Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc

We are honoured to share that Meste’si Llucmetkwe Colleen Seymour has been named one of the 2025 Community Award recipients by the BC Achievement Foundation. A respected teacher, spiritual helper, and knowledge holder, Colleen’s lifelong work in Indigenous education, health, and cultural revitalization continues to uplift and inspire across generations.

As a member of Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc, Colleen’s leadership reflects deep love for the people, the land, and Secwepemctsín—the language she is reclaiming through the First Peoples’ Cultural Council’s Language Revitalization program. She plays a vital role in programs such as the BC Indigenous Health Nursing Research Chair, Rainbow Healing Society, and the I-GEN Initiative, and is known for offering transformative, land-based learning rooted in Indigenous knowledge systems.

Colleen will be honoured at the 2025 Community Award presentation ceremony on May 7 at 2:00 p.m. in Victoria, BC. Watch the livestream at bcachievement.com or tune in later on TELUS Optik TV Channel 707.

Learn more about Colleen’s remarkable work: https://bcachievement.com/awardee/mestesi-llucmetkwe-colleen-seymour/

Kukwstsétsemc, Colleen, for your unwavering dedication to community, healing, and cultural resurgence.

Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc – April 21, 2025

On behalf of Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc we extend heartfelt condolences and collective prayers for the soul of Pope Francis. We honour his journey to be welcomed by the Creator. I offer prayers of comfort and much condolences to all those grieving at this time.

Pope Francis was the first Pope to formally recognize and apologize for the atrocities committed through the Indian Residential School system in Canada. I hold my hands up to him for his humility, courage, and commitment to reconciliation.

In 2022, I had the honour of joining a national delegation coordinated by the Assembly of First Nations to travel to the Vatican. Survivors, Elders, youth, leaders, and spiritual advisors came together to speak directly to the Holy See. We presented on four key areas: Residential Schools and unmarked graves, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), the Papal apology and visit to Canada, and the urgent need for healing and reconciliation.

We shared the deep and lasting impact of the Residential School system, our languages and cultures were taken, our children were lost. We called attention to the TRC’s 94 Calls to Action, including #58, which called for the Pope to apologize on Canadian soil. We also addressed the Calls for Justice from the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

A key request we made was for Pope Francis to travel to Canada and offer a meaningful apology to survivors and their families. His apology delivered during his visit acknowledged the spiritual, cultural, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse inflicted by the Church. He also denounced the Doctrine of Discovery and Terra Nullius. These steps, while symbolic, had profound emotional and spiritual impact for many.

Healing is an ongoing process. We made clear that apology must be followed by concrete actions: full disclosure of residential school records, funding for cultural revitalization, and direct collaboration between dioceses and First Nations to support community healing.

Here in Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc, we have taken further steps. On Easter Sunday, March 31, 2024, we signed a Sacred Covenant with the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vancouver and the Diocese of Kamloops at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School site. This historic agreement, publicly released on June 21, 2024 National Indigenous Peoples Day commits us to:

• Memorialization and honouring the lives of the children who never came home through ceremonies and permanent memorials.

• Truth Seeking while working together to identify missing children and bring answers to their families.

• Support Services and providing mental health and healing support to our community members.

• The Covenant also acknowledges the Church’s role in the residential school system and outlines a shared path forward based on reconciliation, transparency, and long-term healing.

Yesterday, on April 20, 2025, we marked the one-year anniversary of this Covenant, and for the first time, I shared a message from Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State to His Holiness Pope Francis. In his words, the Pope sent “cordial greetings” and prayers for all present. He reflected on his 2022 visit and reminded us of the need to “walk together, pray together, and work together.” Those words carry the power of unity and responsibility.

As we look to the future, we also reflect on the transition now underway within the Catholic Church. We are grateful for Pope Francis’ leadership and example. We now look to the next Pope to continue this journey with humility and action.

Needed is creating a clear mandate for all dioceses to work with First Nations, supporting reparations not only through words but through meaningful investment in language and cultural revitalization.  Addressing colonial structures such as the Papal Bulls and working toward true Land Back.  Working with us to repatriating sacred items and ensuring transparency in the acquisition. Continuing to support the International Decade of Indigenous Languages (2022–2032) with active commitment to revitalization.

We must also stand firmly against denialism and from the highest level as well as the deliberate distortion of truth meant to discredit survivors and perpetuate harm. It is our collective responsibility, including that of the Catholic Church, to call out and confront these harmful narratives.

