Comprehensive Community Plan

Introduction

The Comprehensive Community Plan is the expression of the Nuchatlaht people and leadership on what we see as of paramount importance for moving ahead into the future. It defines our vision and values for ourselves and our environment, and strategies for continuing to build a vibrant, successful and happy community.

Comprehensive community planning focuses on working with a community to develop a common vision for the future based on the expressed values of the people. Once clear vision and values are defined, the community works through broad goals for the future, with specific strategies for making the goals a reality.

Our Goals

We support one another to embrace our own healing journeys and practice (limitless, boundless) equality where all men, women and children are respected and empowered to be (involved as) leaders.

Our people are educated and empowered as leaders who benefit our community and steward our territory.

As Nuchatlaht we honor our traditions and strengthen our families through unity health and leadership from every generation; holding our culture through our elders and children.

We work towards a cohesive community (tribe) - we learn, speak, teach and share our (traditional and new) culture (with pride); each member has a special (and honored) purpose; all Nuchatlaht feel they have a home.

Gatherings and (responsible) self-governance bring our family home, where all Nuchatlaht have a place to live that is safe and welcoming.

Core Values

Empowerment and transparency was identified by the community as a major value to focus on throughout the CCP process. Core values were discussed in depth in our community meetings and are represented by the following keywords:

Empowerment, Communication/Transparency, Families, Unity, Health, Healing and Support, Leadership, Generations, Cohesive Community, Stewardship, Equality, Welcoming, Respect, Unique People, Unique Language, Learning from Mistakes and Successes, Humor, Inclusive/Input from Everyone, Strengthening Tradition and Traditional Knowledge, Supporting Personal Development, and Safety.

Core Areas of Planning

A major portion of the community meetings were spent on discussing, clarifying and recording how community members collectively thought of the future and how best to reinforce the path to that future. Through that process many issues were identified, and then people were asked how they saw those issues being grouped into areas of planning. Six core areas of planning were identified:

Traditions/Education
Nuchatlaht Self Sufficiency
Communications/Social Development

Nuchatlaht Administration - Self-Reliance and Capability
Community Development
Treaty, and Healh

This section (2.0) of the CCP discusses each core are of planning in depth, with the issues identified and subsequently developed goals and strategies.
For this draft, some sections have goals and strategies developed, others only have goals, while most show the issues identified. Subsequent work on the plan will see the development of the remainder of goals and strategies.

Traditions/Education (2.1)

This topic is about the importance of our traditions and our culture to our lives. It forms the fundamentals of who we are and how we pass that on to future generations through formal and informal education.

Strengthening Traditions and Culture (2.1.1)

It is important to reinforce, and where necessary, re-establish the spiritual/mental/physical/emotional beliefs and practices within our community. Since our practices have their foundations in nature, the aspects of this CCP that build and restore our resource base and our ability to manage our resources will indirectly strengthen our traditions and culture.
We will strengthen our community through culturally appropriate practices by:

practicing and speaking our language often
offering ways of strengthening our connection to our culture
creating positive and supportive places to clarify, ask questions and discover more about Nuchatlaht culture and traditions, and
sharing our individual, community and historical stories.

Reinforcing foundational traditions and our cultural identity will strengthen how we relate to each other and support our healing as a community. Embracing technology and supporting each other to learn new ways to connect from far distances will also strengthen our spiritual and traditional ties.
By informing our membership on the structure and advances of our Chief and Council, the Oclucje office and community leaders abroad will empower our membership to be knowledgeable and engaged in the governing of Nuchatlaht founded in traditions and culture.

Language (2.1.2)

Nuchatlaht has a distinct and vibrant language with only one (1) currently known fluent Elder speaker. We recognize the importance of this knowledge and quality of communication and how it uniquely reflects who we are. Together we will learn and practice our Nuchatlaht language and make it easier to teach and support existing and future generations

Cultural/ Educational Development (Education and Training) [2.1.3]

Our vision is for our Nuchatlaht culture to be integrated (and/or credited) within the school system. While prioritizing accessibility to our members and students we also see value in these opportunities being accessible by non-students and non-members to increase the understanding, awareness and comradery among all people. We will work with the school system to provide programing and learning opportunities developed with Nuchatlaht leaders as partners to define integral cultural curricula. By focusing on heart and nature-centered learning we will connect to our land, resources, traditions and each other from an early to elder age.

Objective 1:
To encourage and support spiritual, mental, physical and emotional beliefs and practices founded in our traditions and culture.

