Story of using OST as a governance tool with an indigenous community

[Romy Shovelton]

Chris

you inspire extra-ordinarily..... as always
thank you SO much for this story

may I one day (soon?) find such a meaningful way of contributing to our
world

xxx Romy

>
www.wikima.com
+44 (0)207 229 7320
+44 (0)7767 370739

On 26 Oct 2004, at 16:09, Chris Corrigan wrote:

>
> Colleagues:
>
> I'm pleased to be able to finally share this story with you.
>
> The Sliammon First Nation lies about 100 kilometers north of Vancouver
> on British Columbia's Sunshine Coast.   Sliammon is in the process of
> reviving traditional governance structures and practices but they are
> giving them a modern day tweak to work with the existing Indian Act
> (colonial) governance structures and the realities of governing a
> modern community in a resource rich territory.  My colleagues Chris
> Robertson and I have been working with the community for the past year
> using Open Space to revive a traditional governance process.  We have
> been working with Michelle Washington, a community member and recently
> trained OST facilitator who has been guiding this work.
>
> The process we have been animating is called "Sijitus" which means
> "advisory" in the Tla'amon language.  Traditionally Sijitus was a
> gathering of family heads who met to provide direction and advice for
> the community's leadership.  Sliammon has revived Sijitus using Open
> Space Technology.  For the past year we have met about once a month in
> Open Space with representatives from the families of Sliammon to look
> at issues facing the community and to craft recommendations and advice
> to the various governing institutions of the community.  Overall the
> process has worked well to create an inclusive forum for voices to be
> heard and for overcoming some of the differences that can deeply split
> small communities.  Prior to re-establishing Sijitus, this was a major
> concern in the community, and was responsible for some very divisive
> results in elections and referenda on treaty agreements.
>
> What's very interesting about this whole project is that Sliammon
> intentionally places all of its governance work in a deep historical
> and cultural context.  While understanding that modern day realities
> mean shaping and changing practices, an underlying cultural integrity
> is central to everything we do.  This is why they originally chose
> Open Space for Sijitus: it displayed many of the characteristics of
> traditional governance practice while remaining flexible enough to be
> used for a variety of purposes.  And it reconnected the passion of
> emotional debates to the responsibility of seeing things through.
>
> Sliammon has recently revived its treaty society website
> (http://www.sliammontreaty.com) and they have posted their tradtional
> teachings toolbox
> (http://www.sliammontreaty.com/governance_toolbox.html).  This work
> represents years of interviews with Elders, studies of anthropological
> sources and work on the land to assemble a Sliammon history, a set of
> guiding principles and a very deep collection of Kwuth Ta-ow:
> traditional teachings
> (http://www.sliammontreaty.com/governance_taow.html).  These teachings
> cover everything from leadership to medicines to the ways in which the
> community traditionally provided for itself, and they are fascinating
> to read.  Sliammon families practice their culture today in a myriad
> of ways and so the toolbox is meant to capture the underlying values
> behind these practices.  We have used this document for the past year
> to work with and shape our Open Space meetings to align them with the
> community's culture and to bring this reincarnation of Sijitus in line
> with both the traditional and contemporary realities of Sliammon
> community governance, and now I'm really pleased that it's available
> to a wider audience.
>
> For me, Sliammon represents a very deep process of taking a community
> and connecting it to it's stories and culture in order to reframe it's
> forward moving directions.  Nothing in Sliammon's history and
> traditions has encumbered the community from existing in a modern
> context of relations with other governments, companies and neighbours.
>  The Sliammon treaty folks have gone deep to find the values and
> practices that lead them forward and as such are moving in a direction
> of deep integrity.  In fact the Sliammon word for "policies" or
> "principles" is "ta-ow" which actually translates as "teachings,"
> making a stong connection between those things that move us forward
> and those places from which we have come.
>
> I can see this working in many organizations and communities, this
> veritical integration across time of practices and principles that are
> deeply rooted, yet contribute to opening space such that we can move
> forward in a way that feels natural and in synch with who we are and
> what our story is.
>
> So, I share it with you here, for some reflection.
>
> Chris
> --
> -------------------------
> CHRIS CORRIGAN
> Consultation - Facilitation
> Open Space Technology
>
> Weblog: http://www.chriscorrigan.com/parkinglot
> Site: http://www.chriscorrigan.com
>
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