Honouring Our Ways: A Journey Through Community-Led Planning was developed by Indigenous planning mentors in BC and designed by the Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council. The guide is deeply rooted in Indigenous knowledge systems and cultural traditions. It offers a reimagined approach to comprehensive community planning that centres Indigenous worldviews, values, and practices. Its primary aim is to support First Nations in developing and sustaining self-determined, culturally grounded planning processes that honour ancestral wisdom and foster strong, resilient futures
The guide highlights community engagement as the cornerstone of the planning journey, promoting inclusive, trust-building practices such as home visits, on-the-land gatherings, youth outreach, and speaking circles.
It introduces a four-phase model inspired by natural cycles, offering a flexible and culturally grounded framework for community-led planning, The guide highlights community engagement as the cornerstone of the planning journey, promoting inclusive, trust-building practices such as home visits, on-the-land gatherings, youth outreach, and speaking circles.
It introduces a four-phase model inspired by natural cycles, offering a flexible and culturally grounded framework for community-led planning. The phases — Our Stories (pre-planning), Getting Together (planning), Taking Action (implementation), and Celebrating Change (monitoring and evaluation) — reflect a holistic approach.
Designed to help community leaders strengthen governance and revitalize culture, the guide grounds planning in Indigenous traditions, languages, and values, fostering resilience and self-determination over the long term.
Using the water’s journey as a guiding metaphor, the guide underscores the interconnectedness of traditional laws, spirituality, and community knowledge, and emphasizes the importance of embedding cultural teachings throughout the planning process while reflecting a holistic approach rooted in Indigenous ways of knowing. The phases include Our Stories (pre-planning), Getting Together (planning), Taking Action (implementation), and Celebrating Change (monitoring and evaluation)
Designed to support community leaders, the guide strengthens governance and cultural revitalization through planning grounded in Indigenous languages, values, and traditions. This approach fosters long-term resilience and self-determination.
Using the water’s journey as a guiding metaphor, the guide underscores the interconnectedness of traditional laws, spirituality, and community knowledge, and emphasizes the importance of embedding cultural teachings throughout the planning process.