Culture
Preserving what matters most—language, art, identity, and belonging.
Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council is committed to continuous learning and to deepening our shared understanding of Coast Salish and Kwakwaka’wakw spiritual and cultural protocols, traditions, and languages. This commitment shapes how we work, not just what we deliver.
Culture is living. It belongs to the people.
This team works to make sure it stays that way.
PROGRAM OBJECTIVES
What guides this work
Support the recovery, reclamation, and revitalization of language, art, and culture within Member Nation communities
Provide cultural safety training that strengthens understanding and promotes safety within Nation administration staff and communities
Create opportunities for mentorship and knowledge sharing between Elders, youth, and Nation staff
Distribute cultural and community grants that support gatherings, celebrations, and cultural activities across the Nations
WHAT WE DO
Honouring what has always belonged to the people.
Languages carry worlds. Art carries memory. Tradition carries identity. The Culture program works to make sure that what has always belonged to Coast Salish and Kwakwaka’wakw peoples remains theirs — alive, celebrated, and passed forward to the generations who will carry it next.
This work takes many forms. It shows up in training rooms where Nation staff deepen their understanding of shared history and cultural safety. It shows up in community gatherings funded by cultural grants. It shows up in the circle discussions where people speak honestly about lateral violence and move together toward lateral kindness. And it shows up in the quiet, sustained commitment to making sure that language, art, and tradition are never treated as afterthoughts in the work of the Nations.
CULTURAL TRAINING & INCLUSION
Learning that changes how people show up for one another.
NmTC’s Cultural Training and Inclusion program currently includes two training offerings for Member Nations and their staff.
Honouring the Truth — Our Shared History
A self-paced online course for onboarding new staff. It covers life before contact, the history of colonialism in Canada, the Indian Act, residential schools, the Sixties Scoop, treaties, and Nation-specific protocols and teachings. It is not a checklist. It is a foundation.
Stronger Together — Cultural Identity as a Path to Healing
An in-person, experiential training designed for Member Nation staff and leadership. The training focuses on addressing lateral violence in the workplace and moving toward lateral kindness through the four posts of wellness: spiritual, physical, emotional, and mental. Participants engage with video sessions from a speaker series and take part in guided circle discussions. Through shared learning and reflection, the training fosters cultural identity, collective healing, and stronger team relationships.
MEET THE program manager
The person behind the work.
The Culture team brings a deep commitment to the living cultures of our Member Nations and to the people who carry those cultures forward every day. They show up with humility, with care, and with genuine respect for the knowledge and traditions they are privileged to work alongside.
Johnna Puusa
CULTURAL AND COMMUNITY GRANTS
Because culture deserves to be celebrated.
The Cultural and Community Grants Program offers small grants to Member Nations to support cultural activities, sporting events, and community gatherings. Each Member Nation has access to up to $6,000 per year, with the option to carry funds over for up to four consecutive years.
Since 2010, $344,500 has been distributed to Member Nations through this program. These are not large grants. But they fund the gatherings, the ceremonies, the games, and the celebrations that hold communities together.
NEWS & EVENTS
What is alive across the Nations.
Cultural gatherings, grant opportunities, training sessions, and stories from across the Member Nations.
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Celebrating Indigenous Art: A Heartfelt Invitation to Share Your Creativity
At Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council, we believe in the transformative power of art. It tells our stories, celebrates our cultures, and inspires positive change within our communities. That’s why we’re excited to continue our journey of showcasing the incredible talent of Indigenous artists through Indigenous Proud and our Pink Shirt Day and Orange Shirt Day campaigns.
No events are scheduled