Indigenous Peoples Day 2022

WEDNESDAY, June 15, 2022

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TUESDAY, JUNE 21

D4 A cultural

resurgence

D10 D12 A cross-river Meet SD73’s first connection

Indigenous trustee

D15 Tk’emlúps makes

Maclean’s Power List

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WEDNESDAY, June 15, 2022

celebrating National indigenous Peoples Day

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June 21st is National Indigenous Peoples Day, a day to celebrate and honour the history, sacrifices, contributions and strength of First Nations, Inuit and Métis people across Canada. A time for Canadians, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, to come together and strive towards a stronger future. New Afton Mine would like to take this moment to recognize Indigenous employees and partners, the Stk’emlúpsemc te Secwépemc, which is comprised of Skeetchestn and Tk’emlúps. We recognize and appreciate the opportunity to operate within the traditional territory of the Secwépemc Nation.

We value your feedback. If you would like to get in touch, call (250) 377-2100 or email info.newafton@newgold.com.

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY WEDNESDAY, WEDNESDAY,June June15, 15,2022 2022

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About the annual day June 21 is National Indigenous Peoples Day. This is a day for all Canadians to recognize and celebrate the unique heritage, diverse cultures and outstanding contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. The Canadian Constitution recognizes these three groups as Aboriginal peoples, also known as Indigenous peoples.

Although these groups share many similarities, they each have their own distinct heritage, language, cultural practices and spiritual beliefs.

In co-operation with Indigenous organizations, the federal government chose June 21, the summer solstice, for National Aboriginal Day, now known as National Indigenous Peoples Day. For generations, many Indigenous peoples and communities have celebrated their culture and heritage on or near this day due to the significance of the summer solstice as the longest day of the year.

National Aboriginal Day was announced in 1996 by then-governor general Romeo LeBlanc, through the proclamation declaring June 21 of each year as National Aboriginal Day. This was the result of consultations and statements of support for such a day made by various Indigenous groups: • In 1982, the National Indian Brotherhood (now the Assembly of First Nations) called for the creation of National Aboriginal Solidarity Day; • In 1995, the Sacred Assembly, a national conference of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people chaired by Elijah Harper, called for a national holiday to celebrate the contributions of Indigenous Peoples; • In 1995, the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples recommended the designation of a National First Peoples Day. On June 21, 2017, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued a statement announcing the intention to rename this day National Indigenous Peoples Day. This year, Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc will host a National Indigenous Peoples Day celebration at its Powwow Arbour from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. on June 21.

All are welcome to attend.

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An Indigenous cultural resurgence in Canada The Kamloops Indian Residential School was in operation from 1890 to 1977.

KEN FAVRHOLDT PHOTO

National Indigenous Peoples Day

KEN FAVRHOLDT

SPECIAL TO KTW

N

ational Indigenous Peoples Day is a day to honour the rich, vital and diverse cultures of First Nations, Inuit and Métis people of Canada.

The summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, June 21, was chosen because many Indigenous people observe the longest day of the year as part of their cultural traditions.

Begun in 1982 and originally called National Aboriginal Day, it was not officially proclaimed by the government of Canada until 1996, recognizing the contributions Indigenous peoples have made to our country.

Indigenous peoples, estimated at 40 million in North America before European contact, suffered a drastic decline after the arrival of

Europeans, owing to the introduction of diseases.

But they now represent the fastest-growing population segment in Canada. Along with that growth is a new vitality and prosperity, although many Indigenous people still live in extreme poverty on isolated reserves and in marginalized areas of urban centres across Canada.

However, the resurgence of Indigenous pride — as seen in the arts and on television shows — reveals the renewed sense of identity Indigenous peoples are creating for themselves and for others.

Along with this renewed pride are negotiations in the form of modern-day treaties and assertions of sovereignty of their homelands, such as the Gitxsan-Wet’suwet’en claim in northwest B.C. Today’s Indigenous peoples are the descendants of the original inhabitants of Canada. The

Canadian Constitution Act of 1982 recognizes three groups of Indigenous people. There are more than 1.7-million people in Canada who identify themselves as Indigenous — that is, First Nations, Inuit and Métis.

First Nations is the term many native people in Canada prefer to be called. First Nations people include status and non-status “Indians,” as they are still addressed in the Indian Act. The term First Nation is a synonym for a status-holding Indian band or reserve; thus, many groups have abandoned the term Indian band in favor of First Nation.

