Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc

Update to Membership on this historical day, March 9, 2023 regarding the Gottfriedson Reparations Class Action. The lawsuit says that the Government of Canada is responsible for the collective damages to First Nations caused by the IRS system that includes the collective loss of language and culture.

CHIEF SHANE GOTTFRIEDSON, on behalf of the TK’EMLUPS TE SECWEPEMC INDIAN BAND and the TK’EMLUPS TE SECWEPEMC INDIAN BAND, and CHIEF GARRY FESCHUK, on behalf of the SECHELT INDIAN BAND and the SECHELT INDIAN BAND and HIS MAJESTY THE KING IN RIGHT OF CANADA as represented by THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF CANADA has reached an agreement, that has been approved by the Federal Court as being fair, reasonable, and in the best interests of the 325 First Nation band class members who have opted in.

In Justice McDonald’s concluding statement, she stated the following:

This has been a long-standing class proceeding, since 2012. Justice McDonald also stated that, “The Settlement Agreement provides certainty, recovery, and closure for the Band Class members. These results could not be guaranteed if the litigation were to proceed to trial.” For that we are grateful and for the outcome of the proposed settlement.

The Band Class Reparations settlement is significant for a number of reasons:

• The $2.8 billion dollar settlement is one of the very largest class action settlements in Canadian – history;
• It is the first successful lawsuit that addresses the harms caused by residential schools to First – Nations as collectives.
• It is the first settlement to address damages for the destruction of language and culture.
• The settlement involves a unique structure that involves a 20 year trust for the benefit of each of the – 325 First Nation class members. Each First Nation class member will receive funds from the trust in the – form of planning funds, kick-start funds, annual income and a final payment after 20 years.

The settlement is based on Four Pillars which aim to reverse the collective harms caused by Residential Schools:

• Revival and protection of Indigenous languages;
• Revival and protection of Indigenous cultures;
• Protection and promotion of heritage; and
• Wellness for Indigenous communities and their members.

This settlement gives us the tools necessary to take control of revitalizing our languages and culture. It will leave a generational legacy and puts us in charge of our own healing.

We look forward to in-depth dialogue and working together for real change and creating a lasting legacy with our people and for our future generations.

On behalf of council, we want to acknowledge and honor all those who have been on this journey for our people, our survivors, and express much gratitude and look forward to honoring and working with all of you.

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Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc is excited to announce the release of a Request for Proposal (RFP). We are seeking proposals from professional firms to assist in developing a Comprehensive Community Plan to help our community grow, evolve and to be in a stronger position to assert our jurisdiction in key areas of governance. The CCP will be developed by the community for the community, to provide guidance on the key issues facing our community.

In order to complete this scope of work, we envision engaging the services of a professional services firm that has experience in working with Indigenous communities to develop Comprehensive Community Plans while also having experience working with Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc. We encourage companies with relevant experience and expertise to submit their proposals. The full RFP document can be downloaded below.

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On Friday, January 20th, 2023, eight TESLA supercharger stalls were officially opened at the Tk̓emlúps Petro Canada Station at 560 Pow Wow Trail. The ribbon was cut by Kúkpi7 (Chief) Rosanne Casimir, Tkwenem7íple7 (Councillor) Joshua Gottfriedson, Tk̓emlúps Business and Economic Development Manager, Devin Gambler, Petro Canada Manager, Calvin Bagshaw, and TESLA Project Developer, Kyle Lockhart, followed by cheers of celebration. The first charge at the superchargers was performed before Christmas by Sun Rivers resident and TESLA owner, Dave Retzer.

Kyle Lockhart entertained the crowd by asking skill-testing TESLA questions for prizes of miniature model 3 TESLA cars. The Kamloops TESLA Club was well represented and officially welcomed by Tk̓emlúps to utilize the superchargers and engage with the community.

Tk̓emlúps Petro Canada Manager, Calvin Bagshaw, is encouraged by this new addition to operations. The time needed to charge vehicles allows for a visit into the Petro Canada convenience store or to the neighbouring rest area that has information about the local Indigenous culture, language, and history.

