Prior to forming Drew North Services, Graeme Drew was retained by the Native Education College to instruct at their main campus in Vancouver, Canada. This appointment expanded into course delivery at the NEC satellite campuses in Terrace and Williams Lake, BC between 1990 and 2002.

This experience with indigenous people in educational settings was complemented by an administrative assignment that required Graeme to relocate temporarily to a remote indigenous community in northern Canada as its Band Manager. The primary objectives were to implement a financial recovery plan, update and ratify a custom election code, and train/mentor a local member to assume the role of Band Manager in addition to administering a staff of 14 in its band office.

After that sixteen month assignment, DNS was retained by the Gwichya Gwich'in Band in Tsiigehtchic, Northwest Territories to update and ratify its custom election code.  The community consultation process involved public meetings, workshops, door-to-door canvassing of input, and house visits with elders in this remote Arctic community. The ratification process featured electronic voting (for the first time in northern Canada) enabling its electors living outside the community to vote privately either online or by phone. Members of the student government in the local school were recruited to assist in getting out the vote, and the quorum threshold was reached after an extended voting period, resulting in its first ever written and ratified custom election code. 

Also in the Canadian Arctic, DNS worked with the economic development corporation of the Liidlii Kue First Nation to update its business plan and facilitate a strategic planning workshop with its Board of Directors.

DNS was retained by the Katzie First Nation to facilitate its ratification vote to approve a land code. The voting methods included electronic voting and mail-in ballots in addition to voting in person at one of three polling stations.

Concurrently, DNS was retained by the Cowichan Tribes to facilitate its ratification vote to approve a land code. The scope of work included updating the elector list, organizing the mail-out of about 3,000 voter information kits, facilitating three voting methods including electronic voting, and counting all ballots received within the stated voting timeframe. 

Since 2016, the majority of DNS work with First Nations continues to focus on elections and voting services. See Election page for more details.

Native Education College, Vancouver, BC

Liidlii Kue First Nation