However, in recent years, many First Nations have reclaimed their own name for themselves, such as Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc, which has replaced “Kamloops Indian Band.”

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Celebrating and Recognizing First Nations, Métis, and Inuit cultures

JUNE 21, 2022

Mt. Paul Golf Course

250.374.4653 mountpaulgolf.com

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY WEDNESDAY, WEDNESDAY,June June15, 15,2022 2022

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First Peoples here since time immemorial From D4

There are approximately 3,100 reserves divided among 619 First Nations in Canada.

Inuit are Arctic people who are the Aboriginal inhabitants of northern Canada. They have lived along the coastal edge of northern Canada for several thousand years. In 1999, Nunavut was created. It is a territory that has allowed the Inuit decisionmaking power over its development, as well as compensation for rights that have been historically and involuntarily extinguished or relinquished through various government policies.

Métis is the name for people of mixed Indigenous and European ancestry whose history dates back to the days of the fur trade, when women of Indigenous groups, particularly the Cree and Ojibway, married French-Canadian and Scots settlers.

Although not classed as “Indians” under the Indian Act, these descendants of French or British fur traders and Indigenous women played a major role in the struggle for the recognition of their Indigenous rights.

The most famous Métis was Louis Riel (1844-1885), leader of the Red River Rebellion and Northwest Rebellion. In the struggle for their own Métis homeland land and government, Riel was tried and hanged for what the Canadian government of the day considered treason.

Indigenous people have lived in what is now Canada since time immemorial — that is, an indeterminate period of time.

In B.C., the oldest traces of its original inhabitants are more than 13,500 years old. In Yukon, remains more than 24,000 years old have been found where the last glaciation did not erase the evidence.

The First Peoples of Canada have

had to deal with newcomers to their ancestral lands since the arrival of Europeans in the late 15th century.

Wars were fought against “Indians” over their territories and the French and English often pitted vulnerable Indigenous groups against each other to further their own gains. Indigenous populations across Canada were further decimated in other ways through the subsequent introduction of epidemics such as smallpox, measles and influenza.

The Secwépemc, whose ancestors have lived in the south-central Interior of B.C. for 10,000 years, were not visited by Europeans until 1793. Interestingly, the Secwépemc and other Interior peoples considered the French-Canadian fur traders who established a fort at Kamloops in 1812 to be the “true whites.”

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Celebrating National Indigenous Peoples Day June 21 Welcome to the

— Skeetchestn Indian Band —

Honoring Our Secwepemc Language, Culture & Spiritual Customs

Savona, B.C. Skeetchestn.ca

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY

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Secwépemc helped petition Ottawa for treaties From D5

Secwépemc territory was not permanently settled by white men until the late 1850s.

However, those who followed the fur traders — the miners, ranchers and farmers — were not so well liked.

Even before Europeans made actual contact with them, disease ravaged the Indigenous populations of B.C., with the most serious epidemic of smallpox occurring in the 1860s and decimating many Secwépemc villages.

Around the same time, the first reserves were established, including the major one at Tk’emlúps.

Among Secwépemc, there was an effort to improve the conditions of the people by such leaders as Chief Louis (Clexlexqen), who was the Kamloops hereditary chief from 1855 until his death in 1915.

Secwépemc and other Interior peoples in 1910 petitioned the prime minister of the day — Wilfrid Laurier — to help them establish treaties.

This document, known as the Memorial to Sir Wilfrid Laurier, states the grievances of the people at that time, which remain outstanding to the present.

It states: “The real whites acknowledged our ownership of the country.”

The memorial can be found and read in the 100-block of Victoria Street in downtown Kamloops, where it is embedded in a rock.

The Secwépemc Nation today comprises 17 bands living in a traditional territory comprising approximately 145,000 square kilometres. There are in excess of 7,000 Secwépemc living in this vast region of the B.C.’s Interior.

The Secwépemc Nation as a whole is not involved in the provincial government’s treaty process, but a few Secwépemc bands are in the process of researching their land claims.

As well, cultural and economic organizations have been established to bring together Secwépemc people in an effort to improve their lives.

