Description of the Project

The Indigenous Law Research Unit has been working in partnership with the Shuswap Nation Tribal Council (SNTC) and the Secwépemc Sna7a Elders Council to explore Secwépemc laws of citizenship, belonging, and governance. Having collaborated previously with the SNTC to articulate Secwépemc lands and resources law, Secwépemc Laws of K̓wséltkten and Secwépemc-kt is a second-generation project for ILRU. In conversation with the community, ILRU’s approach for this project is to draw more heavily on language (Secwepemctsín) to ground legal concepts, and to participate in more cultural activities in the community, including the seasonal Secwépemc Gatherings. The project produced a report with a synthesis of Secwépemc law, a casebook, and a glossary. This work will ground discussions about standing up Secwépemc laws in the Secwépemc Nation.

Community Partner

Shuswap Nation Tribal Council & Secwépemc Sna7a Elders Council (see SNTC website: https://shuswapnation.org/) 

The Materials

Report

The Report contains the analysis of Secwépemc laws on k̓wséltkten and Secwépemc-kt based on research done for this Project. The analysis has five chapters, outlining Secwépemc legal principles, processes, decision-makers, structures, pathways, and responses relating to laws of belonging. The analysis is not a codification of Secwépemc laws. It is a resource that the Nation can use in the development of laws, policy, education, and governance. The Report also contains a short primer on Secwépemc society and history, an executive summary of the analysis, a final chapter about implementing the Report, and a description of all project activities, including the names of people who worked on the Project.

Access the Report here.

Casebook

The Casebook is a compilation of all the Secwépemc narratives the ILRU researchers learned from and explored alongside community as part of the Project. These stories helped form the legal principles, processes, decision-makers, pathways, structures, and responses that are discussed in the Report. ThisCasebook also includes a thematic index of the stories (an organization of the stories by different themes) and discussion questions for each story. The Casebook also talks about the Adapted Legal Narrative Analysis method of analysing stories, examples of ILRU’s use of this method, and sample questions people can use to try this method themselves.

Read the Casebook here.

Glossary

The Glossary is a compilation of the Secwepemctsín words, phrases, and concepts that ILRU researchers learned from and explored alongside Secwepemctsín speakers and resources as part of the overall Project. These concepts helped inform the legal principles, processes, decision-makers, pathways, structures, and responses that are outlined in the Report. This Glossary only includes words shared, compiled, and used within this Project as they relate to Secwépemc laws on k̓wséltkten and Secwépemc-kt. Any errors in the Secwepemctsín used in this Project are ILRU’s alone.

Read the Glossary here.

The Summary Graphic

Access a high resolution version of this image here.

Funders

This project is funded by the Shuswap Nation Tribal Council, Swift Foundation, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, McConnell Foundation, Law Foundation of British Columbia, and the Real Estate Foundation BC.