Stó:lō Xwexwilmexw Treaty Association Outreach is thrilled to share a fun, COVID-19 safe activity. Our team has created a self-guided art tour, which showcases many of our local artists work. Tour S’ólh Téméxw traditional territories. We hope families can use this tour to connect even during this time of isolation. Feel free to download this and share with anyone that might be interested.

Please see an update from the Stó:lō Xwexwilmexw Treaty Association Leadership on the path moving forward after the recent Shxwelméxwelh/Constitution vote.

Results of the SXTA Shxwelméxwelh (Constitution) Vote

November 17, 2020

At this time the SXTA’s Elections Official has confirmed the following voting outcomes (click the image for a larger view):

NOTICE ON THE STATUS OF THE VOTE ON THE CONSTITUTION

TO: ALL ELIGIBLE MEMBERS OF Áthelets (Aitchelitz), Ch’iyáqtel (Tzeachten), Leq’á:mel (Lakahamen), Sq’ewá:lxw (Skawahlook), Sq’ewqéyl (Skowkale), and Yeqwyeqwí:ws (Yakweakwioose) First Nations.

Dear Community Members:

An announcement of the result of the Vote on the Constitution will be made on Tuesday afternoon (November 17), following receipt from the Chief Electoral Officer of the Certified Final Outcome for each First Nation.

Please check back for updates.

The SXTA Leadership appreciate everyone who turned out to vote, and appreciate your patience as we await the official announcement of the result.

SXTA Members!!

Join us this year at our 5th Annual Gathering VIRTUALLY! We will be live on our Facebook page @TheSXTA ! 

Guest speakers include Chief Derek Epp of Tzeachten, and Cheryl Casimer of Ktunaxa Nation.

Prizes include an Apple Watch! A TV! Gift Cards!

We will be doing our $500 annual draw for all those have been participating in our engagements – but you must be present on our Facebook Live event to win these prizes!

We heard you! Our leaders agreed to the following changes to the Stó:lō Xwexwílmexw Shxwelméxwelh based on our community members’ input.

XWEXWÍLMEXWÓ:LLH LÁLÉM –  YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL

• The age range is amended to 14 to 25 and an alternate will also be appointed. If the youth is elected to council, another Youth Advisory Council member will be chosen.

SÍ:YÓLEXWE LÁLÉM – ELDERS ADVISORY COUNCIL

• We added a standard term of four years for Elders representatives and included an alternate.

SI:YÓ:MELH LÁLÉM – GRAND CHIEF ADVISORY COUNCIL

• The Grand Chiefs Advisory Council was removed. Villages can consult with Grand Chiefs by appointing them to the Elders Advisory Council

 DECISION MAKING

• To address concerns around representation of our varied communities at the National Government table, leadership has decided to aim for consensus or use another process that will become part of the Governance Act. This act will be one of the first laws our new nation will create once we are self-governing.

See the full explanation in our NEWS BULLETIN

In February 2020, a group of SXTA leaders and staff went to Vancouver Island to visit the communities who came together to sign the Maa’nulth Final Agreement – Huu-ay-aht; Toquaht; Uchucklesaht; Yuułuʔiłʔath; and Ka:’yu:’k’t’h’/Che:k:tles7et’h’.

“Our trip to see the Maa’nulth group was actually to find out information from the treaty groups on their experience and also some of their expectations from that treaty process. . . What I found from their governance is that each of them were unique. It wasn’t a cookie cutter process. They each defined what governance meant to themselves.”

Chief Alice Thompson of of Leq’á:mel

To hear more about this trip, check out our Stó:lō Signal Podcast, Episode 5 (out on Aug. 28, 2020).

See maps of the communities here.