It's been a dream for two decades but on Friday, Sept. 6 the Ckultenellcw Cultural Centre was officially opened for members of the Northern Secwepmec peoples.
The Ckultenellcw Cultural Centre is a new culture centre celebrating Northern Secwepmec culture built next door to the 108 Mile Heritage Site. During its opening on Friday members of the Tsq̓éscen̓ First Nation, Williams Lake First Nation, Esk’etemc First Nation, Stswecem'c Xget'tem First Nation and the Xatśūll First Nation all gathered for a drumming ceremony and tour of the facility. Several representatives took the opportunity to speak and praise the Northern Secwepmec Cultural Society for their hard work in completing the project.
"Quite honestly through the years, it felt like this wasn't going to happen but now we have this beautiful centre that is going to be full of our culture, full of our exhibits and that's really exciting. I'm so proud of all of us (who contributed to this project)," Helen Henderson, Kukpi7 (chief) of the Tsq̓éscen̓ First Nation, said. "It's really exciting for all of us to come together as allies, partners and Secwepmec to celebrate the rich culture of the Northern Secwepmec people."
Henderson said it was a privilege to celebrate this extraordinary milestone after so many years of collaboration between the five sister nations. She noted that not only was the centre commemorating the past, but also providing hope for the future.
"The Ckultenellcw Cultural Centre will stand as a beacon of our rich heritage, a place where people from every land and nation can come to learn about our culture of long ago," Henderson said. "This centre will exist on the very land that has been intertwined with our people's stories since time immemorial reminding us of our deep-rooted connections to this beautiful territory."
Northern Secwepmec Cultural Society vice president and councillor for Esk'etem Kerry Chelsea took the time to drive home how important Ckultenellcw will be for future generations. Chelsea said that when he was growing up there was nothing like this for him to learn about his culture and people's history.
"The idea was to create something for our nation, our people, that they can take pride in. When I was a kid there wasn't a sense of pride or that sense of belonging, of having anywhere where you can have those historical values presented to you in a good way," Chelsea said. "I'm willing to bet no one over the age of 30 had that when they were kids."
Pointing out the young people in the crowd, including students from Eliza Archie Memorial School, Chelsea said they will be able to come to Ckultenellcw to learn about their cultural heritage and traditional values. He noted that when classes from School District 27 come visit the centre, Secwepmec students will feel a sense of pride and be able to tell their classmates "this is who I am."
Cariboo Regional District Chair Margo Wagner was also in attendance alongside AL Richmond, CRD director for the 108 Mile Ranch and Lac La Hache. Wagner noted that she lives in and represents Canim Lake and has enjoyed watching the centre develop as she drives to and from Williams Lake. She looks forward to seeing the centre fully open so the general public can start learning about Indigenous culture.
"We have to work towards reconciliation, learn how to work together and have to understand previous cultures. How they developed and how they were impacted when the white man showed up," Wagner said. "This is important to know if we're ever going to move forward and work together cohesively. I hope that this building will be the first step in getting people to understand the indigenous way of life of the Northern Secwepmec."
Almost everyone who spoke praised longtime society secretary Graham Leslie, who has worked tirelessly on the project for the last two decades. In addition to receiving a ceremonial blanket, Leslie was also visibly lost for words when he was shown a plaque honouring his work that will be displayed at the entrance of the centre.
"I was just blown away. I know my efforts have been appreciated quite widely but I was expecting to be given a blanket with the other directors. Eventually, (they) got me inside to show me (the plaque) and it just took my breath away," Leslie said. "It's not too often I'm at a complete loss for words, but it was just amazing."
When asked how he felt to see the centre open, Leslie remarked this project has been a labour of love and he's happy to see it finally come to fruition. He noted he won't be as involved going forward as at 88, he would like to pass the torch on to the Northern Secwepmec people themselves.
While the building is complete the Ckultenellcw Cultural Centre is not open to the public. The society plans to spend the next year organizing and preparing the exhibits for the centre. These exhibits will be themed after the seasons showing different aspects of indigenous life in spring, summer, fall and winter. They will be rotated in as the seasons change.
At this time the society does not have a concrete timeline on when the centre will be fully opened to the general public. Leslie encourages the community to come to see it, however, when they do open.
"This is just the beginning," Leslie remarked. "There's a ton more stuff to plan and work on. It's kind of like my bucket list when I was younger, to trek halfway up to Mount Everest. It's almost like that, we've reached (the halfway point) and the peak is still ahead. We can camp overnight here on the staging area and feel we have really accomplished something."
