Kitselas First Nation

Our project partner, Meraki Community Planning, worked with the Nation over a three-year period developing the content for a Land Use Plan and a Comprehensive Community Plan. At the beginning of the process for each plan, we created a design theme that would follow the project through to completion – a title page, PowerPoint, and design elements for various sections/topics.

Once the planning process was completed, we took the raw text and images and created a 130-page Land Use Plan and a 144-page Comprehensive Community Plan that tells the story of the Nation’s outlook on the future. We work diligently to ensure our design honours unique culture and brings life to the content in a way that reflects the Nation.

• Design concept and supporting elements
• Layout of 2 plan documents
• Print management

“The Kitselas First Nation, located in Northwestern British Columbia, retained Meraki Community Planning to prepare an updated land use plan for the seven reserves of the nation. The jury noted multiple dimensions of inclusion in the plan preparation.

The Kitselas FN Land Use Plan is a beautiful document, well prepared, simple to understand, and grounded in the needs of its community. The jury affirms that the plan, especially the approach and the unique process and product, can be a model for other Indigenous communities and consultants working in partnership with First Nations. It is the deep partnership that represents one dimension of inclusivity. The plan is a richly illustrated and culturally grounded document that reflects the Kitselas people and their unique heritage and crafts.

The risk of imposing settler-normative planning frameworks on First Nations has been successfully avoided through a made-by-Kitselas approach. The Meraki planners worked in tight partnership with the seven Kitselas communities to identify objectives which were relevant to the Kitselas people. The collaborative approach has integrated a strong element of relationship-building into the methodology, with several trips made by Meraki Community Planning to the subject lands to connect and engage with the people. A second dimension of inclusion is evident in the efforts of the First Nation and the consulting team to include all generations in the plan-making process. Youth, young adults and elders all featured prominently in the process of developing this plan.

The focus on inclusion, results, and implementation is evident, and the jury applauds efforts to identify potential funding sources for each action in the implementation section. Implementation actions, lead departments, funding sources, and timelines are clearly laid out for each of the 72 action areas. An annual reporting protocol is also recommended to assist the Chief and Council in monitoring progress.

Kitselas culture and identity were infused throughout the document in the form of artwork by Kitselas youth, photos, and stories, representing a third dimension of inclusion. The plan considered cultural artefacts and landscapes – the jury noted this is an important consideration for others working in the First Nations planning sphere.”