The Secwépemc Cultural Education Society (SCES) — formed in 1982 to preserve and enhance the history, language and culture of the people — established a museum in the former Kamloops India Residential School building, later moving to the annex of the school.

A five-hectare heritage park, a joint project of SCES and the Kamloops Indian Band, officially opened in 1993, portraying Secwépemc culture, including reconstructed c7’istken (pit-houses) on the site of a 2,000-year-old winter village.

The museum and heritage park have since been taken over

by Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc.

Unfortunately, since the pandemic was declared in March 2020, the museum and heritage park have been closed and, sadly, since last year, with the discovery of the approximately 200 subsurface anomalies indi-

cating probable graves, the area is closed, designated a sacred site of Le Estcwicwéý (The Missing).

It is ironic that the same buildings where Indigenous children were forced to learn English and dress like white children, where boys were trained to become farmers and girls to do laundry, are now buildings which house offices dedicated to enhancing and promoting Secwépemc programs, including language and culture classes.

The museum is currently being renovated with an HVAC system and enhanced exhibits, so it remains closed to the public. A re-opening date has not been determined.

In the meantime, the museum is offering Zoom presentations and school tours. The heritage park, though, will not be accessible for a long time to come.

More information on the Secwépemc Museum and Heritage Park is online at secwepemcmuseum.ca.

Ken Favrholdt is archivist for the Secwépemc Museum and Heritage Park.

Jackie Jules, cultural educator at the Secwépemc Museum, planning a Zoom presentation.

KEN FAVRHOLDT PHOTO

CANADA’S GARAGE National Indigenous Peoples Day The District of Logan Lake is honoured to pay respect to our First Nations friends and neighbours and to celebrate their heritage, culture, language and achievements on National Indigenous Peoples Day.

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INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY WEDNESDAY, WEDNESDAY,June June15, 15,2022 2022

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A community milestone to rise in Tk’emlúps

T

k’emlúps te Secwépemc has for some time envisioned owning a grocery store and, with construction now underway, excitement is palatable..

Themes of fresh food, eyeappealing cultural aesthetics and quality are at the forefront.

The grocery store will be owned and operated by Tk’emlúps and feature a full grocery selection, superior fresh products, in-house butcher, bakery and deli and a meals readyto-eat program.

Culture will be reflected in building design and store offerings.

Hiring will start with the recruitment of the management team through winter 2022. A spring 2023 job fair is scheduled and opening celebration is in the plans for summer 2023, with an

estimated 50 jobs expected to be created in the first year.

This project is about bringing food closer to home. It is about creating tangible benefits for Tk’emlúps members and neighbours. It is about building a business that contributes to a strong economy and playing a role in the local food system.

The grocery store is a community-directed initiative, which is strongly positioned in a highly visible location.

Tk’emlúps sees this project as an opportunity to further grow and diversify its economic position and celebrate its culture.

Tk’emlúps envisions a welcoming, vibrant and competitive business.

The grocery store will be an integral piece for all future developments within the commercial portion of the Chief Louis Centre, which is located along

Highway 5 and Shuswap Road.

The project is being coordinated through the band’s Business and Economic Development Department.

VisionQuest Advisors Inc. has been contracted to manage the project from planning to construction and through to launch.

Stay up to date on the project by going online to tkemlupsbusiness.ca, which will include an announcement of the store name and logo.

The new Tk’emlups grocery store is expected to open in the summer of 2023 at the southwest corner of Highway 5 and Shuswap Road.

THE

The Horse Barn is proud to honour Kamloops’ First Nations community on

National Indigenous Peoples Day

517 Mt.Paul Way, Kamloops, BC | 250-374-3511 | horsebarncanada.com

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY

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TUESDAY, JUNE 21

Prime Minister says Ottawa ready to offer help KAMLOOPS THIS WEEK

P

rime Minister Justin Trudeau reiterated during his May 23 visit to Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc that Ottawa is ready to help First Nations communities dealing with the trauma of residential schools.

But Trudeau did not offer specifics, aside from noting he had spoken that day with Morning-Star Peters, a Tk’emlúps councillor, about a local proposed elders lodge/healing centre.

The prime minister said the federal government will help with whatever communities need as part of the reconciliation process, noting it cannot be an Ottawa-led process.

