Actually, his political career amounted to one year on town council in his hometown of Fort Smith in 1980 and once serving as a director with the Fort Smith Metis Council. In 1983, he also narrowly lost in a bid to become the MLA for Thebacha.
Instead of politics, Heron - most prominent these days as chief negotiator for lands and resources, and devolution, with the Northwest Territory Metis Nation - has become widely known because of a variety of high-profile jobs, mainly with the GNWT.
Looking back on his career, Heron said all his roles had their challenges.
"I would say the toughest job that I had was being the deputy minister of personnel because you're dealing with negotiations and you're dealing with a public service, and in those days you were hiring and firing," he said.
Heron mentioned two roles in which he believes he made the largest contribution to the NWT. One was as president and CEO of the Metis Development Corporation, while the other was as president of the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation.
Heron said he enjoyed being a public servant, explaining they are paid to get things done and don't normally look for any glory.
"I always say I'm a pragmatist, not a dreamer per se. I like to see things get done. Being in program delivery gives you that opportunity," he said.
Some of his other roles included being regional superintendent in the Fort Smith Region for Economic Development and Tourism - when he was only about 30 years old - and later for Municipal and Community Affairs (MACA), director of implementing the Tlicho land claim agreement with MACA, assistant deputy minister of Aboriginal Affairs, and manager of business development with the Gwich'in Tribal Council.
He also found time to operate a school bus company and a management consulting business in Fort Smith in the 1990s.
These days, Heron has his own consulting business, J.A. Heron & Associates in Yellowknife, where he has lived since 1984, except for stints working in Fort Smith.
When asked about the starting point for his varied career, Heron goes back to the late 1960s and his time as a student at Edmonton's Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT), where he earned a diploma in business management.
"Having graduated from NAIT was a big ego-booster for me," he said, explaining it gave him more confidence.
That was his first real success in the world of post-secondary education, where he was one of only 13 to graduate from a class of 40, he noted. "So I felt pretty good about that. If there's anything I can say is an equalizer for aboriginal people, it's got to be your academic achievement."
Heron, who is of Metis heritage, said he also believes he is the first aboriginal person from the NWT to graduate from NAIT in business management.
After graduating in 1969, he first became an industrial development officer in Hay River for the territorial government.
Later, he went to university and earned a Bachelor of Commerce.
Heron said there were no philanthropic motives as to why he entered public service, explaining government was the employer of choice in the NWT for many years.
He and his wife were raising a family of four children at the time.
"I couldn't afford to be away too long from employment," he said, adding his children are now grown. He has eight grandchildren.
Heron - who describes himself as always a proud Metis - has been the Northwest Territory Metis Nation's chief negotiator for more than three years in land and resources talks with the federal and territorial governments.
Last year, an agreement-in-principle (AIP) was reached. It has been initialed by negotiators and was accepted by a Metis Nation assembly in November.
"The passage of the draft AIP ... was a fairly historic time in Metis history," Heron said. "My main goal is to reach the finish line for the Metis final agreement.
"That's my number one priority at this point. I want to see that through. I keep telling my Metis brothers and sisters I don't have 20 years to work on this file and need to get it done."
As for what else may be in his future, Heron, who is in his 60s, said a possible run for political office, specifically for the legislative assembly, is the last thing on his bucket list.
"I always said if I was going to run anywhere it would be in Fort Smith," he said, without saying he definitely plans to run in the next territorial election. "Anything is
possible."
