Incumbent Kúkpi7 Rosanne Casimir speaking to CFJC Oct. 25, 2024. (Image Credit: Kent Simmonds / CFJC Today)

By Dylana Kneeshaw

2024 Tk’emlúps ELECTION

Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc Kúkpi7 Rosanne Casimir seeking re-election with project completion in mind

Oct 25, 2024 | 6:00 PM

TK’EMLUPS — Tk’emlúps te Secwe̓pemc will hold its chief and council election this November 9. There are 12 candidates running for Tk̓wenem7íple7 (band councillor) seats and two candidates are vying for Kúkpi7 (Chief). Current councillor Joshua Gottfriedsen is running for the spot, as well as current Tk’emlúps Kúkpi7 Rosanne Casimir. If re-elected, it would be Casimir’s third term.

Kúkpi7 Casimir has been at the helm of Tk’emlúps leadership through a global pandemic, the Le Estcwicwéy̓ announcement in 2021, economic pressures and, mostly recently, the loss of the Red Bridge — one of the main access points to the Tk’emlúps reserve.

“Everything that happened along the way, I had to really look at my leadership style and look at my leadership in general to be able to rise to all of the different challenges that were faced,” Casimir notes.

She’s seeking a third term as Kúkpi7, and part of what’s driving that decision is first, a passion for the community and people she’s apart of, but also wanting to see through projects like an Elder’s Lodge and the future Tk’emlúps te Secwe̓pemc Healing House.

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“Being re-elected as Kúkpi7, seeing the Healing House completed, up and running, operational and supporting our community and our survivors and intergenerational survivors of the Kamloops Indian Residential School is a priority.”

Casimir is also the Tribal Chief for Shuswap Nation Tribal Council (SNTC), comprised of nine Secwe̓pemc communities. Her role with Tk’emlúps and SNTC has required regular work with Indigenous governance across the country, along with the city, provincial and federal governments, and the Prime Minister’s Office.

On that note, Casimir says Kúkpi7 is a position that has to be held with a high level of integrity and a willingness to step up for the people who elected you.

“I just finished writing a letter to the prime minister, sharing with him the importance of finishing off our Healing House, and of course looking at our museum as well because those were some commitments that he had committed to publicly, but also with us,” she says.

Casimir says there are a number of issues community members on and off reserve have vocalized, particularly around safety and support services.

“It’s about unity and it’s also about healing. Because we’ve seen so much increased violence in our community and trauma. We’ve also seen the rise in the unhoused and we’re doing a lot of things to support all of those (issues).”

The campaign is well underway and Casimir notes it’s an opportune time for Tk’emlúps membership to share what needs to be addressed.

“Moving forward, I think we can keep doing better with our people at the forefront, hearing what they have to say and including them.”

Tk’emlúps te Secwe̓pemc will host its all-candidates forum for band members to attend at Moccasin Square Garden on Saturday, October 26 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Advance voting will be held on November 2 for Tk’emlúps band members, electronic voting runs November 3 until 8, and final voting day is set for November 9.

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Kúkpi7 candidates include:

• Rosanne Casimir
• Joshua Gottfriedsen

Tk̓wenem7íple7 candidates include:

• Marie Baptiste
• Thomas Blank
• Versal Camille
• Nikki Fraser
• Boyd Gottfriedson
• Cam Gottfriedson
• Chad Gottfriedson
• Sonny Joseph Leonard
• Daylin Malloy
• David Manuel
• Vicki W. Manuel
• Myron Ray Alphonse Thomas