“The federal government will be there for whatever this community and others need,” he said in response to a reporter’s question about a national approach to helping fund reconciliation-related iniPrime Minister Justin Trudeau greets those attending the May 23 ceremony at the Tk’emlúps Powwow tiatives. “It is up to each community to decide what the right path is for them and Arbour to mark the one-year anniversary of the announcement that ground-penetrating radar work the federal government will support it.” had revealed signs of probable 200 graves near the former Kamloops Indian Residential School.

When asked what help, financial or ALLEN DOUGLAS/KTW

otherwise, Ottawa will offer First Nations communities undertaking ground-penetrating radar surveys of land for possible graves, Trudeau responded: “We will be there for whatever is needed.”

When asked for an update on attendance and other records pertaining to students who attended residential schools in Canada between 1890 and 1996, the prime minister said it is his understanding the federal government has handed over all known documents to the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg.

Prior to the Q&A with the media, Trudeau joined Tk’emlúps Kúkpi7 (Chief) Rosanne Casimir at the nearby Powwow Arbour.

Tk’emlúps — bolstered by its supporters, Indigenous and otherwise — was in the midst of a day-long ceremony to mark the one-year anniversary of the groundpenetrating radar work that unveiled 200 probable graves near the former Kamloops Indian Residential School.

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THE KAMLOOPA POWWOW SOCIETY PRESENTS THE 41ST ANNUAL

Kamloopa Powwow JULY ULY 29 - 31, 31 2022

Located at the Special Events Facility #5 Yellowhead Hwy., Kamloops, B.C.

DANCE CONTEST

Categories include: Traditional, Chicken, Jingle, Grass, Fancy Feather & Fancy Shawl for Adult, Golden Age, Teen & Junior

BIG BEAR CHILD & YOUTH ADVOCACY CENTRE

DRUMMING CONTEST FIRST NATIONS ARTS & CRAFTS

wishes to acknowledge and honour Indigenous Peoples and Land and are grateful for our partnerships with Secwépemc Child & Family Services & Lii Michif Otipemisiwak Family and Community Services.

GENERAL ADMISSION: $10 PER DAY • $20 WEEKEND PASS GRAND ENTRY: Friday 7 p.m., Saturday 12 p.m. & 7 p.m. & Sunday 12 p.m.

No Outside Concessions, Raffles or 50/50s Kamloops Powwow Society 200 – 330 Chief Alex Thomas Way, Kamloops, BC V2H 1H1 Phone: (250) 828-9782 powwow@kib.ca • www.tkemlups.ca The Society and KIB WILL NOT be held responsible for any lost, stolen or damaged articles or injuries.

Absolutely no drugs or alcohol permitted. Under no circumstance will the Powwow be cancelled.

Subject to B.C. Provincial Health Orders.

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INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY WEDNESDAY, WEDNESDAY,June June15, 15,2022 2022

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Task force has been created CONTINUED FROM D8

There, before a large crowd, Trudeau offered remarks on the one-year anniversary.

“I’m here with a simple message. We’re here for you.

We’ll continue to remember the children who never returned and to support one another as we walk forward together on the shared path of reconciliation,” he said.

“Some of the children who went missing would have been grandparents, great-grandparents. They would have been elders, knowledge keepers and community leaders. It is on all of us to remember them and to honour them.

“As we look to build a better future together, it’s on all of us

to work together to make sure that every First Nation, Inuit and Métis child grows up safe and proud of who they are.”

UPDATE ON EXCAVATION PLANS The ground-penetrating radar survey was undertaken in May 2021 in an operation led by Dr. Sarah Beaulieu of the University of the Fraser Valley.

When asked for an update on excavation plans, Casimir said a task force has been created, technical experts have been consulted and any remains found will be connected to the communities of origin.

Thus far, Casimir said, there is no timeline for when excavation work will begin.

Governor General Mary Simon — at left with Tk’emlúps Kúkpi7 (Chief) Rosanne Casimir — attended the May 23 ceremony to mark the one-year anniversary of the ground-penetrating radar work that unveiled 200 probable graves near the former Kamloops Indian Residential School.

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INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY

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Since 2018, Tammy Robertson has been the City of Kamloops’ external relations manager, a position that sees her engage deeply with Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc.

JOANNA MARTIN PHOTO

The City of Kamloops and Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc meet in community to community forums to discuss issues that impact both the city and the band.

