Editor’s note: As a member of Discourse Community Publishing, SPIN uses quotation marks around the word “school” because the Truth and Reconciliation Commission found residential “schools” were “an education system in name only for much of its existence.”
In the lead up to Canada’s fourth National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, small towns continue to navigate organizing events to help residents learn, engage and reflect on the legacy of the nation’s residential “schools.”
Skwelkwek’welt (Sun Peaks) is no different, as municipal leadership explores ways to make reconciliation accessible to locals.
The Skwelkwek’welt, or high alpine area, remains a place of cultural significance for the Secwépemc peoples, who for millennia gathered to take part in traditional teachings, ceremonies and practices.
Truth and Reconciliation will require collaboration and relationship building, Adams Lake Indian Band Kukpi7 (Chief) Lynn Kenoras – Duck Chief told Sun Peaks Independent News.
Doing the work of reconciliation falls to the responsibility of non-Indigenous folks, she added, who, with the support of Indigenous communities, can walk the path of reconciliation grounded in truth provided by those with lived experience.
“Reconciliation should start with our allies, our non-Indigenous neighbours, friends, colleagues, where possible,” she explained. “I think where Adams Lake comes in is the truth telling piece.”
In the spirit of connecting and learning on behalf of Sun Peaks Mountain Resort Municipality, Mayor Rob O’Toole will join the inaugural collaborative truth and reconciliation event co-hosted and organized by Adams Lake and the Village of Chase, right in the heart of town.
This event is a culmination of community organizing and relationship building that sparked excitement and answered a need Chase residents had, according to executive director of Chase and Area Family Services Ashton Sweetnam.
“Chase has been ready for quite a while to have a community truth and reconciliation event,” Sweetnam said. “We’re a bit behind other communities in making these things happen, which is pretty typical of a small town. We take a little bit longer to catch on sometimes, but it’s been quite an amazing process trying to make this event come to fruition.”
Working with Lisa Kenoras, a family support worker with the Adams Lake Indian Band, Sweetnam was able to take on an ally role in organizing the event, which will include an art booth, kids’ activities and an art installation designed by local Secwépemc artist Sekwaw Wel Me7 Yews.
“It’s really become a very collaborative event,” Sweetnam said. “So, while it’s been overdue in happening, it is happening.”
Taking the first step to organize events is often the hardest part, but when Kenoras approached Sweetnam with the expectation of a simple introduction, one thing led to another.
“Seeing [Kenoras’] energy and knowing that she had the support of her organization gave us as a community the opportunity to back her, and as a result the Adams Lake Band has gotten on board, and the other bands as well,” Sweetnam said.
Kenoras’ energy to organize this event is motivated by her lived experience as the daughter of a residential “school” survivor.
“My dad went to Kamloops Residential School,” she shared. “You know, it wasn’t that long ago that our families have been displaced from community, from the culture and from our language.”
Only recently returning to Chase from studying in Victoria, Kenoras visited community organizations to connect with folks in her role as a family support worker, and in that first conversation with Sweetnam developed the idea for the event.
“We were having conversations about community services… then all of a sudden, it kind of snowballed really quickly,” Kenoras recalled. “[Sweetnam] and I always talk about this when we have meetings, like ‘whoever thought that one-day meeting would turn into this first-ever TRC event in the heart of Chase?’”
In a testimony of the power of simple conversations, the idea blossomed into the upcoming commemoration, and importantly to Kenoras, celebration.
“We’re still living on these lands, even though there’s so many impacts that are rippling onto our families, there’s also strength in that,” she said.
In the spirit of unity, Kenoras pushed to include fun activities for children and families to “witness each other in community, celebrating and reconciling with our families, language and connection with the land and the ways it defines our existence.”
“Secwépemc people are still here too,” she added.
Finding the balance between honouring the truth of survivors, as well as celebrating what the future can look like because of reconciliation provides an open door for learning and connecting, she added.
“It can become too heavy if people are still learning to accept that and be informed about the truth, but that’s important for me too in a lot of my work forward. It’s going to be heavy, but we need to balance it out and find the joy, because that’s being brave and that’s resilient too.”
While Sweetnam acknowledged it can be challenging to know where to begin in organizing a community event for truth and reconciliation, working together to understand how each community can contribute can be a good place to start, Kenoras – Duck Chief said.
Together, the collaboration can culminate in the real spirit behind the day.
“It can be initiated through our neighbours, our communities, our other allies, but also inclusive of our Indigenous communities like Adams Lake, Skwlax te Secwepemculecw and Neskonlith, who will be participating in allowing space for some of that truth telling,” she added.
The event in Chase is open to all neighbouring communities, along with an open invitation to collaborate for future events, potentially including Sun Peaks.
“Sun Peaks falls within our unceded territory of Secwepemculecw, and primarily shared between Adams Lake, Skwlax te Secwepemculecw and Neskonlith with regards to our Neskonlith-Douglas claim,” Kenoras – Duck Chief explained. “So I think that would be a really good idea to look at hosting an event up there for next year.”
With the door open to conversations and collaboration and the municipality expressing interest in relationship building and support, the potential for a truth and reconciliation event in Sun Peaks four years into the national day of observance seems on the horizon.
Anyone interested in attending the event in Chase can gather at the Adams Lake Indian Band office at 6453 Hillcrest Rd., at 11 a.m. for the walk. For more information, call Lisa Kenoras at 250-833-0356.
This story has been updated to reflect changes in the event details.
What did you think of this story?
Sun Peaks Independent News is your essential source for community news in Sun Peaks. Your feedback after we publish a story helps ensure we're always improving our reporting to better serve you.
