Across W̱SÁNEĆ’s territory, our communities are leading important work to protect the land, strengthen governance, and build a strong future for the next generations. Each W̱SÁNEĆ Band carries its own priorities, responsibilities, and community‑driven initiatives—but many of the issues we face, such as the care of Goldstream that cross community boundaries, require us to work together as one Nation.

That’s where W̱SÁNEĆ Leadership Council (W̱LC) comes in. 

Why Working Together Matters

From W̱SÁNEĆ’s expired policing agreement and Douglas Treaty implementation to territorial stewardship, many of our community’s important files are interconnected. These are not issues or topics that can be fully addressed by one community alone—they require shared leadership, consistent communication, and a unified W̱SÁNEĆ voice.

Right now, other than W̱LC and the W̱SÁNEĆ School Board, for education, there is no singular place where all W̱SÁNEĆ communities can bring their work together, share information, and build collective direction. This work gets left to our individual community managers who already have significant amounts of work to do implementing community priorities. This gap slows progress on key files and has sometimes allowed outside governments or consultants to shape work happening on our territory without enough W̱SÁNEĆ guidance.

How W̱LC Helps Us Move Forward Together

W̱LC’s role is to support the Nation in coming together—not to replace community leadership, but to make collaboration easier, more efficient, and more effective.

To support this, W̱LC utilizes W̱SÁNEĆ Collaborative Working Groups: a table where staff and managers from all contributing W̱SÁNEĆ Bands can work together on shared priorities.

Here’s how W̱LC would support this work:

• Coordinate Working Group meetings so communities don’t have to take on the administrative burden.
• Preparing agendas, taking notes, and drafting and distributing summaries so everyone stays informed and up to date.
• Providing research and background materials to support decision‑making.
• Bringing in legal, technical, or government partners when needed.
• Supporting W̱SÁNEĆ‑wide engagement when communities want to share information or gather feedback.
• Work with the working group to create agreed-upon, consistent information for all/each Chief and Council review, input and approval.

This structure ensures that each Band remains fully in charge of decision‑making, while W̱LC handles the heavy lifting that makes collaboration possible.

What the Working Group Would Do

Representatives from each W̱SÁNEĆ Band:

• Share community‑specific information.
• Participate in collective planning and discussions.
• Review documents and proposals.
• Bring information back to their leadership.
• Ensure decisions reflect each community’s voice.

This model has potential to help advance the nation-level work on:

• Policing and the renewal of the Community Tripartite Agreement.
• Douglas Treaty implementation.
• Territorial land and marine planning.
• Stewardship coordination at places like Goldstream.
• Planning for litigation and specific claims.
• Nation‑building, declarations, and governance structures.
• Any other shared priorities identified by the communities.

The Benefits of Working Together

By creating a supported, structured space for collaboration, W̱SÁNEĆ communities can expect:

• Stronger coordination and communication across the Nation.
• More effective advocacy with BC and Canada.
• Territorial planning grounded in W̱SÁNEĆ’s knowledge and values.
• Renewed agreements—like the CTA—that reflect real community needs.
• Progress on Nation‑building and governance.
• Reduced duplication and better use of limited community resources.

Moving Forward

W̱LC is committed to supporting W̱SÁNEĆ communities in working together in a way that respects each Band’s autonomy while strengthening our collective voice. By utilizing W̱SÁNEĆ Collaborative Working Groups, we can ensure that Nation‑level territorial priorities move forward in a coordinated, strategic, and culturally grounded way.

This is about building the future together—guided by our teachings, our shared identity, and the strength of W̱SÁNEĆ.