A historic signing of two individual Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) agreements between Simpcw and the districts of Clearwater and Barriere took place on April 11, 2025 in the Village of Chu Chua, home of Simpcw First Nation.
Many who attended the event are referring to it as “inspiring” and "ground-breaking".
Simpcw First Nation continues to lead the way in forging communicative relationships within its territory with what Simpcw’s Kukwpi7 George Lampreau refers to as “collaborative partnerships” between the municipalities of Barriere, Clearwater, Valemount and McBride.
A traditional bannock taco luncheon prefaced the signing in Simpcw Hall, which was filled with community members, chief and council, Thompson Nicola Regional District (TNRD) representatives and the mayors and councillors from Barriere, Clearwater, Valemount and McBride.
Following the thanks given for the delicious food prepared by Chu Chua volunteers, councillor Tina Donald introduced the Language and Cultural department speakers, former chief, Shelly Ann Loring, as cultural lead, and Charlie Fortier, Language and Cultural department manager. Both speakers shared unified examples related to the responsibility of leadership, commitment and taking responsibility for each other and the land seriously as well as how we problem solve together as being a “sacred” responsibility.
The MOUs and Protocol Agreements state that what the signing ceremony represents is “the strengthening relationship between the two governments which is grounded in respect, openness, understanding and trust.”
Kukwpi7 Lampreau told Black Press during the event on Friday how it felt seeing each area represented in the hall at Simpcw.
“Today was amazing. You know, of all the work we do as chief and council these days are the most rewarding days for me, because we're moving ahead in a very good and positive way and we're bringing everyone along for the ride,” he said with a smile, “That's what it's all about is all of us working together and building these positive relationships. It’s a bit emotional because this is a lot of hard work and like I said in my speech, I’m very fortunate that I have these mayors and councils willing to work with us."
This is a shining light that the rest of the province needs to see and have that light spread. You can get into those dark places where these relationships aren’t being built or fostered and there are still too many of those in this province. Hopefully this starts to break down those barriers. We’ve come a long way, and we still have a long way to go. These sorts of events help get past situations and incidents that occurred in the past and for me, we are not looking back, this is looking forward and we are going to work forward together and make sure that our valleys thrive.”
In their acknowledgement of the significance of the MOU agreement signing, both mayor Rob Kerslake and mayor Merlin Blackwell spoke with sincerity and gratitude.
“Today marks an important milestone in the history of Barriere," Kerslake told the crowd. "With the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the District of Barriere and Simpcw First Nation, we are formalizing a commitment to work together in the spirit of respect, collaboration and reconciliation."
Kerslake said the agreement is more than words on paper.
"It represents our shared values, our shared history, and our shared future. Simpcw First Nation are the original stewards of this land, and we acknowledge their deep connection to this territory. By working together as governments, we can better support our communities through partnerships in economic development, infrastructure, environmental protection, cultural understanding and more.
Kerslake noted the MOU opens the door to stronger communication, greater opportunities, and lasting relationships built on trust.
"We are grateful to Chief and Council for their leadership and look forward to the journey ahead — walking together as neighbours, partners, and friends.”
Mayor Blackwell added that they have already begun this journey of working together.
"This signing solidifies how we do that setting boundaries and protections," Blackwell said. "I look forward to a future of continuing this work and doing it in lockstep with Simpcw and all of the other communities in this valley and corridor. So far, it’s been very successful, it's been very powerfully meaningful and makes quite an impression when we all walk into the room together. I think we have a very strong future together for the betterment of the people, the environment, and the land.”
An exchange of gifts from Simpcw to the territory partners took place with Barriere, Clearwater, Valemount and McBride and those communities presenting memorably meaningful pieces of art to Simpcw First Nations in honour of the historical partnering.
In March of 2024 the Village of Valemount signed a MOU with Simpcw First Nation as one of its Highway 5 corridor partners during the Community to Community (C-to-C) Forum held in Clearwater. The much-anticipated signing of the April 11 MOUs with Clearwater and Barriere now connects these partnerships with one signing left in the near future with the Village of McBride.
Another highlight during the afternoon was an educational PowerPoint presentation by Simpcw cultural education worker Rae Bowser who also teaches Secwepemctsín at Barriere Secondary School (BSS) as well as coaching a sports team at BSS. Bowser presented a detailed and educational presentation encouraging the newly signed partners to reach out to the Language and Cultural department at Simpcw for feedback, consultation and discussion.
She emphasized “words matter” and explained the preference for a “planned” land acknowledgement rather than a scripted acknowledgement like something read off of a note card.
“We are Simpcw and Indigenous is a blanket term. We no longer use the terms “aboriginal” or “Indian” and when you are moving through our various territories you should make the effort to know whose territory you are on and acknowledge us by name.”
The teacher also referred to the fact Simpcw members are “guardians of our territory” as stewards of the land.
Bowser also stressed when Simpcw members are drumming and singing they are not performers.
"When we sing our songs, we are in ceremony. Many of these songs are 1,000s of years old and have been passed through countless generations. We are in the process of ‘waking’ many songs up again.”
The cultural teacher also explained there would be a slower response or process depending on what was happening within the community of Simpcw. During those times the whole team drops whatever they are doing or working on when there is an immediate need for support within the village and Simpcw membership, whether that be offering family support through grief, providing necessities or prioritizing individuals needs over other work.
She also said the impact of residential schools and children being taken from their families and how those traumatic experiences impacted future generations. “I carry all of those stories with me and even though I didn’t experience it, I witnessed, and I remain a witness to those atrocities,” she said, explaining that is why the land acknowledgements should “come from the heart."
"We are at a point when a scripted generic statement, is no longer an act of reconciliation.”
Further explanation on proper pronunciations when making an acknowledgement, preparing ahead, taking time to practice thoughtfully and the resource of having the Simpcw Language and Cultural department is available was also a key part of the presentation.
Kukpi7 Lampreau concluded the afternoon thanking everyone for coming together.
“Today marks a significant milestone for Simpcw as we move forward with this Memorandum of Understanding. We believe that such partnerships are essential for fostering positive collaboration that benefits the municipalities in Simpcw Territory, proponents and our community alike. This MOU is a step toward building strong, respectful relationships, reflecting our shared commitment to working together in a spirit of cooperation and reconciliation. It is a key moment for strengthening bonds and advancing mutual success."
