The early meetings to discuss the mission of the new Board used the words of Chief Jimmy Bruneau (1881-1975) to focus the meeting:

“ I have asked for a school to be built...on my land...and that school will be run by my people, and my people will work at that school and our children will learn both ways, our way and the whitemen’s way.”

A quote from Bruneau’s speech at the opening of the Chief Jimmy Bruneau School on January 9th, 1971 translated by Father Jean Pocat-Cotilleaux, OMI.

The elder Elizabeth Mackenzie in attendance at the Friendship Centre meeting in Behchokö reflected on Bruneau’s words and said,

“ So if children are taught in both cultures equally, they will be strong like two people...What the Old Chief talked about is for some good time in the future...he looked far ahead for us, and we gain from it.”

A quote from Elizabeth Mackenzie November 14th, 1990.

“Strong Like Two People” emerged then as the vision for the organization and has remained relevant to this day. The vision connected the Board to the community of people the organization must serve; it connected the modern Board to the words of a visionary former Chief; it focused on the critical importance of Tåîchô Naawo and Tåîchô Yati (Tåîchô Language and Culture) and...in a few words it captured an outcome that was desired by people for themselves, their children, their communities and their programs and services.