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First Woman Chief for Little Salmon Carmacks First Nation - Meet Nicole Tom, Sothan Destsie (Makes Good Things)


I am a Northern Tutchone woman of the Little Salmon Carmacks First Nation and a decedent of Acadians. My Northern Tutchone name is Sothan Destsie (makes good things), I am from the Hanjet (crow) clan, I am a mother, daughter and aunty. I am currently in my last semester in the Bachelor of Arts in Indigenous Governance at the Yukon University.

What key moments defined you as a leader?

I became a leader when I became a mother and an aunty. In the Northern Tutchone way, the woman are the matriarchs, the woman carries on the information to teach the young children. I first moved back to my home town so that I could contribute to my nation and so that my children would learn their rightful roles as future matriarchs. I have been in the education field for about 10 years and helped many in my community continue into post-secondary education. In 2020, I was elected as the first women Chief for the Little Salmon Carmacks First Nation. I take this responsibility with honor, grace and gratitude.

What community-driven projects have you spearheaded/participated in that you are proud of? What did you take away from these experiences?

The first community driven project that I spearheaded was small but significant to our youth. I had arranged for a young man who is Northern Tutchone to do break dance lessons for the youth. The young man was able to receive the funds necessary to continue in his career and the youth were able to connect with someone who was actively moving forward in their dreams. I was so proud to see the group of youth come together with happiness and joy and the hope that dreams can come true for Indigenous citizens from small town communities in the North.

How do you connect with your ancestral roots professionally and personally?

I connect to my ancestral roots by being on the land. It is where I find my peace and balance with my personal and professional life. The connection to the land, the prayers on the land and the activation of senses on the land, make all the difference in my wellbeing. I am lucky enough to live, hunt, fish and gather in this beautiful traditional territory and I am lucky enough to have the teachings of my cousins, aunties and mother and father. They are my guidance and have so much knowledge to share. Previously, I would find my connection at our yearly salmon fish camps. It was a wonderful transmission of inter-generational knowledge, language, traditional laws and values, family gathering and respect to the Yukon River and its striking salmon. As of recent, we have not been able to fish, as the Chinook salmon numbers are near to extinct. This has made a huge difference to the manner in which we connect to our ancestral roots, as many children have never experienced fish camp. My youngest is 7 years old, the last time she attended fish camp was when she was 5. She always asks me if I “remember” fish camp and the salmon and she often draws pictures of it. She is now in the generation of “remember” when. Our cultural identity is at risk with the disappearance of our cultural keystone species, the Salmon.

As a leader, what motivates you to move forward in adversity? Where do you find your passion?

My motivation comes from the wonderful people that I share Northern Tutchone roots and values with, the children, the youth, the citizens and the elders of the Little Salmon Carmacks First Nation. My motivation comes from our original agreements with the lands, waters, animals, and fish in which I share mutual respect and honor with. I care about our people and their invaluable teachings of survival and ways of knowing and being. This is what makes me move forward, this is where my passion lies. My children of course have always been my pillars of moving forward in the best way that I can, in order to teach them all that they can do and achieve in life, when they chase their dreams and wishes. I always tell them that as a single first nations mother, the odds were against me in achieving my education and you get up and pursue and continue, and you do better than I did!!

Please draw attention to the Yukon River Salmon which is shared with the United States, Alaska. We are in need of major habitat protection and both Canada and the United States must work together for all the First Nations along the river that are suffering soul wounds at the loss of the Salmon. Mussi Cho
Recent GlobalMindED Atlanta Event November 4th 
WABE (PBS Atlanta) filmed and livestreamed these sessions:
June 2022 Conference Summary in Photos and Videos
We had an inspiring conference in June after two years of virtual gatherings due to COVID. If you missed that, you can still be a part of the experience through the photos from the 2022 GlobalMindED conference, as well as seeing the completedto program for connections and inspiration.



Video remarks:
Honoring the 2022 Inclusive Leader Award Winners. Please see their stories:
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