Splatsin Band

Splatsin Band
Name	Splatsin Band
People	Secwépemc
Province	British Columbia
Country	Canada
Headquarters	Enderby
Main reserve	Splatsin Reserve

Splatsin Band

The Splatsin Band is a First Nation community of the Secwépemc people in the Southern Interior of British Columbia, near Enderby, Kamloops, Vernon, and Salmon Arm. The community participates in regional initiatives with neighboring First Nations, provincial ministries in Victoria, and federal agencies in Ottawa, engaging with institutions such as the Assembly of First Nations, the British Columbia Treaty Commission, and the Canadian Judicial system. Splatsin members interact socially and economically with nearby municipalities including the City of Kamloops, the City of Vernon, and the District of Sicamous, while maintaining cultural ties with other Secwépemc communities such as the Adams Lake Indian Band, the Little Shuswap Lake Band, and the Neskonlith Indian Band.

History

The people's history is tied to the Secwépemc Nation, the Fraser River, the Columbia River, and the Shuswap Lake watershed, with pre-contact seasonal rounds that connect to sites near the Okanagan, Nicola Valley, and the Thompson River. Contact history involved explorers and traders associated with the Hudson's Bay Company, missionary activity from the Church Missionary Society and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kamloops, and later interactions with the Government of Canada and the Province of British Columbia during colonial expansion, the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway, and settlement by communities such as Revelstoke and Sicamous. Historical events affecting the community include policies shaped by the Indian Act, residential school systems including institutions similar to Kamloops Indian Residential School, and litigation pursued in courts such as the Supreme Court of British Columbia and the Supreme Court of Canada. The band has engaged in land claims and modern treaties processes alongside parties like the British Columbia Treaty Commission and has participated in reconciliation initiatives with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Canadian Human Rights Commission.

Governance and Membership

Governance structures draw on Secwépemc customary systems and elected institutions engaging with frameworks under the Indian Act, the First Nations Finance Authority, and tribal councils like the Shuswap Nation Tribal Council. Band leadership works with provincial ministries including the Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation and federal departments such as Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada. Membership criteria are influenced by band custom and legislation referenced in cases before the Supreme Court of Canada, and the community negotiates service agreements with municipal governments including the City of Enderby, the District of Sicamous, and the Regional District of North Okanagan. The band participates in intergovernmental forums alongside the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs, the First Nations Summit, and the Assembly of First Nations.

Culture and Language

Cultural life centers on Secwépemctsin (Shuswap) language revitalization programs linked to institutions like the First Peoples' Cultural Council and Simon Fraser University language departments, with funding avenues through the Indigenous Languages Act and Canada Council for the Arts. Ceremonial practices intersect with seasonal fishing on the Columbia River and Shuswap Lake and with traditional harvesting in territories spanning Okanagan Nation lands, interacting culturally with the syilx communities such as the Okanagan Nation Alliance. Cultural preservation involves collaboration with museums and archives including the Royal British Columbia Museum, the University of British Columbia Museum of Anthropology, and local cultural centres modeled after initiatives by the Aboriginal Tourism Association of British Columbia. Education partnerships include work with School District 83 (North Okanagan-Shuswap) and post-secondary institutions such as the University of British Columbia, Thompson Rivers University, and Indigenous-led institutes like the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology.

Land, Reserves, and Economy

Land stewardship covers reserve lands near Enderby and resource-rich areas adjacent to Shuswap Lake, the Monashee Mountains, and the Thompson Plateau, with land-use planning conducted in relation to provincial bodies like the Ministry of Forests and federal bodies such as Fisheries and Oceans Canada. The band’s economic activities engage sectors including forestry companies like West Fraser and Tolko, fisheries regulated by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, tourism connected to BC Parks and provincial attractions such as SilverStar Mountain Resort, and resource development reviewed under the Environmental Assessment Office and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency. Economic development initiatives use financing mechanisms like Aboriginal Financial Officers Association guidelines, partnerships with the Business Council of British Columbia, and procurement under Indigenous procurement policies promoted by Public Services and Procurement Canada. Land disputes have been considered in courts including the British Columbia Supreme Court and have led to negotiations involving BC Hydro projects on the Columbia River.

Social Programs and Services

Social programming intersects with federal agencies such as Indigenous Services Canada and Health Canada, and provincial health authorities like Interior Health, delivering services in primary care, mental health, and addiction support, with collaborations involving the First Nations Health Authority. Education and training programs coordinate with Aboriginal Head Start, provincial ministries of education, and post-secondary partners including Thompson Rivers University and Okanagan College. Housing initiatives, child and family services, and employment programs link to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Employment and Social Development Canada, and the British Columbia Housing Management Commission. Social justice and victim services collaborate with agencies including the RCMP, the British Columbia Prosecution Service, and Indigenous legal aid organizations, while public safety intersects with Emergency Management British Columbia during wildfire and flood responses affecting the Shuswap watershed.

Treaty Negotiations and Legal Issues

Treaty processes have involved engagement with the British Columbia Treaty Commission, negotiations influenced by landmark legal decisions such as the Delgamuukw and Tsilhqot'in cases adjudicated by the Supreme Court of Canada, and claimant processes before federal tribunals including the Specific Claims Tribunal. Legal issues encompass aboriginal rights and title, fishing and hunting rights adjudicated in courts like the Federal Court of Canada, and consultation obligations clarified in cases such as Haida Nation v. British Columbia. The band has pursued modern treaty and self-government frameworks similar to agreements negotiated by other First Nations, working with negotiators, lawyers, and institutions such as Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada and academic legal clinics at institutions including the University of Victoria and the University of British Columbia Peter A. Allard School of Law.

Category:Secwépemc