JUNE 2016
H
business elite canada
3
By Rajitha Sivakumaran
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T
he territory surrounding theThomp-
son and Nicola rivers in the south-
ern interior of British Columbia has
a profound history and in much of this
story, the Scw’exmx, the people of the
creeks, play a large role. Throughout the
ages, this land, home of the Nlaka’pamux
Nation, has played host to skilled hunters
and fishers, distinct cultures, coloniza-
tion, reserves, the 1858 gold rush and a
smallpox epidemic.
Long before Contact Period, the early
Scw’exmx settlers were engaged in a
number of economic activities like fish-
ing, trapping and gathering. In the mod-
ern era, however, the descendants of the
Scw’exmx have adopted an entrepre-
neurial approach to economic develop-
ment and the Lower Nicola Indian Band
(LNIB) is a significant player on this stage.
As one of the largest bands in the area, the
LNIB represents the concerns of 1,200
community members, who live both on
reserves and in urban settings like Mer-
ritt, Kamloops and Vancouver. Presently
under the leadership of Chief Aaron Sam,
the band is involved in everything from
human services and infrastructure to
economic development and financial ad-
ministration. Within these categories, the
LNIB is deeply immersed in all the things
a governing body is charged with carry-
ing out: bylaw and policy development,
career advancement, health services, en-
trepreneurship, land and natural resource
management, and public works.
MOVING
FORWARD THROUGH
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
The modern era has brought with it sub-
standard living conditions on reserves,
poverty and frightening statistics for the
descendants of the Nlaka’pamux Nation.
About 66 per cent of individuals make less
than $15,000 annually and 27 per cent are
unemployed. In regards to education, 33
percent of people did not obtain a high
school diploma and only 28 per cent had