Objective 2:
To strengthen spirituality and traditions through embracing technology.

Objective 3:
To strengthen our traditional government and leadership and empower an educated and active membership.

Objective 4:
To actively support the revitalization of our language (preservation, teaching, learning and maintaining) for use by all generations.

Objective 5:
To provide our members with a strong traditional education through tutoring and mentoring.

Nuchatlaht Self Sufficiency (2.2)

This topic is about strengthening our control of our lives and strengthening our ability to govern ourselves into the future. We will use ocean/marine and lands management to reinforce and reassert our stewardship role in protecting the environment. Proper management and stewardship will support an economy that provides jobs for our people and funding for our programs. We will look for partnership opportunities with industry in our territories to gain needed knowledge and experience.

Ocean/Marine Management (2.2.1)

We respect and are grateful to our ocean and are dedicated to nurture it, as it nurtures us. We will develop a Marine Resources Management Plan with stewardship policies and practices that reinforce our cultural values and self-sufficiency and identifies economic opportunities.

Territorial Lands and Resources Management (2.2.2)

Our lands nurture, nourish and provide for us. For this we are respectful, grateful and are dedicated to nurture our lands. We will develop a Lands and Resources Management Plan with stewardship policies and practices that reinforce our cultural values and self-sufficiency and identifies economic opportunities.

Other Economic Development (2.2.3)

We have opportunities to establish viable business relations in many areas of our territory within the range of interests of our members. By establishing a diversity of locally managed businesses, either large or small scale, we will become more self-sufficient and economically stable. We will take advantage of as many of these opportunities as possible and continue to consider new ventures as our community grows.

Objective 6:
To steward our ocean through the development of a Marine Resources Management Plan.

Objective 7:
To provide jobs for our people and funding for our programs through proper management and stewardship of our ocean-based activity.

Objective 8:
To create partnership opportunities with ocean and marine industries in our territories for support in knowledge, best practices and economic sufficiency.

Objective 9:
To steward our territorial lands and resources through the development of a Lands and Resources Management Plan.

Objective 10:
To provide jobs for our people and funding for our programs through proper lands and resources management and stewardship.

Objective 11:
To create partnership opportunities with land and resources industries in our territory.

Objective 12:
To enhance Nuchatlaht’s economic development of the lands and resources in the territory through traditional and modern uses that are consistent with our land and resource goals

Objective 13:
To provide opportunities for other people to form partnerships with us in the territory in ways consistent with our other lands and resource goals.

Objective 14:
To prepare an Economic Development Plan.

Health (2.3)

This topic is about supporting individuals health and what we as a community need to do to support our membership mentally, spiritually, physically and emotionally. Individually and as a community we are on a healing journey. We will support each other to heal through respect, empowerment and appreciation so that our community is strong and an example for future generations.

Personal Development (2.3.1)

We acknowledge the courage it takes to reflect and do personal work to heal ourselves. We support every individual through each of our unique healing journeys. As a community we will support and promote personal healing so that all Nuchatlahts have mental, emotional, spiritual and physical health. We will do this with respect, empowerment and appreciation.

Local Foods and Resources (2.3.2)

In conjunction with the activities outlined in Section 2.1 Traditions/Education, we see our connection and utilization of local foods and resources as a major aspect of restoring and/or maintaining our health. We will strengthen our connection to traditional knowledge of harvesting, preparing and celebrating food.

Residential School Recovery (2.3.3)

In conjunction with the activities outlined in Section 2.1.1 Strengthening Traditions and Culture and 2.3.1 Personal Development, healing from the experiences of residential school is long term and unique to each individual. This healing must be supported by our community from generation to generation. We are all healing from this experience directly or indirectly and will support each other to understand the diverse effects and how to grow from these experiences. We are empowered to create, learn from others, and remember ways to celebrate who we are as a people, and to heal.

Objective 15:
To support and empower all Nuchatlahts to be and feel mentally and emotionally healthy.

Objective 16:
To support and empower spiritual health for our membership.

Objective 17:
To support and empower each other and our community to be and feel physically healthy.

Objective 18:
To encourage increased use of local and traditional foods and resources by providing education and hands-on learning opportunities.

Objective 19:
To support residential school recovery for every generation of Nuchatlaht through connection and love.

Communications/Social Development (2.4)

This topic is about our people and ways to strengthen communications and bonds amongst individuals, families and our membership as a whole. Many Nuchatlaht live away from home and it is important that we are connected and all feel included in our community through regular news, gatherings and engagement opportunities.

