“all along the mountains and sea”.
-shared by Nelson Keitlah, Nuu-chah-nulth Elder.
Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council Vision and Mission
We are the Nuu-chah-nulth-aht. We continue to follow our ancestors' true self-determination and real self-sufficiency when they lived and thrived on the lands and waters on the West Coast of Vancouver Island. Through the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council, our vision is self-government that promotes strong, healthy Nuu-chah-nulth communities, which are guided by n'aas (Creator) and ha’wiih (hereditary Chiefs). We will fulfill our vision by providing equitable social, economic, political, and technical support to Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations. We will seek the wisdom/knowledge of our Elders and look upon our Children to give us the desire to succeed.
The ha’houlthee (chiefly territories) of the Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations, or tribes, stretches along approx. 300 kilometres of the Pacific Coast of Vancouver Island, from Brooks Peninsula in the north to Point-no-Point in the south, and includes inland regions. (see map) Although Nuu-chah-nulth people of the past shared traditions, languages and many aspects of culture, they were divided into chiefly families, local groups and, later, into Nations. Each Nation included several local groups, each centred around a ha’wiih (hereditary chief), and each living from the resources provided within their ha’houlthee.
In 1958, the Nations formed the West Coast Allied Tribes, and on August 14, 1973 incorporated as a non-profit society called the West Coast District Society of Indian Chiefs. Six years later, they changed the name to Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council (NTC) on April 2, 1979.
Today, each Nuu-chah-nulth First Nation includes several chiefly families, and most include what were once considered several separate local groups. Fourteen Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations are divided into three regions:
Sothern Region:Ditidaht, Huu-ay-aht, Hupacasath, Tse-shaht, and Uchucklesaht
Central Region:Ahousaht, Hesquiaht, Tla-o-qui-aht, Toquaht, and Ucluelet
Northern Region:Ehattesaht, Kyuquot/Cheklesahht, Mowachat/Muchalaht, and Nuchatlaht
The NTC provides various programs and services to approx. 8,000 registered members: Child welfare, Fisheries, Economic Development, Membership, Education & Training, Financial Administrative Support, Employment & Training, Infrastructure Development, Health, Newspaper (Ha-Shilth-Sa) and Social Development. Approximately 2,000 Nuu-chah-nulth people live off reserve in communities across North America.
Contacts:
Cliff Atleo - NTC President
cliff.atleo@nuuchahnulth.org
