Our projects
The Secwepemc Hunting Society is honoured to be undertaking a landmark cultural revitalization initiative, made possible through the generous support of our funding partners.
These interconnected projects allow us to build our organizational capacity, acquire essential tools, and systematically preserve traditional knowledge. Together, they represent a significant step forward in achieving our mission of fostering food sovereignty and strengthening our inherent connection to Secwepemcúl̓ecw for the seven generations to come.
Secwepemc Mobile Foodways & Cultural Skills Hub
First Peoples' Cultural Council (FPCC) Heritage Infrastructure Program , this project provides the essential physical tools to enhance our land-based cultural programming. By acquiring mobile infrastructure, we can conduct our camps and workshops more safely, effectively, and for longer durations, ensuring all community members can participate comfortably. This infrastructure is the foundational enabler for our knowledge-sharing and documentation activities.
Project Goals and Objectives:
To acquire and deploy a mobile freezer trailer and generator, ensuring the safe preservation of traditionally harvested foods and preventing spoilage during our multi-day camps.
To establish two heavy-duty canvas tents, creating vital, all-weather shelters for uninterrupted intergenerational teaching, workshops, and the practice of traditional arts.
To build a set of portable and durable hide tanning racks, providing dedicated infrastructure for the revitalization of this foundational Secwépemc art form.
To develop and implement a full suite of safety and operational protocols for all new equipment, enhancing the well-being of all participants, especially Elders and youth.
Secwepemc Ways: Documenting, Preserving, and Sharing Ancestral Knowledge
First Peoples' Cultural Council (FPCC) Heritage Stewardship Program , this project is the heart of our knowledge-capture initiative. It is designed to respectfully and systematically document, preserve, and create lasting educational resources from the living cultural practices of the Secwepemc people. In a key partnership with
Wuméc r Cqweqwelútn-kt (Secwepemc Language Society), we will ensure the highest level of cultural and linguistic integrity is woven throughout this work.
Project Goals and Objectives:
To produce an Elder-validated
"Secwepemc Hunting Camp Curriculum Blueprint," a lasting resource to guide future cultural education.
To establish a secure, community-governed
Digital Archive populated with all documented materials, ensuring the invaluable teachings of our Elders are preserved for future generations according to our own protocols.
To co-develop a comprehensive set of
Consent and Data Governance Protocols with Elders, ensuring community ownership and control over all documented knowledge.
Expanding Our Land-Based Cultural Camps for Future Generations
Real Estate Foundation of British Columbia (REFBC) , we are building the foundational capacity to ensure the long-term success and sustainability of our society's work. This grant is critical for our transition from a volunteer-led initiative to a formal, professionally managed organization. It provides the core support needed to expand our land-based cultural camps, deepen our community impact, and professionally manage our growing revitalization initiatives.
Project Goals and Objectives:
To expand our core programming from one annual event to
four distinct, seasonal land-based cultural camps, significantly increasing access for community members.
To build sustainable operational capacity by establishing professional systems for administration, finance, and communications, ensuring the transparent and accountable stewardship of all resources.
To enhance food sovereignty, revitalize Secwepemctsín, and promote environmental stewardship through expanded, on-the-land programming.
To strengthen intergenerational connections and contribute to community healing and resilience by creating safe, inclusive, and culturally-grounded learning environments.
Secwepemc Harvest & Preservation Wisdom: Planning for Mobile Food Systems
I-SPARC’s Food Systems Program and the Learning Together, Growing Together Fund, this project delivers immediate, hands-on learning to the community. It directly addresses food security by revitalizing traditional preservation skills and takes the first concrete step towards developing essential, community-managed infrastructure—a mobile processing unit—which has been identified as a critical need.
Project Goals and Objectives:
To host an intergenerational workshop bringing Elders, youth, and families together to share knowledge on traditional food harvesting and preservation methods.
To plan and host a community consultation meeting to gather input and guide the future design of a mobile wild game and gathering processing unit.
To develop and print culturally appropriate educational guides based on the wisdom shared during the workshops, creating a lasting resource for the community.
