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Chief's Message

I was honored to be elected as the 12th Chief of the Tk’emlúps Indian Band in December of 2003 and re-elected  once again in 2009 to continue to work hard for positive growth of our community.

Chief Shane Gottfriedson Bio

Re-elected in December 2009, Chief Shane Gottfriedson is now serving his 3rd term as Chief of the Tk’emlúps te Secwepemc.

A former Ironworker with a strong entrepreneurial inclination, Shane Gottfriedson is the Tk’emlúps te Secwepemc’s 12th Chief.

He diligently seeks to create economic opportunities to benefit Tk’emlúps people in a meaningful, sustainable economic environment that creates jobs and partnerships that provide for economic growth for our region. The empowerment of the Tk’emlúps people is of the utmost importance to Chief Gottfriedson, and he believes that the work that he and the Tk’emlúps council does will truly benefit the community as a whole.

"My number one priority as Chief for the third term, is to leverage the political collateral I have gained in order to improve the quality of life for all of the Tk'emlups INdian Band members, which includes both on and off reserve. Furthermore, I intend to advance our title and rights in order to protect the inheritance of the coming generations.

I do not believe we can surrender our right to tax exemption while maintaining our inherent title and rights to this land. I think it is iiresponsible to assume otherwise.

Many of you have already phoned or stopped by to visit with me and I would like to thank you for bringing your concerns forward. I believe that it is less important whether we agree or disagree about a particular issue, but rather the discussion itself is most valuable. I will never change my open door policy.

I believe that pride in your home is important -- and wnat for each of you to be proud of where you come from and intend to continue working toward creating the pride for all of our members.

There are many responsibilities that come with being Chief, and though there are stressful times, its truly a joy to serve you."

Currently Chief Gottfriedson serves on the following boards and committees on behalf of the Tk’emlúps community:

  • BC Assembly of First Nations Economic Development Committee
  • BC Chief's Chair of the AFN Economic Development Committee
  • BC Chiefs’ Negotiation Team for Gaming
  • Chairman of Gaming Committee
  • Chiefs’ Health Committee for the Interior
  • Southern Interior Trust Board
  • Board of Directors for Venture Kamloops
  • Board of Directors for Tourism Kamloops
  • 2011 Western Canadian Games Board
  • Forest Products Sector Council

 Please contact Shane directly if you have any questions or concerns.

 Tel: (250) 828-9700 or e-mail: chief@kib.ca