Six First Nations Working Together
The Hul'qumi'num Treaty Group is a unique organization that provides a strong, united voice for the interests of our six communities, while giving collective support to individual member First Nations to have their specific interests addressed at the table. Working collectively in the treaty making process, we join together with our extended family members for greater strength and impact. The resulting treaty will reflect our Hul'qumi'num peoples’ shared history, culture and resources.

Community Dialogue
Hul'qumi'num Treaty Group is working with the six member First Nation communities towards the common objectives of negotiating a treaty. There are many complex issues involved in these negotiations, and the HTG negotiations staff needs the detailed input of community members, elders and leaders before we go to the table. To do this, we have developed, over the years, a number of different working groups who meet to develop a clear understanding of our interests and positions at the table.

The Internal Working Groups are the key places where we do our internal coordination, communication and mandate-building. These groups are made up of community members, elders, councillors, chiefs and band staff who need to participate in the development of the vision of what is happening at the treaty table. At the Internal Working Groups, the HTG negotiations support staff and consultants present the details of the treaty issues coming to the table, and work through the different solutions. Members get an opportunity to review confidential draft treaty text at the Internal Working Group meetings, and the important interest papers/presentations that are made at the maintable working group table. These well-informed groups help set the real-world concerns of the communities to the HTG staff prior to our meeting at the table. Feedback provided during these Internal Working Group meetings is taken into account before we go to the table. Internal Working Group members have the opportunity to discuss issues raised during the meeting back in their communities.

The Internal Technical Working Groups are ad-hoc groups made up of HTG and band staff. They come together as needed to discuss, plan, strategize and coordinate in the preparation of HTG's specific, detailed positions/interests on a topic. Though most of the activity for these groups has so far related to fish, they have also been called together when we are doing more formal studies to support the mandate-building at HTG (land-use planning, for instance, has held recent ITWG meetings). As only staff attend, these meetings don't cost HTG anything (honouraria are paid to the IWG), and can be held as often as and whenever necessary.

Elders Meetings
The six Hul'qumi'num Communities have an Elders Committee that meets every month. These committees discuss treaty issues from their community perspective and provide recommendations to their Chief and Council on Treaty issues.

The Elders advisory board is comprised of Elders Appointed by each of the six communities. The E.A.B. meets on a monthly basis to provide advice and recommendations to the HTG Board of Directors.

The HTG hosts an Annual Elders Forum, usually in the fall of each year. This forum is to gather elders from throughout Hul'qumi'num communities to discuss important issues. Our last forum contributed to the development of our Constitution, Language protection, and working together (Nutsa'maat).

In December of Each year HTG hosts an Elders Appreciation Luncheon, usually at the Quw'wutsun Culture and Conference Centre in Duncan BC. The luncheon is time of honoring and showing tribute to all our Hul'qumi'num Elders who assist in the work today and started the work many years ago.

Women’s Caucas
Hul'qumi'num Treaty Group has a women's only caucus, where all Hul'qumi'num women are invited to attend sessions to discuss treaty issues from a women's perspective. The Women's Caucus has met to discuss topics such as: Eligibility and Enrolment, and Governance. The Women's Caucus meets all together a minimum of four times each year with meetings in each of the Hul'qumi'num Communities in between.

Youth Meetings
The six Hul'qumi'num Communities have appointed youth representatives who sit on the HTG youth committee. This committee meets on a monthly basis to provide a youth perspective on treaty issues, the youth provide input to the Chief Negotiator and the Board of Directors on Treaty Issues.

HTG contributes to various Youth Conference throughout the Hul'qumi'num Territory annually. We conduct workshops, information tables, and hold joint conferences with Hul'qumi'num Communities Yearly.