FAQ
Did You Know?
Understanding the Wolastoqey Tribal Council
There are sometimes questions about what a Tribal Council is, how WTCI works, and how it fits alongside the individual First Nations we serve. We think those are important questions.
This is an opportunity to share a little more about who we are, how decisions are made, where our work comes from, and how we see our role within our communities.
We also recognize that there is always room to listen, learn and improve. Staying connected and responsive to the communities we serve is an important part of our work.
What is the Wolastoqey Tribal Council?
The Wolastoqey Tribal Council Inc. (WTCI) was founded with a clear vision: to empower Wolastoqey communities in New Brunswick.
WTCI was created to help address community needs, advocate for equitable access to services, preserve and strengthen our culture, build capacity, and support our communities through collective work.
Our five Member First Nations are Matawaskiye, Bilijk, Sitansisk, Welamukotuk and Wotstak.
Each First Nation remains its own independent community and government. WTCI provides a way for the communities to work together in areas where there is a shared need or where there is value in building capacity collectively.
Who decides what WTCI does?
WTCI has a formal governance structure established through its by-laws. The Board of Directors is made up of the Chiefs of our Member First Nations, unless a community appoints another representative through a Band Council Resolution.
The Board provides governance, mandates, strategic direction, policy and oversight.
But WTCI’s work does not come from the Board alone.
Much of what we do starts with what we hear from community members, families, youth, service providers and community organizations. Our staff are also continually seeing needs and gaps through their work in communities.
Community engagement, staff experience, emerging issues, available resources and opportunities all help inform our planning and recommendations. The Board then provides the governance direction needed to move work forward.
In other words, community voices help shape the work, staff and leadership help develop it, and the Board provides the governance framework and direction.
Why is community engagement important?
One of the principles that guides our work is that communities know what is best for them.
Community engagement helps us understand what people are experiencing, what is working, where gaps exist and where things could be done differently.
Feedback can help us develop a new initiative, improve an existing service, identify an emerging issue or inform advocacy.
Community engagement is not something we want to do only after decisions have been made. Listening to our communities is part of how we determine what needs attention in the first place.
And we know listening has to be ongoing. What communities need today may not be what they need tomorrow.
Why work together?
Each First Nation has its own leadership, priorities, programs and services. WTCI does not replace that work.
There are, however, some things that can be useful to do together rather than having each community develop the same capacity independently.
For WTCI, that can mean:
- Sharing specialized expertise and knowledge
- Developing training and resources that can benefit multiple communities
- Delivering regional programs and services
- Creating opportunities for children, youth and families
- Sharing what is working and learning from one another
- Supporting communities with specialized areas of expertise
- Working together on issues that affect multiple communities
- Strengthening our collective voice in advocacy
- Responding to shared needs and emerging opportunities
Working together does not mean doing everything the same way. It means recognizing where there is a benefit to building something collectively while respecting the individual priorities and authority of each First Nation.
Does WTCI compete with First Nations?
We understand why this question may come up, particularly when people see WTCI delivering programs or pursuing funding.
WTCI’s role is not to replace programs or services that belong within individual First Nations. We aim to add capacity where there is a shared need or where working collectively provides value.
Many of the programs and services delivered by WTCI are supported through funding streams intended for regional, collaborative or service-delivery organizations rather than funding intended for individual First Nations.
WTCI also has processes for considering new funding opportunities. Significant new business requires a mandate from the Board, allowing the opportunity to be considered in relation to WTCI’s mandate, community priorities and existing work.
We also recognize that the distinction is not always simple. Avoiding duplication, being thoughtful about our role and communicatingclearly with communities are ongoing responsibilities for WTCI.
Who works at WTCI?
WTCI is a community-based organization, and the people who work here are part of the communities we serve.
Our staff include people from our Member First Nations and other Wolastoqey and Wabanaki communities, as well as non-Indigenous employees and allies who bring valuable skills and expertise.
Our staff work directly with children, youth, families and community members, while others provide specialized, administrative and organizational support.
We are proud of our Indigenous workforce and the knowledge, lived experience and relationships that our staff bring to their work.
We are not separate from our communities. We are people from the communities working alongside other community members to support our people.
What does the Executive Director do?
The Executive Director is responsible for the day-to-day leadership and operation of WTCI and for carrying out the direction and mandates established by the Board.
This includes overseeing staff, programs, services, resources and organizational operations.
The by-laws also provide that the Executive Director is responsible for the hiring, termination, training and supervision of Society staff and must have a Board mandate before undertaking new business beyond routine operations.
The Board provides governance and direction. The Executive Director and staff are responsible for putting that direction into action.
Who does WTCI report to?
WTCI is accountable to its Member First Nations through its governance structure.
The Chiefs serve as the Members and Directors of the Society, unless their community appoints another representative.
The Board is responsible for oversight and direction, while staff and leadership are responsible for carrying out the organization’s work.
Accountability, however, is more than reporting to a Board. We also have a responsibility to the people who use our services and to the communities whose needs we are here to serve.
That means being transparent about our work, listening to feedback, acknowledging where we can do better and being willing to adapt.
What is WTCI’s role within our communities?
WTCI’s role will continue to evolve as community needs change.
Sometimes our role is to deliver a service. Sometimes it is to build capacity, bring specialized expertise, help a family navigate a system, create an opportunity for youth, develop a shared resource or advocate for change.
Sometimes the best role for WTCI may be to support work that is already happening in a community rather than create something new.
Our responsibility is to understand where we can add value, where we should work together, and where we need to step back and support the work of others.
We will not always get everything right. Like any organization, we have areas where we can improve. We want to hear when something is not working, understand why, and use that feedback to become better at what we do.
At WTCI, our foundation is built on the belief that our communities know what is best for them, and we are here to support and amplify their voices every step of the way.