The City of Kamloops and staff showed support for this milestone of the Tk̓emlúps Clean Energy and Emissions Plan by attending including Glen Cheetham, City of Kamloops Climate and Sustainability Manager, Indigenous and External Relations Manager, Tammy Robertson and External Relations Liaison, Sarah Candido.

More TESLA superchargers are planned for across the highway where Tk̓emlúps is currently constructing a grocery store, Sweláps Market.

Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc is honoured to be sharing that Kúkpi7 Rosanne Casimir will be receiving the Order of British Columbia (O.B.C) on Thursday, December 1, 2022.

BC recognizes outstanding citizens with the O.B.C for their achievement, excellence, and distinction that benefits the people of BC and elsewhere. The Order represents the highest form of recognition the province can bestow to its citizens and appointees become members for the rest of their lives.

Kúkpi7 Rosanne Casimir extends her deep appreciation for all those who nominated her for this prestigious recognition as well as those who made the final selection, and she is honoured to be the second TteS member to receive this highest provincial honour. She endeavors are to make her people proud, build positive relationships, and she vows to continue carrying the truths of our elders and survivors on this journey redefining a true collective history of those impacted by Indian Residential Schools, and those who did not make it home.

To witness and share in the ceremony, live streaming is available for all to join at 5:00 pm on Thursday December 1, 2022:

For Immediate Release

Bid Application for the 2027 North American Indigenous Games Approved to Compete for Western Canada

TK̓EMLÚPS TE SECWÉPEMC – KAMLOOPS, BC – Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc and the City of Kamloops are pleased to announce that Kamloops has been selected by the Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity & Recreation Council (I·SPARC) to serve as British Columbia’s official host candidate community for the 2027 North American Indigenous Games (2027 NAIG). As a result, Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc and the City of Kamloops have submitted their Letter of Intent to bid on the 2027 Games to the North American Indigenous Games Council.

Kúkpi7 Rosanne Casimir on behalf of Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc and the Shuswap Nation Tribal Council said “We are extremely proud and excited to be selected to represent British Columbia as we compete against western provinces and territories to host the 2027 North American Indigenous Games. This is a historic opportunity for our people and our Nation, to host Indigenous athletes from across North America, and to showcase our beautiful land and Secwépemc culture.”

“The opportunity to host the 2027 North American Indigenous Games would continue to expand on our long-standing relationship with Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc and other surrounding indigenous communities,” said Reid Hamer-Jackson, Mayor of Kamloops. “It would be a notable event which will again bring our communities together in celebration of sport and reconciliation.”

The 2027 North American Indigenous Games is the largest international, multi sport, and cultural event for Indigenous youth in North America. If successful, Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc and Kamloops will welcome up to 6,000 athletes, coaches, team staff, and cultural performers from over 756 Indigenous Nations in Canada and the United States.

“We are incredibly impressed with the partnership formed between Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc and City of Kamloops and their vision for hosting the 2027 NAIG in the traditional territories of the Secwépemc peoples,” said Rick Brant, I·SPARC CEO. “A welcoming community, strong leadership, world-class facilities, and the impressive resume of hosting provincial, national, and international sport events make Kamloops the ideal location for the NAIG. We are excited with the opportunity to support Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc and City of Kamloops through the bid process.”

“The Province is pleased to support Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc and the City of Kamloops, and their bid to host the North American Indigenous Games in 2027,” said Lisa Beare, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport. “It would be an honour to welcome the Games in British Columbia, and I look forward to the next steps in the selection process.”

Next steps in the bid process will be a competition within western Canada. The North American Indigenous Games Council utilizes a scoring system that assists the bid committee and Council with awarding the games to the best prepared and most qualified host candidate city.

The right to host the 2027 North American Indigenous Games will be awarded to the Host Candidate City that has the highest overall score of their bid book, site evaluation tour, and final in-person presentation. The North American Indigenous Games Council will award the 2027 Games by mid July 2023.

The North American Indigenous Games are held every four years and use a geographic rotation when choosing the next location. The next Games will be held in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in 2023. The 2027 bid is for the western region, and the next opportunity for this region to host is in 2039.

