Information gathered in a failed incorporation attempt in the South Shuswap has provided the basis for a large step forward in a relationship agreement between Secwpémc and the Columbia Shuswap Regional District.
Funded by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs, the purpose of the initiative is to strengthen Indigenous awareness and cultural sensitivity of board members, as well as relations at elected official and staff levels, noted Rob Hutton of Clearview Consulting in his presentation to the Sept. 12 CSRD board meeting in Salmon Arm.
"The funding covers planning work towards one or more larger-scale relationship-building event(s) and potential formal government-to-government agreement(s) between the CSRD and Secwépemc communities in their shared space," wrote Hutton in his extensive report. "The participants in this planning study are the elected officials and managers of the CSRD and the participating Secwépemc communities (Adams Lake, Neskonlith and Skwlax, Splatsin and potentially Shuswap Band)."
Hutton has been working with Secwépemc Nation communities off and on since the 1980s and is currently on contract as strategic advisor to Kupk7e James Tomma of the Skwläx te Secwepemculew. He and CSRD chief administrative officer John MacLean have been working on this planning initiative for more than a year in order to be organized and better focused on the next step, which will involve working more directly with councils and senior staff of the Secwépemc community.
While a couple of bands were not included in Phase 1, Hutton said they would be given the option to take part if they wish to.
"There was a deliberate move to focus on the five Secwépemc bands as they are all part of lakes division and three of the bands were involved in some of work around the incorporation proposal for Sorrento and Blind Bay. It didn't move forward, but it was through that work that this proposal got funding," he said.
Hutton provided a bit of the history on the 12,000 year presence of the Secwépemc Nation, whose territory consists of 180,000 square kilometres and was home originally to 32 bands. Decimated by smallpox and other effects of colonization, there are currently 17 bands, five of which have communities within CSRD. The population of these five bands is currently approximately 3,200 people.
Hutton told directors that historically, most bands were comprised of several villages, also known as campfires, a word that today is used by government and sometimes bands to describe closely affiliated bands.
"In recent times, campfires have come to represent the various districts or divisions within the nation," he explained. "Contemporary governance is typically a fusion of an elected council and community family systems, the latter varying somewhat from band to band."
Hutton pointed out that interactions with Indigenous communities and how governance systems function, has a lot to do with how one communicates and interacts in a respectful and effective way.
"The more you know about that, generally the better those relationships evolve over time," he said noting he, too, is still learning because the systems are in flux. "They are in flux because communities here are trying to get back to a bit more of a traditional style of governance where people have a more direct say and involvement in the affairs of their communities."
Hutton said that most interactions between Secwépemc and the regional district involve responses to development permitting referrals at a staff level, which can create tension because there is no procedure or policy in place on either side to have a regular and results-based interaction.
Where interactions are more collaborative, such as the North Okanagan-Shuswap Rail Trail initiative, the relationship is generally strong and proactive, and is becoming stronger as people get to know each other, he said.
Following his presentation, which also included the need for collaboration, Secwépemc priorities and suggested next steps and priorities, Electoral Area C director Marty Gibbons and Area D director Dean Trumbley, both members of the Metis Nation, asked why Metis were not included in the initiative.
"This rose out of work we were doing that was focused on Secwépemc community and approved by Municipal Affairs," said Maclean, echoing Hutton's response. "We recognize there are other nations, other Indigenous groups, and that we're going to have to expand this work and expand our relationships with, but this was our starting point."
In response to complaints by Gibbons and Sicamous Mayor Colleen Anderson that the lengthy report was provided on the late agenda, leaving directors little time to absorb the contents, Area E director Rhona Martin suggested the board accept the report as information and bring it back to the October board meeting for comments and questions.
Before directors gave unanimous approval, Chair Kevin Flynn defended staff by pointing out that directors have sometimes complained that work plan requests take too long to to get back to the board.
