T’emexw Treaty Association (TTA) Member Nations are creating Nation-specific Constitutions
to establish self-governance and move beyond the Indian Act.
Over the past decade, Beecher Bay (SC’IȺNEW), Malahat, Snaw-naw-as, Songhees and
T’Sou-ke have been developing these documents to reflect who they are and how they want
to guide future generations.
A constitution is a document that defines how a group operates.
Each of the TTA Member Nation Constitutions will include a statement of the core values, beliefs and principles of the Nation. Each Nation’s Constitution will also define the governance structure, outlining the powers and limits of the Nation’s government.
Each Nation will be voting on both its Constitution and Treaty. If both votes pass, governance will be guided by their Constitution and other self-government laws.
A constitution guides how a Nation functions. Its content reflects the culture and history of the Nation it belongs to. In general, most First Nations’ Constitutions include the following sections:
Preamble
Rights and freedoms of Citizens
Governance
Dispute resolution
General provisions
Other
