Hi'li'gam Trust

The Gwa'sala-'Nakwaxda'xw Nations entered into a settlement agreement with the Government of Canada in 2008. This settlement was in response to the Gwa'sala and 'Nakwaxda'xw relocation in the 1960s. Settlement funds were deposited into a trust account, to be used as a long-term asset for the benefit of the Nation.

Trust Committee

The Trust Committee is the body responsible for administering the Gwa'sala-'Nakwaxda'xw Nation Hi'li'gam Trust on behalf of the community. They ensure that the Trust Agreement is followed.

Chief Paddy Walkus

Trustee

Eddie Walkus

Trustee

Duane Nelson

Trustee

Dennis Walkus

Trustee

Gary Walkus

Trustee Chair

Janine Sheard

Trustee

Willie Walkus

Trustee

Dodie Rufus

Trustee

Leslie Walkus

Trustee / Manager

Angela Johnson

Community Trustee

Ravena Coon

Community Trustee

Jason Koshman

Independent Trustee

Gwa'sala-'Nakwaxda'xw hi'li'gam Trust
Hi'li'gam Trust Staff

The Trust Committee is authorized to hire staff to help with various aspects of administering the Trust, from overall administration and organization to communications and investment planning. 

Department Resources

The Trust Committee meets monthly for committee meetings.

The Trust Committee is obligated to hold at least one all Nation Trust meeting per year, which is open to all Gwa’sala-‘Nakwaxda’xw Nation Members. It is at these all Nation meeting where proposals to use Trust funds are voted upon, requiring a quorum of 25% of the Nation Membership to be present, and 50% +1 of those people to vote for or against the proposals. The Trust Committee is also obligated to provide reports and financial updates at these meetings.

If you would like to view Trust Board of Director meeting minutes or other documents held in the Trust office, please make an appointment with the Trust Chair to meet and go over them. Because minutes contain sensitive information, at this time they cannot be posted online, copied, or removed from the office.

Project Proposals

Trust funds are meant to be used in three ways: annual disbursements to community members, administrative costs to responsibly manage the Trust, and projects for the benefit of the community.

If community members have ideas for projects that they feel would be eligible for Trust funding, they must contact the Trust Chair to get a copy of the proposal template and discuss the proposal.
 
Once the template has been completed with information like project purpose, benefits of the project, budget and workplan details, and risk mitigation, the finished proposal is submitted to the Trust Committee for consideration.
 
If the Trust Committee approves the proposal (judging it against the criteria in the Trust Agreement) it then moves to a vote at an All-Nation meeting. 30 days before the meeting copies of the proposal are made available to community members for review. At the All-Nation Meeting, a quorum of eligible voters approve or reject the proposal.
Currently Funded Projects

For the fiscal year of 2024/2025 the following projects were approved by a community vote and were then funded:

  •  Elders’ Program;
  • Youth Sports and Recreation;
  • School Meals;
  • Culture Program at the School;
  • Sports Program at the School;
  • Daycare Meal Program; and,
  • Big House Regalia-making.
Each year, these programs apply for funding through the Hi’li’gam Trust.

trust Committee

The Primary task of our committee is to review proposals to use the Trust funds for community projects which must benefit the whole community, and if the project proposal meets certain criteria, the proposal is voted on.