Tsleil-Waututh Nation Chief and Council are pleased to present our 2022 to 2025 Strategic Plan ʔəxʔixəltəl̓ [Paddling Together]. Informed always by our vibrant culture, the Strategic Plan is a way forward that will build upon our past work and take the Nation forward into an even brighter future for all Tsleil-Wautt people.
TWN has achieved a remarkable track record of success. We review all proposals in our territory to ensure they support sustainability and deliver community benefits. We have discovered archaeological sites on this land where our ancestors gathered and ate, some thousands of years old. We run successful businesses to generate own source revenues, build capacity for economic growth, and create employment opportunities for our people. We deliver community and health and wellness programs for our youth, families and elders.
Our Council is guided by a desire to sustain and improve the quality of life in our community. We want community Members to thrive in our culture and traditions, even as we live in an ever-changing modern world, because this keeps us grounded in our values and who we are as a people.
The Strategic Plan outlines the Mission, Vision, and Core Values of TWN:
Mission: ʔəxʔixəltəl̓ [paddling together], our Mission is to uphold the snəw̓eyəɬ [teachings and ways of being] and the ʔəy̓ sqʷeləwən [good feelings] of Sleil-Wautt people, we will siʔám̓θət [become rich] in our teachings, culture and inherent rights – we thrive in our social and economic excellence.
Vision: Our Vision is to live and celebrate our identity as Sleil-Wautt people, fluently speaking
hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓, asserting our inherent rights with full jurisdiction over our traditional lands and people, living in harmony, inspiring collaboration and unity.
Vivid Description: We walk in the footprints of our ancestors, breathing life into our language, stories, and history, hearing our language and songs, seeing our language, arts and culture on our signs, crosswalks, buildings and businesses.
We have shed colonial ways – walking to the water, stepping into the canoe, picking up
the paddle, seeing our people harvesting shellfish, connecting to the land, water and our ancestral ways.
Knowledge keepers transfer the wealth of our history, legends, songs, and ways of being to the next generations.
hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ is spoken to the point that students, partners, and neighbours will know how to greet us.
Our stories are accessible online, in books and in our school curriculum.
We assert our Indigenous laws by sitting at all levels of government and organizations that span our territory.
Core Values:
siʔám̓θət
[become rich]
Generosity – We are generous in sharing what we know. We are generous in our support and promotion of others, and we are generous with kindness, encouragement, and love.
snəw̓eyəɬ
[teachings]
Integrity – We are committed to honesty, trust, and transparency. We do the right thing — even when no one is watching.
snəw̓eyəɬ
[teachings]
Reciprocity – We share with others, take turns, and engage in reciprocal actions.
ʔəxʔixəltəl̓
[paddling together]
Unity – We paddle together as one, working in unison to deliver on our Mission and achieve our Vision of the future.
ʔəy̓ sqʷeləwən
[good feelings]
Family – We recognize that each of us has gifts to share, and we are committed to caring for one another, treating our people with the dignity and respect they deserve as human beings.
Learn more about who we are as a Nation, strategic pillars, goals and objectives, and next steps in the link to the plan below.
