Chief Crystal Smith with Karen Ogen (right): Leaders, builders, champions
Chief Councillor Crystal Smith of the Haisla Nation was honoured after she attended her last First Nations Natural Gas Alliance board meeting as Alliance chair, on July 11.
Tributes included the following from Alliance CEO Karen Ogen:
What happens all too often in Indigenous communities is that we let our good leaders fade away and not be acknowledged or celebrated.
Today we acknowledge, celebrate and remind ourselves of the good work our friend Crystal Smith has done, not only for her Haisla Nation, but also for the northern communities of BC, for Canada and internationally, for all women and especially for Indigenous women in leadership.
Crystal has helped us to flip the script for Indigenous women. For so long, Indigenous women weren’t much valued by mainstream society. Chief Crystal, though, has put us on the map with her leadership, her humility, and her story, and how we can overcome. She is one of the many Indigenous women in leadership that are making history and changing the landscape for our people — and especially our Indigenous women.
Crystal Smith is a leader, someone who takes up the torch to lead their people, who puts the needs of her community before her own, who makes the sacrifice to leave her family to travel for business, who puts her best foot forward, who stands up, shows up and speaks up for her people.
Crystal Smith is a builder, with a vision for her people. In Indigenous communities we see the social issues every day, the lack of housing, overcrowding, our people living on social assistance; the generational trauma of the residential schools and the ‘60s Scoop. We all have a story. But Crystal says: “We are not our stories, and we will not be reduced to our stories.”
We want to create a new legacy of generational healing, generational wealth, and create a healthier landscape for our people. And Crystal has done this for her people.
Crystal Smith is a champion. As a past chief of my own community I felt like you had to fight for everything your people needed: social programs, language and culture programs, housing, education and training, elders and youth programs and services, and the revenue to provide them. Indigenous champions have forged forward with legal battles on these issues, and have won, one court battle at a time.
Chief Crystal and her council have revitalized their Nation, and its culture and language. They have built a state-of-the-art health facility. They have built a 23-unit apartment complex. They have supported daycare and tutoring, They are supporting the largest number of post-secondary students that the Haisla have ever seen.
Crystal Smith has built a strong legacy for her community, setting a standard that other Indigenous communities across Canada want to aspire to. She set the bar. She has made history for all of us.
Crystal and her council are also champions of LNG. They are building the Cedar LNG project on Haisla territory, They have broken glass ceilings for Indigenous people in Canada, so that they can own the infrastructure on their lands. When you have a seat at the table you lead, you build, and you champion major projects and own them. Crystal has been a champion indeed.
I thank you, Crystal Smith, for building a strong legacy for your community. You have set a standard that other Indigenous communities across Canada want to aspire to. You set the bar. You have made history for all of us.
I thank you for being that leader, builder and champion. And I thank you for the years of personal sacrifice it all has meant.
On behalf of the board of the First Nations Natural Gas Alliance, I say to Crystal “Messi’h cyo’h” —a big thank you— for your time you were on our board and served as chair.
And I personally thank you for the hard times during which we stood together, when at times we felt like we were alone. We stood together during those dark and hard times. We supported one another. That helped to create a lasting bond that will last for the rest of my life and yours. If ever we go to a battle I would have you by my side any day.
And so, Crystal, I want to say:
- “Zdzi hontiy’ — My heart is happy .
- “Ngyin ts’ake eenzuu” — You are a good person.
“Wiggus ya dis nee” — I respect you. - “Nyidi ziclhti” — I honour you.
- “Tabi Nk’esiy’-— I really love you.
Posted here 15 July 2025
