Secwépemc research authors to receive Governor General’s Innovation Award

The pair have worked for decades to improve Indigenous language presentation, and advocating for traditional knowledge to be used in conjunction with western science.

Chief Ignace has been leading the Skeetchestn band since the 1980’s working to improve Indigenous land title and rights, reconciliation efforts, and advocating for Elder’s knowledge to be used in climate change solutions.

“We’ve taken the idea that Western science has ruled the world, right? But it’s gone rogue if you look at how the environment is going today with climate change and all of that,” he says. “So what we’ve set out to do was to show that traditional ecological knowledge can have a fundamental role to help correct those types of issues.”

Sharing the award is Dr. Marianne Ignace, who applied her education to many Indigenous language revitalization projects. Not only for the Secwépemc people but for others like the Haida nation.

“In our case, it’s also the combination of how we can combine research and leadership to make a difference,” she says. “Whether it’s on issues of mining, whether it’s on issues of standing up laws to protect our mountains after the wildfires, whether it’s on issues like bringing home Secwépemc ancestors who were taken from our territory 100 years ago or more.”

Their 2017 book, Secwépemc People, Land, and Laws: Yerí7 re Stsq’ey’s-kucw has become a resource for students in universities around Canada, and details how their ancestors shaped the modern day Shuswap nation.

“In many ways, we become the voices of our ancestors in giving them the opportunity to let the world know what they thought,” explains Chief Ignace. “And we’re proud to be able to pass that on to the next generation.”

When asked about recent moments they’ve seen a benefit from their research first-hand, Ron says him and Marianne recently presented at Thompson Rivers University, and had some students come up to say how impressed they were with the knowledge provided.

“Which was very good to hear. That we had that kind of level of impact on people out there. Giving the opportunity for people to see the world as we have seen it down through the ages,” he says. “It allows us to break down barriers and to be able to communicate and exchange ideas, and hopefully be able to find common ground.”

Marianne says their studies and advocacy have brought to light how Indigenous people in the past took care of the environment, and how important preserving the language is.

“The work that we did through our book, but beyond that, it also guides some way of how in a good and positive way we can seek reconciliation,” she explains. “By standing up Secwépemc laws, by bringing forth the knowledge of how Secwépemc people in the past protected and took care of the environment and our lands.”

As part of Canadian Innovation Week, the Ignaces will travel to Ottawa for the Governor General’s Innovation Award presentation on May 29.

by Dylana Milobar

Secwépemc research authors to receive Governor General’s Innovation Award

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