On Jan. 30, the Northern Shuswap Tribal Council (NSTC) board of directors announce the launch of a Website and Facebook page, which will feature information on the Northern Secwepemc te Qelmucw (NStQ) treaty process.
In 2013, the NSTC contracted Coppermoon Communications out of Vancouver to work with the NStQ Treaty Group on new and innovative tools in preparations for a referendum on the agreement in principle. A large part of this preparation is to have NStQ treaty-related information readily available to the NStQ members, age 18 years and over wherever they may reside.
It is with this in mind the NStQ Treaty Group, representing the T’exelc (Williams Lake Indian
Band), Tsq’escen’ (Canim Lake Band), Xats’sull (Soda Creek Band) and the Stswecem’c Xgat’tem
First Nation communities, created a website specifically for ‘NStQ treaty-related information.
“A lot of good work has gone into the made-in-B.C. treaty process by each of the four NStQ communities’ citizens, staff and leadership, as well as the NStQ Urban Group Citizens so far,” Canim Lake Band Chief Mike Archie said about the website.
“The main objective now is to keep updating and educating and communicating information and to have the members share feedback/comments and to have answers to questions that may arise. The NStQ Treaty website is critical to allowing our NStQ members to make informed decisions as we look to the future.
“The tools available to the NStQ, including the website and Facebook will allow the treaty team and leadership to reach out to all of the members. It is exciting to be able to offer the website and I look forward to the receiving important and collaborative feedback we receive from NStQ citizens wherever they may reside.”
The website will be a one-stop shop for information and features: Innovative search icons to help members filter through treaty information quickly; community calendar showing all upcoming meetings and events; a members-only forum for questions and interactions by the band members; an online edition of the Lexey’em and recent news about community events and treaty updates; and other NStQ and treaty related information.
Part of this website will be a Facebook page which will allow for timely communication between the NStQ Treaty Group and the community members; give the NStQ a tool to understand what information is important to its members; enable direct communication with members and NSTC Northern Secwepemc te Qelmucw; and involve community members in NStQ treaty-related decision-making discussions.
The NSTC will continue to communicate through community and urban working group meetings, by mail, and over the phone.
The NSTC looks forward to all of its members joining in on the conversations.
Those who have any questions can contact Allan Tweedie, treaty team co-ordinator at A.Tweedie@nstq.org or phone 250-392-7361 ext. 226.
Other innovative tools, which will be used to reach our members, will be the use of mailchimp and phonevite. With the ratification on the NStQ agreement in principle later this year, it is important the NSTC have updated mailing addresses for all of its members who are eligible to vote.