This moment is not just about a single leader it is about the journey of all people and the shared responsibility of institutions, nations, and communities. I am proud to have walked this path alongside so many brave survivors, youth, and leaders.

Together, we have made history. And together, we will continue walking the path toward truth, justice, and healing.

Kukwstsetsemc,
Kúkpi7 Rosanne Casimir

On behalf of Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc

NOTICE TO IMPACTED PROPERTIES

Lafarge Road closure | April 14-16, 2025 (nightly)

The City of Kamloops has been advised that CPKC will be performing rail work that will result in the nightly closure of Lafarge Road from April 14-16, 2025. During the day, the corridor will reopen, which may result in periods of single lane alternating traffic.

The closure timeline is as follows:

• April 14: 2:00 am-8:00 am
• April 15: 2:00 am-8:00 am
• April 16: 2:00 am-paving completed (exact time unknown)

During the work, the alternative (detour route) is along East Shuswap Road. Please note the current load restrictions in place on alternative routes as listed on the MoTT website. Please expect delays and increased commercial traffic along the detour route. Motorists should plan for additional drive time as alternative routes are quite long. Please obey all signage and traffic control personnel when travelling in the area.

Questions? Contact City of Kamloops Transportation Department at 250-828-3561 for more information.

TAKING CARE: We recognize our efforts to show solidarity with Indigenous peoples and honour Survivors and families may become a painful reminder to those who have suffered hardships through generations of government policies that have been harmful to Indigenous peoples. A National Residential School Crisis Line is available to provide support to former residential school students where you can access emotional crisis referral services._

Please call the Crisis Line at 1-866-925-4419 if you or someone you know is triggered while reading this. We encourage all those who need some support to reach out and know that support is always there for you through the Hope for Wellness Help Line at 1-855-242-3310 (toll-free) or the online chat at hopeforwellness.ca, open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

You can also find information on how to obtain other health supports from the Government of Canada website.

News Release
For Immediate Release

Survivors of the Former Kamloops Indian Residential School, Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc and the Government of Canada mark the national historic significance of the Kamloops Indian Residential School

Located on the north bank of the South Thompson River at the foot of Sqeq7é7em (Mounts Peter and Paul), the former Kamloops Indian Residential School opened in 1890 as the Kamloops Industrial School and closed in 1978.

February 12, 2025
Secwepemcúl̓ecw (Kamloops, BC)
Parks Canada

Today, Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc and the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, announced the designation of the Former Kamloops Indian Residential School as a national historic site under Parks Canada’s National Program of Historical Commemoration.

The Former Kamloops Indian Residential School is located on Kamloops Indian Reserve #1 of Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc. This building was nominated for designation by Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc, and a collaborative process was undertaken between Parks Canada and the First Nation to identify the historical importance of this former school. Run by the Roman Catholic congregations of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate and the Sisters of St. Ann, the Kamloops Indian Residential School was the largest institution in a system designed to carry out what the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada described as cultural genocide. Many, including Pope Francis and the Canadian House of Commons, have referred to it as genocide. The traumas experienced by Survivors have had profound, lifelong, and intergenerational consequences that continue today.

Among the students who attended the Kamloops Indian Residential School were children between the ages of four and 18 from over 108 communities and at least 38 Indigenous nations from across British Columbia and beyond, including the Secwépemc, Stó:lō, St’át’imc, Nłeʔkepmxc, and Syilx. Forcibly removed from their homes, these children experienced physical, emotional, spiritual and sexual abuse, forced labour, malnutrition, inadequate and overcrowded living conditions, poor healthcare, and high rates of infectious diseases and death.

Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc members chose to preserve several of its buildings to commemorate and teach about the impacts of residential schools on children and families and to serve as a place for teaching Secwépemc language and culture as an act of reclamation.

The school was part of a system of residential schools instituted by governments for Indigenous Peoples, working with Christian churches in the 19th and 20th centuries. As part of the government policy of forced assimilation, these institutions separated Indigenous children from their families and communities in order to eradicate their cultures, spiritualities, languages, and traditions. Born of colonial policies in Canadian history, the residential school system is a tragedy that has adversely affected generations of Indigenous peoples, with lasting repercussions on First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities, cultures, economies, traditional knowledge and ways of life, languages, family structures and ties to the land. The Government of Canada is committed to raising the voices of Indigenous peoples to ensure this history is never forgotten.