In honour of National Indigenous Peoples Day Today and every day, our Safeway store is committed to supporting Indigenous teammates, communities and individuals.

We stand in solidarity with the Tk’emlúps te Secwepemc community.

750 Fortune Drive, Kamloops, BC PROUDLY CANADIAN

safeway.ca

250.376.4129

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY WEDNESDAY, WEDNESDAY,June June15, 15,2022 2022

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A relationship that spans the local rivers JESSICA WALLACE

STAFF REPORTER

jessica@kamloopsthisweek.com

In 2018, the City of Kamloops created a new external relations manager position to put more time into Indigenous relations.

Agreements had been in place between the city and Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc for sanitary sewer, fire and transit services, but the goal was to improve engagement.

An annual Union of BC Municipalities-funded community to community forum brought together city and band councils and staff. The meetings increased to twice per year. From there, working groups around heritage, recreation and more developed.

The city’s external relations manager, Tammy Robertson, said work between the two communities has expanded. She pointed to changes to city projects, with

an emphasis on cultural heritage protection. The city recently hired a staff archeologist.

“We realized how rich this valley is in cultural heritage history and archeology,” Robertson said. “In fact, I’m told it is one of the richest in all of the province because of the meeting of the waters and the valley and the trading routes.”

Robertson has built relationships with Tk’emlúps council and staff. She said she engages with the band several times each day via phone, text, phone calls and meetings.

Recently, she has been bridging relationships between the city, Tk’emlúps and Emergency Management BC to co-ordinate as flood and fire season approached.

Robertson is the go-to between city and Tk’emlúps staff when they have questions or need to collaborate on certain initiatives.

She said she helps to break

down barriers so dialogue can be open.

Her role is not solely focused on Tk’emlúps and also includes overseeing the Thompson Rivers University researcher in residence program.

Robertson said she was raised to show respect and she has helped to foster her relationship with Tk’emlúps by beginning to learn the Secwepemctsin language.

She has been taking classes for three years, noting she took on the initiative by herself as it was not a requirement of the job. Robertson said she can now say some sentences, but added she still has much to learn.

“I felt like if I wanted to show respect to the relationships that I have, I needed to learn some of the language, so that’s why I did it,” she said.

Initially, the band had been offering classes to staff and

Robinson asked to join. Now, the classes are offered to residents throughout Kamloops in the city’s activity guide.

“Last time I attended, we were full and had a waitlist for one of the classes,” she said.

As for advice for other organizations wishing to focus on Indigenous relationships, Robertson suggested finding a champion who is humble, open and carries values of Indigenous people.

She pointed to the Memorial to Wilfred Laurier in downtown Kamloops, which is a plaque embedded in a boulder in the 100block of Victoria Street.

The plaque states, in English and Secwépemcstin: “Near this site, in the former I. O. O. F. Hall, on August 25, 1910, chiefs representing the Secwépemc, Syilx and Nlaka’pamux Nations met with Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier.”

The chiefs presented the prime minister of the day with a powerful memorial that outlined the history of their grievances centered on the loss of their homelands and livelihood and asked the Canadian government to do justice to them and settle the land question.

Robertson noted settlers broke promises made to the Indigenous people.

“This is why there is such a lack of trust that exists, because of all those broken promises that happened way before our time,” she said.

“It is, I think, our job as local government to rebuild that trust and be of our word and do the right thing.”

Robertson said she is grateful for leadership that walks the talk.

The City of Kamloops and Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc have been recognized for their relationship building.

Community Futures of Central Interior First Nations is Proud And Honoured To Support Indigenous Economy of BC.

Happy Indigenous People’s Day

CFDC of CIFN www.cfdcofcifn.com

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY

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TUESDAY, JUNE 21

Jules reflects on being first Indigenous trustee Diane Jules (top right) was part of the Kamloops-Thompson board of education that was elected in October 2018.

SD73 PHOTO

SEAN BRADY

STAFF REPORTER

sbrady@kamloopsthisweek.com

Diane Jules joined the Kamloops-Thompson board of education in 2018, becoming the first Indigenous person to serve on the School District 73 board.

Jules hopes she is the first of many in the coming years, as she said there is plenty of work left to do — work that may take generations to complete.

Jules said School District 73 has come a long way, noting several milestones have marked her time as a school trustee, including B.C. adopting the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in 2019, the onset of the pandemic in 2020 and the discovery of 200 probable graves on grounds of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School, likely graves known as Le

Estcwéy’ (The Missing).

