Our Name and Logo
Playing off of the theme of a home, which is the M’akola Housing Society’s logo, this design represents a refurbished house with a new door that represents a man’s mouth. The façade of the house is refurbished with two killer whales, each with a seal in its mouth and the top of the house is a killer whale coming towards the viewer with a seal in its mouth. The peaks have also been replaced with a more ornate design. The killer whale represents the spirits of our great chiefs. The seals are a staple for our people and for the orcas. The face with the mouth for the door presents an ancestor.
The artist, Richard Hunt is a Kwaguilth (Kwakiutl) Native from Fort Rupert.
Our Vision
Indigenous-based, socially-conscious professional development services Organization.
Our Mission
M’akola Development Services builds meaningful and sustainable relationships in order to:
Provide professional planning, research and development support;
Build affordable homes and mixed-use projects; and
Build capacity and invest in Indigenous communities.
Our History
The ‘Victoria Native Indian Housing Society’ was incorporated on February 6, 1984 as a non-profit society. The name was changed to the M’akola Housing Society on April 5, 1988.
Our Society was originally established to provide safe, affordable housing for families of Aboriginal ancestry who were in core need of housing in urban centers on Vancouver Island. Since that time our Society and our mandate have expanded into what is now the M’akola Group of Societies, consisting of seven societies.
The Mis’kow’aao Development Society (MDS) was incorporated March 18th, 1988 as a non-profit society, we specialize in project development, and property management services for market and non-market developments. Mis’kow’aao has provided development and project management services for over 30 affordable housing projects for aboriginal and non-aboriginal clients.
We are a non-profit, organization governed by a volunteer Aboriginal board of directors with significant related experience, skills, passion, and understanding of the needs of both on and off-reserve Aboriginal Families.
Organizational Background
M’akola Development Services is a professional consulting firm with Indigenous roots that is committed to supporting vibrant, diverse communities in British Columbia. M’akola has 31 years of experience in housing research, planning, and development for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal clients.
Our interdisciplinary team partners with municipalities, non-profit organizations, all levels of government, Aboriginal communities, and private industry to examine social and economic opportunities to develop collaborative, sustainable and unique solutions that respect the past while building for the community of tomorrow. We value local knowledge and expertise, and strongly believe if housing is to meet the needs of the community and enhance quality of life, participation and support from the community is critical. Our services span the full development spectrum from Concept to Community.
By assigning a dedicated team to each project, we provide consistent, high-quality services, tailored to the specific needs of your project. Our team includes the full complement of project and development expertise, and we take an active and engaged approach through all project phases.
Our Core Values
Client centered and collaborative
We work to understand each client’s specific needs and capacity.
We work in a collaborative way and respect our clients’ views and skills.
We put our clients’ needs at the center of everything we do.
Rooted in Indigenous values
The vision of Indigenous leaders informs our business philosophy.
We are committed to restoring and building relationships through reconciliation.
Traditional sustainability informs our approach to client relationships, which are based on reciprocal respect.
Professional
Our services are professional and based on standardized designations.
We offer a unique range of services, including staff with planning, development, financial, environmental, and public health skills and expertise.
Although we are entrepreneurial, we understand, respect, and are rooted in a not-for-profit approach.
Holistic
Our approach is driven by values and goals that go beyond the financial bottom line.
Social purpose underlies all the work do: we are focused on the people, the process, and the community.
We aim to build communities by building projects.
Relationship-focused
Long term relationships are the foundation of our work.
We create and nurture friendships with our clients and partners.
Our staff cares about our clients and pays attention to their needs.
Capacity building
We are committed to sharing our knowledge and skills.
As leaders in our sector, we will help create a bigger pool of people with skills and expertise in planning and development.
We appreciate the support of our clients and partners and support them in turn.
Responsive
We do not rely on predetermined project plans; instead we adapt our approach to every client’s specific needs, challenges, and priorities.
We continually striving to improve the quality of our work.
We understand the value of learning as well as leading.