14. Naut’sa Mawt Tribal Council

Organization Information

Organization Name

Naut'sa mawt Tribal Council

Mission and Vision of Organization

Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council (NmTC) supports its ten Coast Salish member Nations in their efforts towards self-reliance, self-governance, connection to culture, and quality of life, now and for future generations. Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council’s Community Food Network (CFN) emerged at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic when many of our member Nation communities experienced interruptions and restrictions affecting their food supply and access.

For many Indigenous communities, food insecurity and well-being related inequalities and vulnerabilities were exacerbated and exposed by the pandemic, but by no means is food insecurity a new experience for Indigenous peoples. From an Indigenous perspective, food security is food sovereignty, thus, the CFN aims to support its member Nations in working towards rebuilding sovereign food systems. Our communities want to be growing food, harvesting food on the land, knowing what’s happening in their territories, know what is threatening their rights, and have control over how they access their foods. The CFN originally started as a virtual space for our member Nation staff working in food-related roles to come together to share and develop their ideas, knowledge and skills on a variety of topics, to brainstorm through challenges, to share successes and resources, and to encourage and uplift one another.

The main objective of the CFN is to provide support to member Nations through:

• Fund sourcing and assistance and grant writing
• Opportunities to document traditional knowledge (i.e. filming, Nation-to-Nation sharing)
• Monthly resource newsletters (i.e. external workshops, training, funding, news articles, etc.)
• Hands-on in-community support
• Food-related role development and training
• Partnership awareness and facilitation
• In-community workshop facilitation
• Develop toolkits and resource databases
• Support in the ongoing development
• Implementation and operation of food security and food sovereignty initiatives

Guiding Principles + Values

O'siem or Emot (Respect)​

• We respect each other in all that we say and do.
• We build trusting relationships based on open and honest communication, transparency, sharing, and inclusiveness.
• We treat everyone with dignity, understanding and respect.​

Culture​

• We are mindful of our cultural values, respectfully seeking cultural guidance from our elders and echoing their teachings in the performance of our duties.
• We respect, understand and learn from the past so that we can grow the good, share and revitalize our traditional languages and practices, and reflect cultural pride in all we do.

Listening​

We listen with a peaceful heart and help each other to understand, succeed, and realize our shared goals and the individual needs and goals of our communities.​

Naut'sa mawt or Ay'Ajuthum (Collaboration)​

We work together as one, collaborating with our member nations for the common good of our communities by sharing knowledge and best practices, building skills through professional development, connecting with each other, and developing a vision for a sustainable future.​

Providing Value

Naut'sa mawt Tribal Council is a values-based learning organization that adapts to, aligns with, and strategically supports the professional development of members and member nations.

• We are flexible, innovative and creative in our delivery of programs and services, fostering an enjoyment of lifelong learning through storytelling and real-world applications.
• We maximize member outcomes and benefits by removing barriers, networking, and fulfilling needs through mentorships, the sharing of knowledge, and best practices.​

Integrity​

• We stand with our member nations, building relationships at high corporate and government levels based upon a foundation of professionalism, accountability, and ethics.

Contact Information

• Primary Contact Person(s): Seanna Johnston (she/her), Food Security Advisor
• Email: seannaj@nautsamawt.com
• Phone: 250-221-0171
• Address: 1121 Jesken Road, Mill Bay, BC V0R 2P4 (mailing address, but Seanna will not receive mail sent here)
• Website: https://www.nautsamawt.org/foodsecurityservices

• Alternate Contact Person:
• Email:

Preferred Method of Contact

• Best method(s) to contact: Email
• Best day(s) to contact: Tuesday-Friday

Preferred Platform(s) for Collaboration and Student Meetings

• Email
• Phone
• MS Teams