Secwepemc Knowledge Keeper Cecilia Dick-DeRose passes away at 91

Cecilia would not only pass that on to her six children, but to countless of other across the Secwepemc Nation and around Canada.

“She had a way of connecting with people like none we’ve ever seen before,” said DeRose. “She touched people in such a powerful way, and we didn’t even notice it because it was our mom and she was our mom, that was it. But she touched people all over Canada.”

Despite living in a time when First Nations people couldn’t enter many shops in Williams Lake, and had to clear the streets by 9:00 p.m., Ceclia never allowed hate to seep in, even when she witnessed racism.

“My mom used to say to us ‘it because people didn’t know us, if they knew us they would understand, value and appreciate us,'” De Rose added. “She never ever let us lead with hate or feel hatred towards people. She always made sure we valued and appreciated everybody for who they were and our job was to teach and make a difference through teaching and sharing.”

Cecilia earned numerous honours for her work as a knowledge keeper and teacher of language and culture, including an ‘Indspire’ award, and a doctorate from Thompson Rivers’ University.

“Now we know that this is it, it’s up for us to carry this forward. And this isn’t easy work, it’s hard work and it’s very time consuming,” De Rose said. “But in order to make sure that mom’s legacy and our people’s legacy carries forward we need to pick up where she left off.”

Dede hopes the lasting memory of her mother is the positive impact she had on countless generations of Secwepemc people.

“She wasn’t going to leave until she felt her job was done, and I think last week she left peaceful in knowing that she had done all she could do to move our family, our community and our people forward,” said DeRose.

Cecilia Dick-DeRose was 91.

by Michael Reeve

Secwepemc Knowledge Keeper Cecilia Dick-DeRose passes away at 91

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