picture above: 2025 Guardians Cohort
Team Skú7pecen Guardians Program
In 2022, Qwelmínte Secwépemc (QS) launched their first High School Summer Guardians program, introducing a new generation of young skú7pecens. Following the succession of the new program, QS developed the program into what is now known as the Knowledge Builders' Program (KBP). The Guardians program grants high school students from grades 8 to 12 with the opportunity to engage in full-time work between July and August. The goal is to cultivate well-rounded individuals who “Walk on Two- Legs,” integrating both Indigenous and Western ways of knowing and being into their daily lives. By empowering Indigenous youth, we are nurturing the next generation of stewards, technicians, and leaders who will sustain and advance the vital work of the Qwelmínte Secwépemc collective. The KBP has hosted over 36 new skú7pecen within the Guardian's program since 2022 and are excited to invite more!
The program involved on-the-land learning, speaker series presentations, and mentorship at the Qwelmínte Secwépemc Office. The Guardians picked traditional foods and medicines and participated in other cultural activities. They attended skill-building workshops and had professional development opportunities such as Microsoft 360 training and learned the history of Secwépemc Peoples as well as Indigenous Peoples throughout Canada.
Qwelmínte Secwépemc provided a unique structure to the Guardians, introducing them to professional work in an office setting that also upholds Secwépemc Law. The program empowers both Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth by providing them with foundational knowledge to ensure they become well-rounded leaders of the future. We look forward to expanding this program in the years to come.
Summer Speaker Series
Qwelmínte Secwépemc has undertaken a Summer Speaker Series (sss) showcasing a variety of guest speakers, including both Elders and Knowledge Carriers from Secwépemc communities and the Province, sharing their expertise, knowledge, and experiences.
The goal of the speaker series is to allow the Qwelmínte Secwépemc interns and summer guardians the opportunity to build relationships and gain valuable knowledge in order to foster a vibrant and resilient network of practitioners, grounded in both Secwépemc and Western knowledge. The knowledge and expertise provided by speakers will allow Team Skú7pecen to better understand and practice Walking on Two Legs, giving the ability to implement it into our lives and communities so that we may be great and good.
The gallery is comprised of pictures that were taken during summer speaker series events.
