“I would like to change the way First Nations people and their businesses are viewed, the view needs to be strong and competitive. We want to give meaningful job opportunities with a focus of long term careers for Indigenous people.”

Derrick’s drive for success is legendary. This is reflected through his entrepreneurial endeavors and reputation in the communities that he serves throughout Saskatchewan.  He is known for his ability to lead through hard work, determination and innovation. 

Prior to Tomahawk Energy Services, Derrick started his career at the age of 15 working on the drilling rigs as a Roughneck.  While climbing through the ranks, Derrick started his entrepreneurship as Founder/President of a trucking and rental company, Eagle II Trucking Ltd.   Along with excelling through the oil well drilling chain of command, in 2005 he co-founded and became President of Eagle Drilling Services Ltd (2005-2010) where his commitment to safety and innovation made Eagle Drilling a leader in the Oil Drilling sector.  Derrick held the position of VP for Business Development for the publicly traded TSX entity CanElson Drilling in 2011.  In 2012, he co-founded Cheveyo Energy Inc. an oil and gas exploration company and served as the company’s Chairman of the Board/CEO/President until selling in September 2014. 

In 2017, continuously eager to create employment and support economic development in his community, Derrick founded Tomahawk Energy Services LP where he currently holds the position of President & CEO.  Through Derrick’s career he has been awarded several awards including the Health Safety and Environment Award from Northrock Resources.  In 2006, Saskatchewan ABEX awarded him New Venture of the Year and Business of the Year.  In 2007, Derrick was awarded with Aboriginal Business of the Year.  In 2008, he was nominated for Business Leader of the Year from the Saskatchewan ABEX Awards.  Most notably, Derrick was nominated by the RBC for “Entrepreneur of the Year” for the Ernst and Young Awards for the Western Provinces. In 2013, Derrick’s highlight of his career was being inducted into the Saskatchewan Oil Patch Hall of Fame as “Oilman of the Year”.

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Derrick’s roots stem from the Ocean Man First Nation. He believes in leading change by example.  With a robust history going back to the late 1800’s, his family’s bloodline has been synonymous with solid leadership as numerous ancestors have held the position of Chief, even to this very day.  This legacy has helped shape Derrick into an adaptable, resilient and innovative leader. He wishes for his descendants to continue to carry the name Big Eagle with pride in their heart and the determination to create a better world around them.