Image Credit: Qwelminte Secwepemc

By Adam Donnelly

QWELMINTE SECWEPEMC

Secwepemc community collective celebrates its interns and the work they’ve done

Oct 16, 2020 | 5:23 PM

KAMLOOPS — Across BC, different First Nations work closely with the provincial government in a variety of capacities. Here in Secwepemculecw, a collective of seven communities from this territory have come together to collaborate with four provincial ministries. The collective is called Qwelminte Secwepemc – and meant to help support the communities it represents as they move towards reconciliation with the province.

In March 2019, seven Secwepmec communities and four provincial ministries signed a Letter of Commitment to work together on a long-term reconciliation project.

“We’re really focused in the area of natural resource management, and really transforming a lot of the systems we see currently in place,” Sunny LeBourdais, Qwelminte Secwepemc Director of Transition explains. “[We want] to ensure Secwepemc laws, jurisdictions, and authority are fully exercised when it comes to our inherent title and rights, as Secwepemc people.”

The seven Secwepemc communities represented are the Adams Lake, Little Shuswap Lake, and Shuswap Indian Bands, Splatsin, Simpcw, Skeetchestn, and Tk’emlups the Secwepemc. Together, they make up Qwelminte Secwepemc. The ultimate goal of the partnership is, as Qwelminte Secwepemc puts it, to walk on two legs.

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“When we talk about walking on two legs, what we’re really talking about is ensuring Secwepemc laws and jurisdiction are both recognized and respected,” LeBourdais says. “Through that government-to-government relationship is where we hold that space and place for that reconciliation or recognition between the BC and western laws, and our Secwepemc and indigenous laws.”

Over the past two summers, Qwelminte Secwepemc has welcomed indigenous interns to help them with their work. Kateri Koster served as a 2019 Intern the same year she graduated with a law degree from TRU.

“These opportunities embolden myself, as a young Secwepemc professional, to have hope and to see that there’s an opportunity for these relationships to grow, and develop and move forward in a really good way,” Koster tells CFJC Today.

The interns worked on a wide scope of projects – drafting important documents,curriculum development, examining moose populations in the North Thompson Watershed – or in Kate Wale’s case, building a website for Qwelminte Secwepemc.

“It really became apparent – or more apparent – how important [the website] is as a communications tool for broadening public understanding and gaining that knowledge and support in our communities, and the greater public, as well,” Wale says.

Skeetchestn councillor Darrell Draney is the Responsible Official on behalf of the seven Secwepemc signatory communities. He’s pleased with the work the interns have accomplished in building a bridge between Qwelminte Secewepemc and the Province of BC.

“They have teachers that are Chiefs and Councils and government officials,” Draney says. “They’ll walk on two legs, where these interns will learn the sciences of today and the knowledge of 10,000 of the past.”

It’s important to note Qwelminte Secwepmec is not a decision-making body. Instead, they hope to offer leadership and technical expertise to those in governance who will be making decisions.