- Project Launch: Members of all three First Nations are introduced to the project and informed of opportunities to get involved.
- Community Engagement: Members are invited to share their priorities, concerns, and ideas through a series of community meetings and surveys.
- Drafting the Membership Code: The proposed Membership Code is developed based legal guidance and input from members collected through Community Engagement.
- Community Review: “What We Heard” reports summarizing member input and the proposed (draft) Membership Code are shared with members for feedback.
- Community Vote: Each Nation holds its own vote on whether to adopt the proposed Membership Code. The outcome of this vote will not impact the other two Nations.
Nadleh Whut’en, Saik’uz, and Stellat’en First Nations share a rich history of collaboration. By working together on this project, we will:
- Reduce project expenses through combined costs and resources
- Better coordinate events and engagement
- Share key insights and research throughout the process
Although we are collaborating on this important work, please note that band members will only provide input and vote on the dedicated Membership Code for their particular community. Each Nation will independently make its own decisions and hold its own vote on whether to adopt the proposed Membership Code designed for their respective community.
The contents of each Membership Code and the outcome of each community vote will not impact the other two Nations. Overall, our decision to collaborate is about improving efficiency, streamlining costs, and building stronger governance tools together.
Community input is fundamental to this process. Over the next year, members of Nadleh Whut’en, Saik’uz, and Stellat’en First Nation can expect several opportunities to participate in creating their Nation’s custom Membership Code through:
- Community meetings and information sessions
- Online and in-person engagement (such as surveys)
- An Oversight Committee made up of members from each Nation, including Elders, youth, and knowledge-holders