Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc returns to its original name

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 13, 2012

Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc officially returns to its original name
The First Nation formerly known to most Interior residents as the Kamloops Indian Band has received official confirmation from Ottawa that its name has been replaced with the title of Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc (TteS).

Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc is the Band’s traditional name. Translated into English it states that it is the Tk’emlúps (Kamloops) division of the Secwépemc (Shuswap) Nation with the word Tk’emlúps meaning where the rivers meet. The phonetic spelling of the name is “t-kem-loops tuh Sek-wep-am-ooc”.

“We are going back to our traditions and customs, it starts with our name, Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc is who we are. Our roots have brought us to the traditional name, our foot prints are deep in our lands and it echoes through the wind to the mountain tops,” said Chief Shane Gottfriedson.

The Band changed its name through a Band Council Resolution (BCR) which was the result of a unanimous vote by the membership almost three years ago; however, the change had not been formally accepted by Aboriginal Affairs Northern Development Canada (AANDC) until this week.

It’s important for the TteS and Band’s alike from across the country to utilize their traditional names to help preserve the culture of the people.

“We are proud of who we are and the future is only going to be brighter as we continue to develop and foster change for the future,” said Gottfriedson.

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For more information contact:
Kelley O’Grady
Marketing, Communications and Events Coordinator
Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc
(250) 828 – 9775
kogrady@kib.ca