The Shuswap Indian Band hosted the Secwepemc Nation’s fourth Seasonal Gathering from April 20th – 23rd at the Shuswap Band Territorial Operations site located in Invermere, BC.
Over the past year, numerous Secwépemc communities and/or regions (divisions) have stepped up as hosts and enriched the gatherings through their collaboration. The opportunity for integrating the Secwépemc Spring Gathering and Water Conference was taken up in the spirit of bringing together the Nation to have a dialogue about water. Our Nation members have watched the water world change drastically over the course of the last 150 years. Stream, lakes and rivers once healthy and vibrant have been forever altered due to damming, draining, pollution and climate change.
Honouring our Ancestors requires that we stand up and protect the Water World and Xqelmecwétkwe (Water Beings) throughout Secwépemcúlecw. As Secwépemc, we joined together through the Secwépemc Spring Gathering- Séwllkwe to uphold our inherent responsibility to take care of the water worlds so that they may take care of us. The Secwépemc Gathering was been made possible through the collaborative efforts of the Shuswap Indian Band, Reconciliation Framework Agreement and Secwépemc Nation Building Initiative. Through our collective fortitude, the gathering evolved to ensure that our Secwépemc Nation stands together to uphold these responsibilities in a manner which upholds our Secwépemc law and respects and recognizes our customs, protocols. We thank all who have contributed and attended the previous gathering in your commitment as Caretakers of our Secwépemc Nation.
Band, Reconciliation Framework Agreement and Secwépemc Nation Building Initiative. Through our collective fortitude, the gathering evolved to ensure that our Secwépemc Nation stands together to uphold these responsibilities in a manner which upholds our Secwépemc law and respects and recognizes our customs, protocols. We thank all who have contributed and attended the previous gathering in your commitment as Caretakers of our Secwépemc Nation.
Shuswap Indian Band Kukpi Chief Barb Cote Message to all Participants:
Greetings to all our brothers and sisters of Secwépemcúl’ecw. It is a great honour to be hosting the Secwépemc Spring Gathering 2018 in the Eastern part of our territory. Our staff have been super busy organizing this event and I hold out my hands to you in great respect for all the hard work you have done to make this happen. I am excited that it is happening here so that our community has a chance to learn from their nation’s people, especially our Elders. I wish you all the best of experiences here in the Columbia Valley and that
we are able to learn from each other on all aspects of being proud Secwépemc citizens. It is important we work together to learn our cultural values and share this with our children. Some of us as adults are learning this now. This is an exciting journey for myself, embracing the teachings that so many of you have generously shared with us. May we all share in the love and laughter and maybe a few tears that makes us stronger together.
Photos of the Spring Gathering
