Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc

REPORT BY TK̓WENEM7ÍPLE7 NIKKI FRASER

I’m honoured to be supporting the work our Language and Culture (L&C) Department team this term as the Primary Portfolio holder.

Most recently I’m happy to participate in the song sharing circle, this circle is a safe space to learn our songs in a good way. We have many talented singers in our community and happy they are in the circle to share songs. The Song Sharing Circles are hosted every Tuesday night, a light dinner and drinks provided. We had over 20+ members join the circle. What is really heartwarming is seeing and listening to our youth take a lead in our songs. The first few sessions we learned the Welcome Song and Honour song, now we are currently learning the Pitt house song. I encourage all members to come and participate in the Song Sharing Circle.

The L&C team are creating education videos for members to access. The most recent educational video L&C recorded was a meat processing video. Our Culture Assistant Manager, Greg Ferguson, showed our youth how to process a deer. The youth helped process and package the meat. I went to support this education workshop and see how engaged our youth were in this workshop. I just want to acknowledge the L&C team for creating space to pass on traditional knowledge to young people.

COUNCILLOR NIKKI FRASER

Primary Portfolios:
Natural Resources / Rights & Title / Language & Culture / Archaeology

Secondary Portfolio:
Lands, Leasing & Taxation / Sc.wén̓wen

Nikki is a grassroots member of Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc (TteS), with strong ties to both the Fraser and Paul Grassroot families. Nikki is proud mom to Trey, Aiyana, and Nipiy. She has worked for TteS in many different capacities since she was 15 years old. Nikki brings experience, knowledge and tools from her volunteer elected roles at BC Native Women’s Association, Native Women’s Association of Canada and the United Nations Youth Envoys office. Nikki is honoured to server her community & membership and continues her passion advocating and upholding TteS Rights and Title.

REPORT BY TK̓WENEM7ÍPLE7 NIKKI FRASER

Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc (TteS) Natural Resource Department (NRD) Manager, Aaron Gillespie, took the boat out to fish in Kamloops Lake. Lyle Paul, Wyatt Camille with Language & Culture (L&C), Steve Basil with Community Services (CS), Kúkpi7 Rosanne Casimir and myself join. We were able bring home 48 Chinook salmon. This catch was processed by NRD team, L&C,CS, community members and nursing students from TRU.

I want to hold my hands up to Aaron, Steve, Dan, Lyle, Wyatt, Rob, Jason & Family & Kúkpi7 Rosanne for helping and processing this catch. Aaron taught us all how to clean and fillet the salmon. This catch will be handed out in the TteS annual winter hampers for TteS Membership.

Lots of hard work went into this and I’m so thankful Aaron creates opportunities for interdepartmental collaboration and community members to learn and support community. Next fishing season there are plans in the works to have a fishing camp.

COUNCILLOR NIKKI FRASER

Primary Portfolio:
Natural Resources/Rights & Title

Secondary Portfolio:
Housing

Alternate Portfolio:
Lands, Leasing & Taxation

Nikki is a grassroots member of Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc (TteS), with strong ties to both the Fraser and Paul Grassroot families. Nikki is proud mom to Trey, Aiyana, and Nipiy. She has worked for TteS in many different capacities since she was 15 years old. Nikki brings experience, knowledge and tools from her volunteer elected roles at BC Native Women’s Association, Native Women’s Association of Canada and the United Nations Youth Envoys office. Nikki is honoured to server her community & membership and continues her passion advocating and upholding TteS Rights and Title.

REPORT BY TK̓WENEM7ÍPLE7 NIKKI

I am happy to share that we have a new Natural Resource Department (NRD) Manager that will be starting in August. Aaron Gillespie is a Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc member and brings 25+ years of knowledge & experience in the Natural Resource sector to his new role at TteS. As the primary portfolio holder for NRD, I’m excited to work on revitalizing the Cultural Resource Management component and Stewardship. We are very lucky to have Aaron join the team to bring his wealth of knowledge to TteS.

I’d like to thank our previous NRD Manager and Assistant Manager Jim McGrath and Barry Bennett, who have moved with our Forestry to our new business arm, Sc.wén̓wen Economic Development Corporation (SEDC). Both Jim and Barry have seen though successful major projects with TteS NRD like Trans Mountain Expansion Project and on now they will support the forestry business with SEDC.

COUNCILLOR NIKKI FRASER

Primary Portfolio:
Natural Resources/Rights & Title

Secondary Portfolio:
Housing

Alternate Portfolio:
Lands, Leasing & Taxation

Nikki is a grassroots member of Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc (TteS), with strong ties to both the Fraser and Paul Grassroot families. Nikki is proud mom to Trey, Aiyana, and Nipiy. She has worked for TteS in many different capacities since she was 15 years old. Nikki brings experience, knowledge and tools from her volunteer elected roles at BC Native Women’s Association, Native Women’s Association of Canada and the United Nations Youth Envoys office. Nikki is honoured to server her community & membership and continues her passion advocating and upholding TteS Rights and Title.

REPORT BY TK̓WENEM7ÍPLE7 NIKKI

Monday July 29, 2024 TTES welcomed New Gold CEO, New Afton General Manager and New Gold Board of Directors. This is the first time the full board has sat down with SSN and TteS. We held a ceremony with Knowledge Keeper Ed Jensen a smudge and brushing off. Kúkpi7 Rosanne, Tk̓wenem7íple7 Dave, Thomas, and I were in attendance, as right holders we shared the knowledge of being Yecminme7.

Happy to share that Archeology is now their own department, I would like to uplift manager Leslie LeBourdais and her crew for the hard work when it comes to protecting our cultural heritage resources.

Kukpi7 Rosanne, Archeology Portfolio holder, Archeology Department Manager has done a media release for membership and the public updating everyone on the ancestral remains that were found fall 2023,the remains were of Indigenous descent and estimated burial date was approx. 1670. TTES has designated the area, where our ancestor was found, as a sacred site & is now registered as an archaeological site under the BC Heritage Conservation Act.

READ MEDIA RELEASE ►

Kukwstsetselp to Language & Culture Department for supporting the Archeology Department with this important responsibility.

COUNCILLOR NIKKI FRASER

Primary Portfolio:
Natural Resources/Rights & Title

Secondary Portfolio:
Housing

Alternate Portfolio:
Lands, Leasing & Taxation

Nikki is a grassroots member of Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc (TteS), with strong ties to both the Fraser and Paul Grassroot families. Nikki is proud mom to Trey, Aiyana, and Nipiy. She has worked for TteS in many different capacities since she was 15 years old. Nikki brings experience, knowledge and tools from her volunteer elected roles at BC Native Women’s Association, Native Women’s Association of Canada and the United Nations Youth Envoys office. Nikki is honoured to server her community & membership and continues her passion advocating and upholding TteS Rights and Title.