Vuntut Gwitchin Government, Strategic Communications Plan
Between April and July 2021, Castlemain worked with Vuntut Gwitchin Government (VGG) to develop a VGG Strategic Communications Plan through an inclusive and collaborative approach.
The communications plan was prepared through an inclusive and collaborative approach based on direct engagement with Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation Citizens and Vuntut Gwitchin Government staff and leadership. Through engagement we explored how VGG communicates with Citizens, how people inside VGG communicate with each other, and how VGG communications with other external audiences.
CHALLENGES/ROADBLOCKS:
The community of Old Crow is Yukon's only fly-in community and is located within the Traditional Territory of the Vutnut Gwitchin First Nation. Due to the remoteness of the community challenges included providing equal opportunities to all Citizens inside or outside Old Crow.
RESULTS:
Being comfortable in delivering virtual and in-person engagement activities allowed us to shift and pivot as needed. We managed a variety of virtual and modified in-person engagement activities to support meaningful engagement in safe spaces.
Engagement activities to develop the plan included:
Collecting feedback through internal workshops with Chief and Council, managers and directors, staff, and the VGG Youth Council.
Five workshops were facilitated in total with approximately 30 attendees.
Attendees shared their ideas about past and ongoing communications.
The VGG Youth Council workshop focused on communications preferences and amplifying VGG youth voices.
Launching a VGFN Citizen survey from May 13 to June 7, 2021, to inform the development of its communications plan.
Online and printed surveys were made available to VGFN Citizens.
Members of the Youth Council encouraged VGFN Citizens to complete surveys during the 2021 Vadzaih Choo Drin celebrations
An open house was hosted in Whitehorse to give VGFN Citizens there a chance to learn about the communications plan and complete a survey.
Launching a staff survey from April 30 to June 7, 2021, to gather further insights.
Collaborating with heritage staff in VGG’s natural resources department, staff were asked to provide guidance on how the communications plan could provide guidance on incorporating Gwich’in language, culture and storytelling into both internal and external VGG documents.
Staff shared knowledge on Gwich’in forms of communication, the incorporation of Gwich’in language in government forms, and the departments prioritization of training fluent language speakers.
