PRIVACY POLICY

Introduction
We are strongly committed to protecting the privacy of our web site user community. This privacy policy applies only to the Cowichan Tribes web site and not to other community, company, or organisation sites to which we provide links.

Individual Visitor Information
In general, you can visit Cowichan Tribes web site without telling us who you are or revealing any personal information about yourself.  If you contact us, we request individually identifiable information such as your name and email address. This information will remain confidential and will only be used for correspondence between yourself and Cowichan Tribes.  We maintain a strict 'No Spam' policy, which means we do not intend to sell, rent or otherwise divulge your personal and private information to a third party.

Privacy of Children
We recognise that young people need special safeguards and privacy protection. We understand that they may not understand all the provisions of our policy or be able to make thoughtful decisions about the choices that are made available to our adult users. Therefore, we urge all parents to participate in their children's exploration of the Internet and any online services, and to teach their children about the importance of protecting their personal information while online.

Site Usage Information
Every computer connected to the Internet is given a domain name and an IP (Internet Protocol) address, containing a set of numbers. This information reveals nothing personal about the visitor.  When a visitor requests a page from within our web site, our Web servers automatically recognize that computers' IP address and domain name. Such data is used in the aggregate to help determine general usage patterns and fine tune layout patterns to ensure our site is as 'user friendly' as possible. This information is not collected or evaluated for individuals and our Web servers do not automatically record e-mail addresses.

Cookie Technology
From time to time, Cowichan Tribes may send a 'cookie' to your computer. A cookie is a small piece of data that is sent to your browser from a web server and stored on your computer's hard drive. Our web site may utilize cookie technology to aid visitors in filling out forms or ensuring that requested information is not sent to the visitor more than once.  A cookie cannot:

You can choose whether to accept cookies by changing the settings of your browser.  You can reset your browser to refuse all cookies, or allow your browser to show you when a cookie is being sent. If you choose not to accept these cookies, your experience at our site and other Web sites may be diminished and some features may not work as intended.

What Else Should I Know About My Online Privacy
In order to help your research and understanding, our web site contains many links to many 'external' web sites. However, we are not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of such web sites. Please check with those sites to determine their privacy policy.

Please keep in mind that whenever you voluntarily disclose personal information online - for example through email, discussion lists, or elsewhere - that information can be collected and used by others. In short, if you post personal information online that is accessible to the public, you may receive unsolicited messages from other parties in return. Ultimately, you are solely responsible for maintaining the secrecy of your personal information.  Please be careful and responsible whenever you're online.

Security
We exercise care and due diligence in managing, transmitting, and securing personal information once we receive it.  We have taken careful measures to secure both your information and our physical premises. This may include access to an on-site office, secure access levels to databases, or the use of passwords and encryption. However, it is important for you to know that data transmission over the Internet is not 100% secure.  Despite our efforts, we cannot guarantee the security of any information you transmit to us, and you do so at your own risk.

If you register for any service within the Cowichan Tribes network, your account is password protected. Only visitors knowing your password will have access to the information you have provided. We strongly encourage you not to divulge your password to anyone. Ultimately, you are responsible for maintaining the secrecy of your passwords and any account information.

Disclosure Policy
We do not share any of the individually identifiable information you may provide to any one. We may, however, share aggregate data, e.g., how many people use our site.

Your personal information may be disclosed without your consent if we have reason to believe that doing so is necessary to identify, contact, or bring legal action against anyone damaging, injuring, or interfering with our rights, property, users, or anyone else who may be harmed by such activities.  We will also disclose your information without your consent where we are required by law.

Links to Other Web Sites
Our privacy policy only applies to our web site. It does not apply to external sites that you may connect to from our site.  We recommend that you read the privacy policy of any web site you before divulge individually identifiable information, to understand how they manage personal information. We are not responsible for the content or practices of web sites operated by third parties that are linked to our sites. These links are provided as a service to our visitors.  Unless otherwise stated, they do not constitute our endorsement, sponsorship, or approval of their content, policies or practices.

Acceptance
By accessing any of the pages within our web site, you signify your acceptance of our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to this policy, please do not use our web site.  Your continued use of our web site following the posting of changes to these terms will mean that you accept those changes.

Where the information you are providing to us is sensitive, your consent must be expressed. The following are examples of expressed consent:

The manner in which your consent is granted may vary depending on the sensitivity of the information that you are providing to us. Where the information is less sensitive, implied consent will be considered appropriate.

Legal Disclaimer
We do not endorse any information contained herein by parties not affiliated with Cowichan Tribes. Furthermore, we are providing the information contained on all pages without warranty, guarantee, or further obligation.  We are not liable for any consequences or damages any individual may incur as a result of misrepresented, misquoted, or mistaken information.

The information provided on this site is for informational purposes only.  It is not meant to be an authoritative guide, and will not in any circumstances override any decisions or standards made or set by any representative or agent of Cowichan Tribes.

The Cowichan Tribes Home Page is Copyright © 2005 by Cowichan Tribes. This copyright includes, but is not limited to, all files stored on the server www.cowichantribes.com and other electronic copies of this information. Permission requests should be addressed to:

Cowichan Tribes
5760 Allenby Road
Duncan, BC   V9L 5J1

Ph:  250.748.3196
Fx:  250.748.1233
Email:  webmaster@cowichantribes.com