Towards Healthy Communities
Seven Steps to Transform Your Nation
CREATE A MOVEMENT FOR CHANGE
How does change start and how is it sustained? Community members and leaders have to be ready for change, understand what it means and be fully prepared to support it.
Workshops
Tools & Resources
Research Paper | Seven Generations Seven Teachings
Video | Engaging Citizens: Miawupkek First Nation
ESTABLISH A VISION FOR THE FUTURE
A movement for change requires a clear sense of direction. Communities must come together to create a shared vision of the future. A mandate for change is only as powerful as the vision of the citizens who support it.
MAP YOUR JOURNEY
Develop a road map that sets out how you intend to achieve your community’s vision. It will keep you on track, show your progress and allow you to adjust to unexpected challenges.
Workshops
Tools & Resources
Planning Tool | Communities Life Cycle Matrix [PDF]
Visual Strategic Plan | Lil’Wat Nation [PDF]
EXERCISE YOUR RIGHTS AND LIVE YOUR CULTURE
It is essential to learn about our rights and be aware of our responsibilities, but learning is not enough. We need to exercise our rights by living our culture.
Workshops
GET BEYOND THE INDIAN ACT
The Indian Act is an ill-fitting boot made by someone else for their own purposes. If you want real, positive change, you must take the time to develop your own governance. This is not going to happen overnight and does not need to happen all at once.
BE A REAL GOVERNMENT AND GOVERN
Real governments are given authority from their people to make laws that benefit their citizens and reflect their culture. These governments interact with other governments and negotiate ways to reconcile differences based on respect.
CREATE HEALTHY, INDEPENDENT COMMUNITIES
Seeing your children learning your language; witnessing your people as they reconnect to the land; stewarding your territories and building your economy; governing according to your customs; having true nation-to-nation relations – these are outcomes we can all strive for as we heal our communities and transform our nations.