PARTNER NATION
Tla’amin Nation
PROJECT TYPE
Data Collection
STATUS
Completed March 2026
Project Overview
Tla'amin Nation conducted its first Nation-wide Census, taq̓atštəm, meaning “we are going to talk about it,” to better understand the priorities, experiences, and needs of Citizens living at home and away from home.
The project included survey design, staff training, and development of interactive dashboards.
The project created one shared dataset that departments can draw on for planning, reporting, and service delivery.
“As elected leaders, the first question we ask ourselves is ‘how will the decisions we take impact our people?’
Now with the census we have heard from a majority of our community members on issues like safety, health, housing and culture. The census gets rid of the guesswork and helps us to manage grounded in Nation voices.”
— Hegus (Chief) John Hackett
Case Study Highlights
taq̓atštəm reached a response rate of approximately 64%, with 593 adults responding. The youth-focused ʔɛmaθtən Census also captured the voices of 74 Tla’amin youth aged 13 to 17.
The Census created one shared dataset that departments can draw on for planning, reporting, and service delivery. The questionnaire and reporting were aligned with the Comprehensive Nation Plan and Nation priorities.
Tla’amin established foundational data governance structures and roles, including data stewardship, permissions, access processes, and privacy protections within the Build Your Own Data Centre.
Census results are now in active use across departments through interactive dashboards. Approximately 100 staff have access under role-based permissions, with trained toχtoχnomot (Superusers) supporting ongoing use.
“When designing communication and engagement plans the first thing I do now is ‘ask the census’ — what do we know already?”
— Davis McKenzie, Director of Communications
Downloadable Materials
Read the full Case Study on the process, discoveries, and outcomes for Tla’amin and the lessons other Nations can take away.