The Chief and Council of Sioux Valley work toward make Sioux Valley a better place for all members by continuing to develop our own laws, policies and procedures. As Sioux Valley had moved away from the Indian Act, new Sioux Valley Dakota Nations laws need to be developed to replace the Indian Act laws that have governed us. Areas of focus for the Chief and Council have been finance, education, health, economic development, child and family services, and policing. The Chief and Council work closely with the Program Managers and Directors to ensure that programs are carried out in an effective manner.
Chief Vincent Tacan
Chief Vincent Tacan was born and raised at Sioux Valley Dakota Nation. At age 18, he began working in the trades as a welder, and moved into auto body work at age 20. By age 21, he began working in the area of policing, and at age 22, took RCMP training and worked as a Police officer for another 2 years. At age 24, he focused on work as a probation/parole officer which was enhanced by his training as a Police Officer. During this time, he also trained in suicide intervention, mediation, domestic violence group facilitation, as well as justice case conferencing. He continued in this area for 11 years, and was elected and held office as a Councillor for Sioux Valley Dakota Nation for 2 years. After a 2 year term, he sought and was elected Chief, and served for 3 months until a by-election. After completion of correctional officer training, he worked as a correctional officer, and at age 30, returned to probation officer work. At age 41, he was recruited as an Aboriginal Court Worker, and at age 44 was elected as Chief of Sioux Valley Dakota Nation. After completing 2 years in office, he returned to his job as a Court Worker until elected again as Chief in 2012 at age 53, and will have served for 3 terms or 6 years in total as Chief, and 2 years as a Councillor.
Throughout his early years, Chief Tacan enjoyed farming with his father, and at age 25, he saved enough to buy his own cattle and has continued to work the land, custom feed, and raise cattle. He feels fortunate to be able to stay connected to the way of life he enjoyed growing up and to his family, and appreciates the opportunity to use the education and knowledge he gained over the years for the well-being of his community.
Councillor Anthony D. Tacan
Councillor Anthony Tacan has served Sioux Valley Dakota Nation as Councillor for 6 terms. His present portfolios include economic development, public works, and housing. He is a member of the Sioux Valley Dakota Nation volunteer Fire Department, and sits as a Director of the Dakota Ojibway Community Futures Development Corporation.
Councillor Tacan is an experienced semi-truck driver and heavy equipment operator. He has completed basic training in the Canadian Military and served as a Police Officer with the Dakota Ojibway Police Service. In addition to politics, he continues as a volunteer firefighter.
He has been involved in the process towards completing the Self-government Agreements since his initial election to office in 1998.
Councillor Jennifer Bone
Councillor Jennifer Bone is enjoying her second term on Council, and is following in the footsteps of her late father, Robert Bone, who was the Chief of Sioux Valley Dakota Nation and signatory to the agreement to begin negotiations for the Self-government arrangements in 1991.
Councillor Bone holds the portfolios of education and child and family services. She also is a co-ordinator of the Sioux Valley Dakota Nation Pow Wow and Sioux Valley Dakota Nation Winterfest held in Brandon, Manitoba annually.
In addition to serving Sioux Valley Dakota Nation in a position of leadership, she has previously served as Administrative Assistant with both Sioux Valley Dakota Nation and the Dakota Ojibway Police Service as well as being formerly employed with the Northern Lights Casino in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan.
Councillor Bone raises 3 sons who are currently in Grades 6, 8, and 12.
Councillor Wilson Kennedy
Wilson Kennedy is a Sioux Valley Councillor who was first elected in the by-election on March 31, 2015. Before he was elected to his position on Chief and Council, he worked as a woodsman, bringing wood to the community for use in a variety of projects.
Wilson grew up on Sioux Valley Dakota Nation, and spent 25 years living up North before returning. He received his grade 12 diploma, and spent his post-secondary years studying road building, heavy equipment, and truck driving.
Councillor Eleanor Elk
Born and raised in Sioux Valley, Councillor Eleanor Elk has taught for 30 years as an educator in various locations in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Councillor Elk worked with DOCFS for 9 years with the vision to help young children and parents. Eleanor has always been willing to help and guide children, and to be a positive role model for youth so that they can be a positive model for the future with the willingness to help parents make positive changes for their children.
Eleanor was elected into Council in 2012 to further her interest in helping young children and to make changes for them so that they can become leaders in the future with the ability to start making positive changes now for the future. Eleanor’s main goal is to make this a better community for the youth and to guide them in a positive direction.
Eleanor spends her spare time with family, has one daughter. Family is very important to Eleanor. Traditional Dakota values and Dakota culture are very important to Eleanor as she works to instill the traditional and cultural ways with her family and carries it out into the community.
Councillor Elton Taylor
Elton Taylor is our most recent elected member of Council. He received his diploma in Computer Systems Technology from Assiniboine Community College and spent the last year prior to being elected working as Sioux Valley School’s Network Administrator and Information Worker. He is an experienced professional driver in both semi-trucks and school buses. He also brings several years experience as professional DJ having worked for Rock Sound and Music, Expressions Entertainment, KODA 93.5 FM and Street Club Hitz remix service.
Elton’s goals are to provide more opportunities for our youth through education and sports as well as to assist with Sioux Valley’s advancement in technology and improve communication throughout by bridging the age gap and providing updates through old and new information mediums.
