Knowledge Builders & Capacity Building
The work at Qwelmínte Secwépemc (QS) relies on the dedication and expertise of the leadership and technicians in the fields of natural resource management and governance. As Qwelmínte Secwépemc works towards self determination of Secwépemc lands and waters and all that is above and below, the collective must ensure that it is preparing the next generation of yecwemínem (stewards/caretakers of the land), be it in a leadership capacity or as a technician.
When BC Ministers and QS Leadership met, they did so with the Skú7pecen as a central guide for the approach to this new relationship. By embodying the values of Skú7pecen, all parties were asked to commit to persistent and dedicated progress within the Government to Government agreement. These principles are at the heart of the Knowledge Builders Model.
By using the Skú7pecen telling and Walking on Two Legs concept as guiding principles, current and future technicians within both the Indigenous and Western legs will come together as a collective, sharing values and principles to fill existing knowledge gaps. This knowledge sharing is at the core of the Knowledge Builders Model. The generational and technical gaps which exist must be understood and addressed, so that the next generation of stewards of the land may continue the momentum of the work being done by the Qwelmínte Secwépemc collective.
The Knowledge Builders Program is built upon this foundation and mantra of capacity-building. The model (shown below) consists of five levels with two different streams throughout, taking Skú7pecens from the elementary school level to the senior level in either an academic or technical stream.
The model establishes the next generation of Skú7pecens, giving them the opportunity to be active players for transformation in land and resource management in a manner that upholds Secwépemc Law, jurisdiction and governance.
Currently Qwelmínte Secwépemc is running the Junior Level Intern program, a summer program for university level students to work on the cutting edge of upholding and supporting the implementation of Indigenous Rights. QS has successfully completed four consecutive years of the Summer Internship. The first intern program in 2019 included four university students in the areas of environmental policy, law, anthropology and political science. The 2020 cohort brought four new interns to #TeamSkú7pecen, and in 2021, the program grew to include nine interns from a variety of educational backgrounds. In 2022, the program continued to grow with 16 interns joining the QS office for the summer. 2022 was also the inaugural year for the high school guardians program where 10 high school students between grade 8 and 12 joined the team to learn and contribute to what walking on two legs means to them. Summer 2023 saw the office welcome 15 post-secondary interns as well as 11- high school aged guardians. In 2024, the program continued as it saw 6 post-secondary interns and 8 high-school guardians. These unique and fulsome experiences support the interns’ and guardians professional and personal growth in a manner which ensures they will become well-rounded practitioners of the future with the ability to walk in both Secwépemc and Western worlds. You can read more about the intern program here.
Speaker Series
A key component of the Program is the Summer Speaker Series, wherein Elders and Knowledge Carriers from Secwépemc communities and the Province meet with the summer students to share their expertise, knowledge, and experiences. The goal of the speaker series is to allow the Qwelmínte Secwépemc interns and guardians the opportunity to build relationships and gain valuable knowledge in order to foster a vibrant and resilient network of practitioners, grounded in both Secwépemc and Western knowledge.
Read more about the Speaker Series here.