Social Functions (2.4.1)

Social functions strengthen the bonds amongst the membership. We will encourage more opportunities for social functions so all members will know their importance as community members. Traditional social functions such as potlatches will help restore and maintain our culture

Transparency, Two-way Communication, Away from Home Communications (2.4.2)

Transparency of administration and efforts by Chief and Council on behalf of all our membership is a high priority, especially with so many of our members living away from home. When people who are affected by decisions understand the issues, the pros and cons of different options, and agree with the chosen path, support and trust are increased. Money, and issues largely determined by money, for example housing, can be the most inflammatory and potentially divisive issues facing a community.

Communication is a two way street and opportunities must be provided for administration to communicate with the membership, and for the membership to communicate back. Communication amongst the membership is also an important aspect of community building. We will continue to increase communications opportunities for membership, Chief and Council, and administration staff.

Improve Ha’wiih Muschum Communications (2.4.3)

This issue can be seen as similar to, or a continuation of “2.4.2 Transparency, Two-way Communication, Away from Home Communications” but has its own special significance and challenges. People want to understand everyone’s roles, the Muschum’s, the Ha’wiih’s and other traditional positions such as Elders. CCP participants saw a need for a protocol for communications that would establish a comfortable, responsive process based on balancing the needs and importance of everyone involved. Part of a comfortable process was seen as family-to-family meetings with Ha’wii and advisors and their families, and the different Muschum family groups. People understood the importance of “Felix’s Book” and desired it be more available as part of the communications education.

Social Development (2.4.4)

Social development spans all ages and includes individuals, families and the membership as a whole. Responsibility for social development involves all administration, and all governments, Nuchatlaht’s as well as the Provincial and Federal Governments.

Cultural events are an important method of establishing and maintaining the connections that form the framework for social development. As part of this, establishing an environment and opportunities expressing one’s needs, desires and opinions that are safe and supportive to is important in the development of social understanding and community.
Social Development is a sector that the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council has been active in supporting for each member First Nation and individual members have taken training in this area.

Objective 20:
To schedule and encourage regular events and games to increase communications amongst membership.

Objective 21:
To increase communications opportunities for membership, Chief and Council, and administration staff, utilizing new technologies where appropriate and training where required.

Objective 22:
To increase communications opportunities and understanding of roles and responsibility for Ha’wiih Muschum building on the objectives and actions for 2.4.2.

Objective 23:
To collaborate with the Nuu-chah-nulth Health Promotion & Social Development (HPSD) department to improve communications with membership on social support and assistance programs available and additional support through partnerships.

Nuchatlaht Administration - Self-reliance and Capability (2.5)

This topic is about enhancing the self-sufficiency of the Nuchatlaht in using office systems to support staff in delivering services to community members. Delivering services relies on a capable foundation of technology and systems that front line staff use. The foundation of our administration will include sound financial systems and record management systems including email archives, office procedures, and human resources policies. It is these systems that our front line staff use daily for handling information and to guide decision making.

It is our intention that the Nuchatlaht administration be staffed by community members, so we are as self-reliant as possible. It is also the administration’s responsibility to carry out strategic planning so that the Nation continues to advance and adapt to changes and opportunities.

Enhancing Self-sufficiency in Administration (2.5.1)

The Nuchatlaht Band Office is small yet provides a wide range of services to community members. We will continue developing the skills of staff in order to increase self-reliance and self-sufficiency. Where outside help is needed for the administration, it will be on the basis that knowledge will be transferred to staff to increase self-sufficiency.

The office currently has staff managing health services, family child and social services, infrastructure, and natural resources. Supporting these front line services requires a solid foundation consisting of a financial management system, secure record keeping, and human resources policies. It is important that this backbone run efficiently and reliably to support the front line staff delivering services smoothly and on time. Key to maintaining the backbone systems is keeping staff trained in the use and maintenance of such systems.

An important aspect of reliable information systems is adequate backups in case the main source of data is lost because of equipment failure, fire or other catastrophe. There is a strategy already for email accounts where email messages are managed off-site and backed up on a continuous basis. Similar strategies can be implemented to safeguard other data.

The administration is responsible for establishing and maintaining various channels of communications to the membership, the public and businesses interested in carrying out development in the Nuchatlaht territory. The administration will continue to work for appropriate and cost effective communications tools.