The Government of Canada, through the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada and Parks Canada, recognizes significant persons, places, and events that have shaped our country as one way of helping Canadians connect with their past. By sharing these stories, we hope to foster understanding and reflection on the diverse histories, cultures, legacies, and realities of Canada’s past and present.

Quotes

“The commemoration and designation of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School to a site of national historic significance reflects how arrangements made collaboratively will benefit all people, indigenous and non-indigenous. It will serve as a place that will contribute to greater understanding of Secwépemc history and traditional knowledge. The designation symbolizes hope and the vision of our ancestors for a prosperous future for our children, and those not yet born. We collectively know all too well the often-impoverished view of reciprocal obligations and how it has dominated our people. Today, at Tk̓emlúps we take great pride in this path we walk together to commemorate that real collective history. Proud and honored to be in my ancestor’s vision of Clexléxqen or Petit Louis (1828-1915), who advocated for schooling that would benefit the Secwépemc people, together we will educate and share for a prosperous future with pride, the designation is a confirmation of our shared commitment and the hope for change.”
Kúkpi7 Rosanne Casimir

“Today’s designation acknowledges the harms suffered by the Survivors of the Former Kamloops Indian Residential School who fought so long and so tirelessly to have their stories heard. Their strength and grace in retelling their stories ensures that we can learn from them and enables us to advance the journey of truth-telling, reconciliation, and healing. The designation of the Former Kamloops Indian Residential School as a site of national historic significance will serve as a testament and memorial to the children who were forced to live there and who died there. The legacy of their stories will resonate throughout future generations.”
The Honourable Steven Guilbeault
Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada

Quick Facts

• The former Kamloops residential school is one of the few remaining residential school sites in Canada with a large group of original buildings and landscapes. It bears witness in physical form to the experiences of generations of children who lived and died there, as well as to the broader history of the residential school system in all its phases.
• Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc renamed the former residential school site the Chief Louis Centre in honour of the visionary leader, also known as Clexléxqen or Petit Louis (1828-1915), who advocated for schooling that would benefit the Secwépemc people.
• The designation process under Parks Canada’s National Program of Historical Commemoration is largely driven by public nominations. To date, more than 2,260 designations have been made nationwide. To nominate a person, place or historic event in your community, please visit the Parks Canada website for more information: https://parks.canada.ca/culture/designation/proposer-nominate.
• Created in 1919, the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada advises the Minister of Environment and Climate Change regarding the national significance of persons, places, and events that have marked Canada’s history. Together with Parks Canada, the Board ensures that subjects of national historic significance are recognized under Parks Canada’s National Program of Historical Commemoration and that these important stories are shared with Canadians.
• Parks Canada is committed to working with Canadians in our efforts to tell broader, more inclusive stories in the places that it manages. In support of this goal, the Framework for History and Commemoration outlines a new, comprehensive, and engaging approach to sharing Canada’s history through diverse perspectives, including shedding light on tragic and difficult periods of Canada’s past.

Related Documents

Backgrounder: Former Kamloops Indian Residential School

Related Links

• Parks Canada website
• National Historic Designations
• Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada
• Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc

READ FULL RELEASE ►

Former Kamloops Indian Residential School, Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc, British Columbia, circa 1930
© Archives Deschâtelets-NDC / Fonds Deschâtelets

Weyt-kp xwexwéytep (hello to everyone)

Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc Chief and Council extend their warm wishes to each of you; Lé7es ke7 sw7ecs ne Xyum te Sitq̓t ell ts7écwes re tsítslem te swucwt (Wishing you a wonderful holiday season and a joyous New Year).

During this special time, we encourage everyone to take care of one another. As we enter this holiday season, remember that each of us may be navigating something different. Let us check in on one another, share kindness, and make space for light and laughter. Le7es k sw7éc-emp ne sqilqélt te sw7ec (Be well on this holiday to you all).

We extend our spirit and kindness to you and your families this holiday season. As we reflect on 2024, we can all be proud of the accomplishments, celebrations, and connections we have built and created with one another. The road ahead looks promising, and we look forward to an even brighter 2025.

May we continue to walk this path forward together.
Qilqéltes k sw7éc-emp (Happy Holidays to you all).

