Kristen Tanche is a 2018-2019 Jane Glassco Northern Fellow.

She is Łıı́d́lıı̨ ̨Kųę́ ́First Nation, Dehcho Dene. She was raised in Wynyard, Saskatchewan, and Whati, Gameti, Yellowknife and Fort Simpson, Northwest Territories. As a young adult she returned to her mother’s home community of Fort Simpson to re-connect with her family, community and Dene culture.

Kristen currently works for Dehcho First Nations. She has worked in the fields of office administration, tourism, and education. She became involved in local leadership, by serving on the Łı́ı́dlı̨ı̨ Kų́ę́ First Nation Band Council, the Fort Simpson District Education Authority and the NWT Tourism Board. Kristen is passionate about the people in her community and the people of the North’s well-being.

Kristen’s paper Ways forward in addictions programming in Fort Simpson Northwest Territories Dene Gogǫndıé Voices of the People, examines addiction programming and related services offered by the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) in Fort Simpson, Northwest Territories (NWT), and provides policy recommendations based on conversations with community members.

The Gordon Foundation is a charitable organization dedicated to protecting Canada’s water and empowering Canada’s North. Since 2010, The Foundation’s Jane Glassco Northern Fellowship has been providing northerners aged 25 to 35 with a unique opportunity to influence change in the North by participating in an 18-month policy and leadership development program.