Communications is mentioned in the core values (Section 1.3) and many objectives in this CCP. Sections 2.4.2 and 2.4.3 are about maintaining two-way communications between members and the Hawii, Council and Administration. Given that many Nuchatlaht members live away, to have an engaged membership we must rely on technology for two-way communications.
In order to communicate using technology, the technology must be available, reliable, and consistent. A function of the administration is to setup and maintain systems to enable communications.

Currently the Nuchatlaht Nation has an active website maintained by office staff and content is updated regularly. The office maintains a phone and mailing address list. Other means of communicating with members will be considered based on input from community members on what channels of communication are preferred.

For continuous improvement, we will pursue funding for specific projects that to bring systems, equipment, planning processes, and/or knowledge for use by the administration, the Nuchatlaht government and our membership.

Objective 24:
To provide ongoing professional development for our staff so they continue to develop their administrative skills and abilities.

Objective 25:
To develop and maintain the financial, record keeping, and Human Resources policies to keep the office systems operating reliably.

Objective 26:
To continue to develop the means to communicate with our members, the public and with companies interested in doing business with the Nuchatlaht Nation.

Objective 27:
To pursue project-based funding to enhance our administrative capabilities.

Community Development (2.6)

This topic is about the supporting fabric that provides housing and economic development for our people wherever they live and work. We acknowledge that developing Oclucje has and will continue to be a focus for this support. In addition, it is important to assist and find opportunities to relay our community development efforts to all Nuchatlaht who live away from home. Establishing foundational safety practices and communication systems, including emergency preparedness and internal governing, will ensure a clear vision of shared responsibility and available information.

Village Development, Management and Expansion (2.6.1)

Oclucje has resources and potential to support the village greater than it currently does. There is also a requirement for expansion and improvement of systems to support more members to live in Oclucje. To understand more thoroughly the community’s desires, the potential of existing land and village resources, and to establish specific goals and requirements, a Village Design and Development Plan should be completed. The whole Nuchatlaht community will be involved through many methods. This process will include the creation of a long-term vision for Oclucje development and a basic education of existing roles, services and needed functions within the village.

As a community we value the support we can provide for our membership and have a need to expand our lands in order to do so. We are stewards of our lands and can establish self-sufficiency within and around our community as we grow.

Village Safety and Emergency Planning (2.6.2)

The safety and well-being of our people is of utmost importance. We are committed to educate and enable our community to be safe on and around our lands. We must continue to be prepared for environmental emergencies, to keep our community safe.

To ensure safety and prepare our people, resources and lands for any potential emergency we are committed to having a plan for every type of potential emergency that could occur.

Transportation (2.6.3)

Oclucje is located in a remote area where transportation options are limited. We acknowledge the benefit and skill that drivers have in our community and we are interested in establishing regular services that will allow our members living away from home to visit conveniently.

Nuchatlaht Laws (2.6.4)

We are capable and conscious about how we want to live and how we govern ourselves. By establishing and maintaining our own laws and regulatory systems we will empower each other to become aware and knowledgeable and enforce our shared values, to be a united and strong community, and to respect our environment and our people.

Local Policing (2.6.5)

We are interested in working with local police authorities to collaborate on law enforcement and ultimately to develop our own policing.

Objective 28:
To support all Nuchatlaht to have a home in Oclucje if they want one.

Objective 29:
To meet the housing, infrastructure and safety needs of Oclucje through the development of a Village Design and Development Plan.

Objective 30:
To expand our Oclucje lands which is supported by local economic development.

Objective 31:
To increase residential units in Oclucje for all Nuchatlaht to feel welcome and at home.

Objective 32:
To ensure that all operations within Oclucje are conducted safely and that regular enjoyment and use on and around our lands ensures the safety of all people.

Objective 33:
To establish emergency planning procedures for every type of potential emergency that could occur so that all Nuchatlaht are aware, can connect and support the best they can the safety of our people.

Objective 34:
To increase driving expertise and the accessibility to and from Oclucje for all Nuchatlaht.

Objective 35:
To develop Nuchatlaht Laws which empower ourselves with Native Justice, education, community shared values, ceremonies and self-government.

Objective 36:
To ensure the local governing of our lands is objective and for the safety and betterment of our people.

Treaty (2.7)

This topic is about negotiating a treaty with the other governments and how we as a people come together to provide direction to our negotiators. It includes discussion of decision making processes about what should be in a treaty and/or whether we should be in a treaty or not.

Objective 37:
To increase membership knowledge and support of the treaty process.

The Comprehensive Community Plan (CCP)

The CCP has been constructed to better benefit the people of Nuchatlaht Tribe. To learn more about the CCP, click the button below.

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