Jules said those events have made advancing truth and reconciliation even more important.

Jules said SD73 is “ahead of the game” in advancing truth and reconciliation, noting the work of

the district’s Aboriginal Education Council.

“It’s a learning process as we go along. It’s not just doing one thing that we can complete and we’re finished,” she said. “It’s a process and it’s going to take a few genera-

Celebrating

unique heritage, diverse cultures, and outstanding achievements of the Aboriginal peoples.

tions to get through.”

Jules, a former Adams Lake Indian Band councillor and current member of the Interior Health board of directors, said she plans on seeking another term as a school trustee in the fall.

She said there’s still work left to do.

Graduation rates are lower among Aboriginal students across B.C., including in the KamloopsThompson district.

But Jules said there’s progress being made, noting more than 200 Aboriginal students crossing the stage this year alone — up from when she started in 2018.

Data from the 2019-2020 school year provided by the district shows

a 79 per cent six-year completion rate for Aboriginal students compared to 93 per cent for nonAboriginal students. Provincewide data shows a 71 per cent Aboriginal student completion rate and an 88 per cent rate for nonAboriginal students.

“It should be 100 per cent,” Jules said.

Jules said most Aboriginal peoples’ first experience with nonAboriginal education was residential schools.

“And we all know how that went,” she said. “This institution we deal with now, we have to make it a positive experience, not only for the students, but also for the parents or guardians, to make sure it’s not an institution where they’re not afraid to ask questions or inquire or participate in celebration.

“It’s open doors, rather than being feared,” she said.

The Shuswap Nation Tribal Council Formed in 1980 as an effort of Secwepemc Chiefs to advance the issue of aboriginal rights, honour Aboriginal Day for all Indigenous people.

They will continue to advance their languages, cultures, and traditions.

680 West Athabasca St, Kamloops, BC • 778-471-8200 fb.com/shuswapnation

Kamloops Airport Ltd. & Vantage Airport Group value our strong and respectful relationship with the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc on this National Day of Recognition.

Peter Milobar, MLA

Todd Stone, MLA

618B Tranquille Rd, Kamloops, BC Phone: 250.554.5413 Toll Free: 1.888.299.0805 peter.milobar.mla@leg.bc.ca

446 Victoria St., Kamloops, BC Phone: 250.374.2880 Toll Free: 1.888.474.2880 todd.stone.mla@leg.bc.ca

Kamloops – North Thompson

PeterMilobarKNT/ @PeterMilobar

Kamloops – South Thompson

ToddGStone/ @toddstonebc

You can find Kamloops Airport online at kamloopsairport.com @kamloopsairport

WEDNESDAY, WEDNESDAY,June June15, 15,2022 2022

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INDIGENOUS

PEOPLES DAY

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Highland Valley Copper Together we honour this day in recognizing diverse cultures, unique heritage and valuable contributions of Indigenous Peoples.

June 21 National Indigenous Peoples Day.

POWWOW RETURNS After being postponed in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic, the popular Kamloopa Powwow is slated to return this summer. The annual event — which attracts thousands of people from Western Caxnada and the United States — will take place at the Tk’emlúps Powwow Grounds from July 29 to July 31. For more information and updates on any health protocols that need to be followed, go online to tkemlups.ca.

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Honouring our Indigenous Peoples Celebrating National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21

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GORD’S APPLIANCE AND MATTRESS CENTRE is proud to continue the long standing relationship it has had with the various First Nations that have called this land home for time immemorial.

INDIGENOUS

PEOPLES DAY

DID YOU KNOW? We acknowledge that we live and work on the unceded and occupied, traditional and ancestral territory of the Secwepemc Nation.

948 Tranquille Road,

Kamloops, BC V2B 3J5 Phone: 250-376-5353

Fax: 250-376-8381

www.gordskamloops.ca

Store Hours Monday to Friday 9:00 am - 5:30 pm Saturday 9:00 am - 4:30 pm Sunday Closed

National Indigenous Peoples Day

Kelly Funk

City of Kamloops Office of the Mayor

On behalf of my colleagues on City Council, I invite you to celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21 by deepening your understanding of Indigenous culture and history. Our hearts and support is with all Indigenous Peoples and we are committed to learning and taking action. We feel honoured to have a long-standing relationship with the Kamloops and area First Nations, Métis, and Inuit, and look forward to continued collaboration between our communities.

