In 2012, Deanna Hoffman made a promise to the seven chiefs and councils who entrusted her with the management of the Kenogami Forest.
Now, 10 years later, Ne-Daa-Kii-Me-Naan, or Nedaak, is ready to break ground on a new head office in Greenstone, capping off a 10-year run that has seen the forest establish a sustainability plan in hopes it will remain viable for decades to come. To better understand what Nedaak does, imagine the forest as a sheet of grid paper with 100 squares on it.
“When I say Nedaak, what's the first thing that comes to mind?” Hoffman said. “For us, it means family because we know family comes first. You have to encourage the whole family or it just doesn't work.”