(Facebook/Shuswap Nation Tribal Council).

By Aaron Schulze

SNTC Project

SNTC receives $500,000 in federal funding for Secwépemc legal project

Aug 3, 2021 | 4:59 PM

KAMLOOPS — One of the Shuswap Nation Tribal Council’s (SNTC) projects is getting a boost from the federal government.

“Revitalizing Secwepemc Law through the Implementation and Advancement of our Indigenous Legal Practices” develops training materials to increase community knowledge and understanding of Secwepemc traditional legal principles. It’s built on research and supports the implementation of Secwépemc Laws in the Secwépemc Nation.

The Department of Justice is providing SNTC $500,000 of funding over three fiscal years through its Justice Partnership and Innovation Program.

“I am pleased that the Shuswap Nation Tribal Council’s project that will support the implementation of Secwepemc Laws in the Secwépemc Nation,” Minister of Justice and Attorney General David Lametti stated. “We are committed to supporting the development, use and understanding of Indigenous laws and access to justice.”

SNTC’s project is being done in partnership with the University of Victoria’s Indigenous Law Research Unit. Activities include workshops, training, and information sessions, to community members about the practical application of Secwépemc legal traditions pertaining to lands, natural resources, and citizenship. It will create an online database to store, share, and increase access to Secwépemc laws.

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“Secwépemc legal traditions are part of and derived from the legal orders which are embedded within the social, political, economic, and spiritual institutions of our people,” Wenecwtsin Kukpi7 and SNTC Tribal Chief Wayne Christian said. “It is known that traditionally Secwépemc had laws that governed all aspects of the social order. The recognition and practicing of one’s traditional laws is an act of sovereignty and effectively serves as a process of decolonization through the assertion of the aboriginal right to govern oneself.”

Christian said SNTC has been dedicated to the revitalization of Secwépemc Laws since 2011. He added that receiving the $500,000 allows SNTC to move from the research phase towards on-the-ground practice.

“Secwépemc law needs to be practiced – it is not enough to simply research it and articulate it within a document,” Christian said. “We must be able to demonstrate the ways in which they have practicality in addressing today’s needs if we are to meaningfully breathe life into them once again.”