For more information about the North American Indigenous Games: http://www.naigcouncil.com

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Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc Media Contact:
Rosanne Casimir, Kúkpi7/Chief
250-819-2255
kukpi7.rosanne@ttes.ca

City of Kamloops Media Contact:
Sean Smith, Business Operations and Events Supervisor
250-828-3552
ssmith@kamloops.ca

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For Immediate Release

No Trespassing on Tḱemlúps te Secwépemc Lands

TḰEMLÚPS TE SECWÉPEMC, November 18, 2022 — In light of the November 13, 2022 incident, where an individual trespassed onto Tḱemlúps te Secwépemc reserve lands and caused a serious emergency situation on Mount Paul, Tḱemlúps is reminding the public that permission is required for access to reserve lands, with the exception of public roads and residential and commercial areas that have been leased for use for homes and businesses.

Extensive land use planning has identified areas for leasing, areas for ceremonial purposes as well as archaeological and cultural sites. It is critical that our reserve lands remain protected and that all residents and visitors are safe in permitted areas.

We provide this important reminder that any activities of any type that ventures outside of public roads and leased areas is unauthorized and unsafe.

Unauthorized access to our lands without the explicit written permission by Chief and Council, is in breach of Tḱemlúps te Secwépemc property rights, governance rights and bylaws and the Indian Act. To be clear, trespass includes both on the ground access and aerial access.

The public is reminded to respect the No Trespassing signs that are posted throughout the reserve.

Tḱemlúps te Secwépemc intends to protect its rights and property to the full extent of the law, and to exercise all available rights and remedies in order to do so, including pursuing charges against those who trespass on our lands.

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Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc Media Contact:
Rosanne Casimir, Kúkpi7/Chief
Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc
kukpi7.rosanne@ttes.ca
+1 (250) 819-2255

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Kamloops, BC—The City of Kamloops is pleased to announce its support of Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc in their bid to host the 2027 North American Indigenous Games in Kamloops. This support includes up to $500,000 of in-kind support in the form of facilities and staff time and a potential cash contribution should the bid be successful.

The 2027 North American Indigenous Games is the largest multi sport and cultural event hosted in Canada and the United States and specifically targets Indigenous populations. Historically, the North American Indigenous Games has brought together more than 5,000 athletes, coaches, and team staff from over 756 Indigenous Nations to celebrate, share, and reconnect through sport and culture.

In Canada, the North American Indigenous Games are a fundamental component of the Indigenous sport movement as they have effected positive change in the health and well-being of Indigenous Peoples. The North American Indigenous Games Council—the international governing body for the Games—ensures the purposes and philosophies are reflected in all aspects of the Games and works in a manner that is consistent with the cultural, spiritual, and traditional values of the people it represents.

Each North American Indigenous Games features eight days of competition in July in up to 16 sports. The sporting events may include 3D archery, athletics, badminton, baseball, basketball, beach volleyball, box lacrosse, canoe/kayak, golf, rifle shooting, soccer, softball, swimming, volleyball, and wrestling.

“The North American Indigenous Games represents the pinnacle of interprovincial/territorial sport and cultural celebration which embodies the cultural, spiritual, and traditional values of our people,” said Kúkpi7 Rosanne Casimir of Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc.

“Kamloops is proud to have world-class facilities that can support Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc in hosting this monumental event. Our community has a proven track record of providing an exceptional athlete experience,” said Sean Smith, the City’s Business Operations and Events Supervisor.

The North American Indigenous Games are held every four years and use a geographic rotation when choosing the next location. The 2020 North American Indigenous Games were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The next Games will be held in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in 2023. The 2027 bid is for the western region, and the next opportunity for this region to host is in 2039.

KAMLOOPS, BRITISH COLUMBIA September 22, 2022 – The Kamloops Indian Band Development Corporation (KIBDC), the business and economic development arm of Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc (TteS), is pleased to announce the signing of a new Joint Venture Agreement and a Community Benefits Agreement with the Arrow Group of Companies (the Arrow Group). Both agreements demonstrate the Arrow Group’s proven commitment to recognizing and benefiting TteS and its members in long-term, sustainable ways.

“We appreciate partners like Arrow who are dedicated to investing in our community and our membership,” says Kúkpi7 Rosanne Casimir. “It is important to TteS to advance sustainable opportunities and form partnerships to strengthen our self-reliance. Our drive for self-determination revolves around creating real long-term economic benefits that align with our values and principles.”

