Vancouver BC, September 1, 2010 - The 2nd Annual Big Bear Award Traditional Feast took place in Winnipeg at the Malborough Hotel on Friday

 June 18, 2010. The Chief Big Bear Award for Good Governance awarded a $50,000 prize for the First Nation which scores highest on the Aboriginal

Governance Index.

    This years award winner was the Ochapowace First Nation  from Saskatchewan.  Out of the 78 First Nations that participated Ochapowace First

 Nation is to be congratulated for their transparency, accountability and progressive administration.

    The Frontier Centre's Aboriginal Governance Index is the only independent assessment of First Nations

Governance in Canada. It was developed in 2006 and was intended to be a convenient

 gauge to benchmark all First Nations on the way towards such good governances

 practices on such items as transparency, accountability, elections and whether grassroots members perceive fear or

intimidation from their band governments. It is about getting the real opinions of average band members and

highlighting good stories and the best practices within First Nations communities and the sharing of that information to

 provide models for other First Nations to emulate. The award includes all First Nations that agree to participate in the prairie

provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

    The distinguished winner of the 2009 Big Bear Award for Good  Governenance was the O'Chiese First Nation from Rocky

Mountain House Alberta.

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