Yours Truly,
Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc
Kukpi7 (Chief) Rosanne Casimir
On Behalf of Council

The results are in! Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc Election Day took place on November 9, 2024, and the following individuals have been elected for the next term:

Kúkpi7
Rosanne Casimir

Tk̓wenem7íple7

1. Thomas Blank
2. Nikki Fraser
3. Boyd Gottfriedson
4. Daylin Malloy
5. Vicki Manuel
6. Dave Manuel
7. Myron Thomas

For any questions regarding the election process, please feel free to reach out to our Electoral Officer, Ron Laufer, who is available to assist with any inquiries or issues.

Electoral Officer:
Ron Laufer
Email: ronlauferelections@gmail.com
Phone: (604) 715-4777

Congratulations to our newly elected Kúkwpi7 ell Tk̓wem7íple7s re Qelmúcw!

Notice is hereby given to the electors of the Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc that an election will be held for the purpose of electing one (1) Chief and seven (7) Councillors.

Regular Voting: November 9, 2024 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM

Advanced Voting: November 2, 2024 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM

LOCATION: Moccasin Square Garden (357-345 Chief Alex Thomas Way)

A copy of the List of Candidates is posted in the Band Administration Building and online at tkemlups.ca/elections where the Custom Election Regulations and further details may be found. Ballots will be counted and results declared immediately following the close of polls on November 9, 2024.

Electronic Voting: Any eligible voter may vote electronically for this ratification vote. Prior registration must take place at www.evoter.ca. Online voting will begin on November 3rd at 8:00 AM (PST) and close on November 8th at 8:00 PM (PST). See Electronic Voting Instructions for details.

Mail-in Ballot packages will be sent to all eligible electors ordinarily residing off reserve, to their last known address of record with the Nation. It is your responsibility to ensure your address is up to date. You may contact the Electoral Officer to update your address. Any Resident Elector may request a Mail-in Ballot package from the Electoral Officer.

Any elector that received a mail-in ballot package may vote in person at the Advance Poll or on Election Day if they have not submitted an electronic vote and (i) return the Mail-in Ballot to the Electoral Officer at the polling station, or (ii) swear a written declaration before the Electoral Officer, a justice of the peace, notary public or duly appointed commissioner for taking oaths that the Mail-in Ballot is lost or destroyed.

Please contact the electoral officer anytime for assistance with anything about the election process:

Electoral Officer: Ron Laufer
604-715-4777 Email
ronlauferelections@gmail.com

DOWNLOAD NOTICE ►

In the lead up to the 11th annual Orange Shirt Day and the 4th annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Kukpi7 Rosanne Casimir interviewed Keely Chow, a Tahltan-Tlingit Artist about turning an orange shirt day fundraising idea into reality, and then donating the proceeds to

Kamloops Indian Residential School commemorative activities. Keely worked on the design for the orange shirt with her grandfather Dempsey Bob, a Tahltan-Tlingit artist and master carver of world renown. Although Keely and her grandfather have wrapped up the fundraiser — their decisions serves as a good reminder as to what to look for when you purchase an orange shirt. Keely’s frank discussion as to why she loves working with her Grandfather Dempsey Bob may cause you to feel like there is someone chopping onions next to you in the best possible way!

The Toronta International Film Festival (TIFF) highlights Canadian perspectives to the world. TIFF is also a platform for underrepresented voices and truth telling, a significant outlet for Indigenous voices and realities.

Kúkpi7 Rosanne Casimir and Le Estcwicwéy̓ Manager Jeanette Jules were delighted to accept Tanya Talaga’s invitation to the TIFF screening of her documentary series, “The Knowing” which also the same title for her newly published book. Tanya made it clear that her journey began with covering the breaking news about Le Estcwicwéy̓ (the Missing Children of Kamloops Indian Residential School). Tanya brings to light significant parts of Canadian history, her lived experience from covering what took place at Tk̓emlúps, while the primary focus is about all that was involved in locating her great great grandmother.

Tanya Talaga has offered to host a screening of “The Knowing” in community and we are finalizing the details. We look forward to sharing more about it soon!

Take a moment to have a look at one of our sacred areas within our immediate community. The Language & Culture department have been actively taking back our ancestral gathering and ceremonial area Tḱemlúlpe (Indian Point).

We strongly urge our membership to make a presence known down there once again so outsiders are detoured from polluting and overtaking our lands.

Please refrain from drugs and alcohol in this area and enter at your own risk, going off of trails could heighten the possibility of poison ivy exposure during the spring and summer months.

READ UPDATE [PDF] ►