“Our business and economic development vision is to create culturally relevant, attractive, and successful opportunities for present and future generations,” says Devin Gambler, KIBDC Manager. “The TteS community is open for business, and we are looking for honest and respectful partners who are committed to walk beside us on our path towards self-sufficiency and independence. Our ever-strengthening relationship with the Arrow Group illustrates what is possible when industry and Indigenous communities are truly committed to each other’s values and economic success.”

Tkemlúps te Secwépemc, KIBDC, and the Arrow Group share a vision of sustainable business and economic development that provides ̓ economic prosperity, promotes social well-being, and preserves a healthy environment. For many years, the Arrow Group has worked proactively with the TteS community to find opportunities for economic reconciliation, training and employment, and capacity growth and development.

The 2022 Joint Venture Agreement expands upon TteS’ existing relationship with the Arrow Group, with the goal of identifying projects on TteS’ ancestral unceded territory that offer the potential to partner for mutual benefit. The new Community Benefit Agreement is tied specifically to the Arrow Group’s fibre operations in the Central Interior region.

“Arrow Group companies have been operating in Kamloops for more than 60 years, and we have strong local ties, including with Tkemlúps te Secwépemc and its members,” says Tim Bell, the Arrow Group’s Executive Vice President. “Our approach to business is to ̓ find ways to create lasting relationships with communities wherever we can, with the goal of building capacity and strengthening local economies in a sustainable way. After more than a decade partnering successfully on a variety of projects and community initiatives, we are excited by the way our relationship with TteS continues to evolve and look forward to identifying opportunities to be TteS’ partner of choice on many projects together in the future!”

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Tḱemlúps te Secwépemc (TteS)’s Business and Economic Development Department is excited to have partnered with Forward Law, Sureus-Murphy and Urban Systems to make a permanent Pride Crosswalk possible at Chief Louis Centre.

Located at the intersection of Powwow Trail and Chief Eli LaRue Way, this Pride Crosswalk is a way of celebrating, supporting, and creating awareness of the 2SLGBTQQIA++ community in Tḱemlúps te Secwépemc and beyond.

Kukpi7 Rosanne Casimir stated that “TteS is proud of the new permanent installation of its Pride Crosswalk. We are a community that is open, responsive, and respectful of the rights and individuality of all people. Everyone matters and deserves to be treated with dignity. Our members and all those that visit our community will know that we are inclusive and welcoming, which are our values as Secwépemc.”

“The Business and Economic Development Department is honoured to be able to support the organization of this initiative and are grateful to our stakeholder partners that supported the crosswalk and invested back into the community,” said Devin Gambler, Manager, Business & Economic Development.

Signage will be added to the crosswalk this month; highlighting Tḱemlúps te Secwépemc’s commitment to promote, educate, and drive awareness to benefit the 2SLGBTQQIA++ community.

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In his latest collection, Secwépemc rancher and renowned poet Garry Gottfriedson explores the fraught mechanics of contemporary masculinity, politics and love. Gottfriedson’s work unapologetically unveils the truth of Canada’s treatment of First Nations and he has spoken openly in the New York Times about his experiences at the Kamloops Residential “School.”

Bent Back Tongue is a raw examination of love, identity, politics, masculinity, and vulnerability. Through sharp honesty and revealing satire, Gottfriedson delves into Canadian colonialism and the religious political paradigms shaping experiences of a Secwépemc First Nations man. This is a book that tears through deceptions that both Canada and the church impose on their citizens. Gottfriedson tackles the darkest layers of a shared colonial history; at the same time, the poems in Bent Back Tongue are a celebration of love, land, family, and the self.

Garry Gottfriedson is a Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc band member from Kamloops, BC. He is strongly rooted in his Secwépemc cultural teachings. He holds a Masters of Arts Education Degree from Simon Fraser University. Gottfriedson has ten published books, including Clinging to Bone and Skin Like Mine, and has presented his work across Canada, United States, South America, New Zealand, Europe, and Asia. Currently, he works at Thompson Rivers University.

Bent Back Tongue can be purchased at all major bookstores and online:
Caitlin Press

Learn more about Garry Gottfriedson and Bent Back Tongue: Bent Back Tongue PR.pdf