People in the eleven Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council (NmTC) communities like reading this magazine and have some good ideas on how to make it better.

Those were some of the findings in a survey of leaders in a wide-ranging ‘needs assessment’ that looked at the many services delivered by NmTC and what nations’ top needs and priorities were, from community planning and housing to governance and culture.

More than 84 per cent of those filling out the survey said the Salish Sea Sentinel played a role in communicating the successes of their nation to other community members.

About 62 per cent picked up their copy of the magazine at a band office while about 24 per cent had home delivery. Almost 10 per cent got a copy while travelling on a major BC Ferries route and an equal number downloaded a digital version of the magazine from the Sentinel web site.

There were a number of suggestions on what sort of articles people like to read in the magazine including those about land, youth, elders and health issues. And there were some specific ideas for stories: recipes, including how to make bannock, how to build a skiff, how to skin a deer, and how to use a pressure cooker for jarring clams.

Besides the Sentinel, those who filled out the survey praised NmTC for bringing together people from various communities so that they can network. They also said they would like assistance to connect with potential mentors from other nations.

Other questions raised by respondents included: how successful organizations are able to keep staff, what is meant by mentoring and a mentoring plan, and elements of community engagement training that would be most valuable.