Board of Directors

Elaine is CEO of the Däna Näye Ventures, an Aboriginal financial institution, where she has worked for more than three decades. A citizen and elder of the Champaign & Aishihik First Nations (CAFN) and of the Crow Clan, she was born and raised in Whitehorse and currently lives in Champagne, representing that community as a delegate to the general assembly. She is committed supporting the community’s growth and prosperity.

Elaine also sits on the National Aboriginal Capital Association board, serving as secretary, and represents the Yukon on the Cando board of directors, serving as secretary/treasurer. She represents Dakwakada Capital Investments on the board of the RAB Energy Group Inc. (Northerm), serving as the chair.

She is the proud mother of two children, Odessa and Tina, as well as the proud grandmother of three grandchildren. Elaine spends a great deal of time out on the land, hunting, riding horses, Ski’doo’ing, boating, and riding quads.

Stan draws on a long career of C-Suite positions as a President or Chief Financial Officer with a number of major Canadian companies and over a decade of serving on the boards of many diverse organizations to help chart a course for Dakwakada Capital Investments as a member of its board. A Chartered Professional Accountant, Stan recently retired as Northwestel’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Vice President of Corporate Services. He is on the board of the Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA) and consults with several top Canadian firms.

With 55,000 employees, the CRA is the revenue agency for Canada’s federal government – collecting taxes, administering & enforcing tax law and policy, and delivering benefit programs and tax credits. Serving his third term on the CRA’s Board of Management, Stan chair’s the board audit committee and sits on the resource committee.

Northwestel is the north’s telecommunications company, headquartered in Whitehorse with operations across the Yukon, Nunavut, the Northwest Territories, and part of northern B.C. The firm has more than 500 employees providing wireless, residential, and business phone and internet services. While at the firm Stan played a key role in bringing fibre optic infrastructure to many northern communities.

When he is not at work, you can likely find Stan in his garage tinkering on a truck. A self-described motorhead, he has been purchasing and restoring older diesel trucks (and some cars) much of his adult life.

Personal Bio of
Kaaxnox
Steve Edward Smith

Kaaxnox was named by his Grandmother IXÍXCH TLÀ, Annie Ned, overseen by Jessie Joe elder Dak’laweidÍ from Klukshu. Kaaxnox spent a lot of time with his mother Shan’tlän Irene Smith learning traditional activities gathering and processing traditional foods work done by the women. This was an important aspect of the Southern Tutchone/Tlingit way of life. Steve also spent a lot of time learning from his uncles about the harvesting rules of his people. Steve counts himself very lucky that he had these opportunities to learn and takes his role in teaching his nephews their responsibilities to their community.
Steve was also lucky in that he spent a lot of time travelling the Yukon with his father Elijah, this gave him amazing opportunities to meet many leaders and friends of both his father and mother. Tomei (Elijah) taught him the importance of respecting traditional ways of the many people that he introduced Kaaxnox to while working on the Land Claims process in the Yukon.
While Kaaxnox spent a lot of time on the land, a formal education was very important and his father always impressed upon the next generation to get an education. Steve pursued a college education, he attended Royal Roads University taking an Master’s in Business Administration focusing on Executive Leadership. After completing the program, he unfortunately ran out of time in completing his final thesis as he was called on to lead the community in which he grew up as Chief.
Steve has spent many years in various leadership roles, from Director of Secretariat at the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations, Director of First Nation’s Initiatives at Yukon College (now Yukon University), 2 terms as a councillor of the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations and recently 2 terms as the Chief of the First Nation. It was during this time as Chief that Kaaxnox implemented many of the policies and programs that he learned during his extensive formal and traditional educational experiences. He has developed a new understanding of First Nation’s governance under a Self Government context.
Kaaxnox has been involved in the area of Economic Development for 28 years. He has developed his own unique understanding and view of First Nation’s economic development that he shares with other leaders whenever he is asked. He is humbled by the many requests to share his story.
Kaaxnox currently lives where he grew up in the Takhini River Valley just west of Whitehorse with his wife Kala. He has 3 adult children and 4 beautiful grandchildren.

A Champagne & Aishihik First Nations citizen born & raised in Whitehorse, Odessa Epp has extensive experience as a Chartered Professional Accountant. She obtained her Bachelor of Commerce and Masters of Professional Accounting degrees from the University of Saskatchewan and worked in Saskatchewan and the Cayman Islands before returning to the Yukon in 2011. In addition to her work in accounting she is a trustee of Future Generations Foundation, chair of Castle Rock Enterprises’ board and director of RAB Energy Group (Northerm). She enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband and three children.