Governance

Relationships with Communities, Stakeholders and Other Governments

For watershed co-governance to work, everyone in the watershed needs a place where their voice is heard. The people who call the Nicola home need to be involved in processes where they learn about each other’s values and concerns, co-develop solutions and wrestle with hard choices.

The NWGP understands the importance of involving communities, other governments, and local stakeholders to build solutions that are inclusive and have broad support. Since the signing of the MOU in 2018 and the subsequent inception of the NWGP, we have been working on several internal-facing components including relationship building and pilot projects. While this initial work has not been broadly shared with the public, the NWGP is moving forward with a Communications & Engagement Strategy where external engagement will (a) build community understanding of the NWGP’s work and (b) encourage active participation and feedback from local communities, stakeholders, and other governments. Engagement approaches outlined in the Communications & Engagement Strategy that are being built back into our processes include:

Information sharing and storytelling, through a diverse range of broad outreach initiatives
Involving First Nations communities, through community meetings and workshops dedicated to the revitalization of Indigenous laws and customs.
More closely aligning the NWGP with ongoing Nicola First Nations community land and water management processes.
Involving stakeholders and non-Indigenous communities through engagement with other local collaborative water tables and NWGP led events and through NWGP partnerships.
Building working relationships with other levels of government – municipal and federal.
Keeping this NWGP website up to date with the NWGP’s ongoing work and leveraging social media platforms as a space to share news and receive public input.

To stay up to date on the NWGP’s work, you can subscribe to our mailing list on the Contact page.

How are we engaging First Nation communities?

The NWGP recognizes that inclusive community ownership and pride of the government-to-government (G2G) work is essential for long-term successful co-governance. A foundational component to our governance and projects is the involvement of community members, traditional knowledge holders, and cultural leaders from the Nicola 5 First Nations (Coldwater, Lower Nicola, Nooaitch, Shackan, and Upper Nicola).

Currently, outreach to First Nation communities takes place through membership on the Core Council and other NWGP project partnerships, newsletters, in-person and online community engagements (for specific projects such as the Nicola Watershed Planning Initiative and the Data Portal, as well as general NWGP Open House events), and the overarching advisory role of the Elders Circle, Youth, and Indigenous Knowledge Keepers.

Upcoming First Nations engagement opportunities such as community meetings and workshops will be shared on our Recent News page, over our Newsletter list (sign up on our Contact page), as well as other established communications pathways within our communities.

Though NWGP staff are working hard to develop and lead engagement with communities, including knowledge keepers and technicians, the partners recognize that there is much more work ahead. Moving forward we plan to increase engagement with other First Nations who have responsibilities for stewardship of the lands and waters in the Nicola.

Sharing cultural and other sensitive information

We are working on Information Sharing protocols between the Nicola 5 and the Province of BC. While these are being developed, we do want to honour and uphold the principles of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples to ensure knowledge and information are respected. We have agreed to observe the key principles related to FPIC (free, prior, and informed consent) and OCAP (ownership, control, access and possession). It is also important to clarify that the NWGP is not a form of consultation with B.C, and information is not being sought for the purpose of consultation on provincial statutory decisions, the focus of the partnership is on co-governance.