*8.3. Practiced Relationship*

The Indigenous worldview is a relational worldview. Building upon and extending relationships are an essential process for development. Restoring and extending the health of the community must remain a key goal. In all this activity, the initiative should generate a dynamic and creative process of problem solving. Community at every stage is about creating a process of revitalizing old relationships and creating new ones that serve the vision and purpose of building a healthier community. Today, being in community cannot be taken for granted. It requires conscious practice which comes through the actual process of building community.

## *8.4. Deep Commitment*

There must be sustained commitment for developing the necessary skills to initiate and maintain development activities. In addition, there is need for commitment to community renewal and to mutual reciprocal action and transformative change. Community building is a long-term effort and requires consistent commitment of individuals and the community over time to be successful. Deep commitment of community members to the doing what is necessary to heal and move our communities forward tends to be the single most important factor for success of community projects.

## *8.5. Learning from the Experiences of Other Indigenous People*

Collaboration, dialogue, and research with other Indigenous communities about the models or approaches they have used to revitalize or implement sustainable development within their community is an essential activity. Indeed, many times we are our own best resource and advisors when it comes

to community-building activities because such collaboration is grounded in the shared experiences of lived realities that we have shared.