Sincerely, Mayor Ken Christian Councillor Dale Bass Councillor Dieter Dudy Councillor Sadie Hunter Councillor Mike O’Reilly

Kamloops.ca

Councillor Bill Sarai Councillor Kathy Sinclair Councillor Arjun Singh Councillor Denis Walsh

Scouts Canada and Raven Reads have partnered to co-create a new resource containing books and educational materials to help in leading discussions around reconciliation and Indigenous cultures in Canada.

The box will be released this fall and will be available to purchase on the Raven Reads website at ravenreads.org.

The boxes, which will be made available to Scouts Canada members, will contain

informative print materials and age-appropriate books written by Indigenous authors.

There will be suggested activities in each box that will integrate the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s calls to action.

Although this is the first collaborative box dedicated primarily to young people, Raven Reads already runs a seasonal subscription box for children containing Indigenouswritten books.

WEDNESDAY, WEDNESDAY,June June15, 15,2022 2022

www.kamloopsthisweek.com

INDIGENOUS

Indigenous Peoples DAY NATIONAL

PEOPLES DAY In March, Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc posted on its Facebook page this image of Chief Rosanne Casimir with the latest edition of Maclean’s.

Earlier this year, Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc took command of Maclean’s magazine’s 2021 Power List, with a pair of top 10 finishes — including the top spot overall.

The discovery in May 2021 of 200 probable unmarked graves on the reserve was ranked first on the list, while Chief Rosanne Casimir was listed sixth-most influential person.

Maclean’s, a venerable news magazine, annually publishes a list of 50 Canadians who are forging paths, leading debate and shaping how the country thinks and lives.

At No. 1 on the list for 2021 are the Indigenous children who never returned home from residential schools, with the article noting that despite

Every Child Matters Tuesday, June 21, 2022

The Village of Chase is honoured to be part of celebrating National Indigenous Peoples Day in beautiful Secwepemc territory.

Tk’emlúps on power list KAMLOOPS THIS WEEK

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decades of past accounts of abuses suffered by First Nations peoples at the schools, it wasn’t until the May 2021 announcement that “a society deaf to their cries finally chooses to hear.”

“If this, to Canada’s discredit, is what it takes to address historical atrocity, the legacy of these children will grow. Once the epitome of powerlessness, they and their silent cries for justice are finally being heard,” the Maclean’s article states.

At sixth on the Power List, one spot ahead of Canadian soccer star Alphonso Davies and one spot behind Canada’s first female defence minister, Anita Anand, is Casimir.

In choosing the Tk’emlúps chief, Mclean’s noted her summoning of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to visit her band

and issue an apology after he ignored an invitation to mark the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation — which he enacted in response to the findings of the probable graves — at Tk’emlúps on Sept. 30, 2021.

Trudeau instead vacationed in Tofino with his family and later visited Tk’emlúps, where he issued an apology.

“The impassioned yet level response by Kúkpi7 (Chief) Rosanne Casimir of Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc to unmarked residential school graves made her a leading voice on the injustice and the challenge of moving forward,” the Maclean’s article states.

The article also noted she was among those in a delegation to visit the Vatican in March, where attendees met with Pope Francis.

Celebrating Diversity on National Indigenous Peoples Day

Honouring our Culture on National Indigenous Peoples Day

EVERY CHILD

MATTERS

Adams Lake Indian Band

250.679.8841

www.adamslakeband.org

Aboriginal Skills Employment and Training, Kamloops and Ashcroft offices, providing services to the Southern Secwepemc and Nlaka’pamux Nations.

www.sntcasets.com

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WEDNESDAY, June 15, 2022

www.kamloopsthisweek.com

XWEXWÉYTEP ME7 SÉWENTELS ES TSNÉSEP ( EVERYONE JOIN US )

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY TUESDAY, JUNE 21

ST

4PM to 9PM

TKEMLÚPS POWWOW ARBOUR

-HYPNOTIST-

SCOTT WARD

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HYPNOTIST SHOW FACEPAINTER BALLOON ARTIST LAHAL TOURNAMENT DRUMMERS & DANCERS MOCCASIN MILE