The Ckultenellcw Cultural Centre has appointed its first manager.
Floyd Dick, who is a member of the Esk'etemc First Nation (located in Alkali Lake), is the new manager of the Ckultenellcw Cultural Centre. Previously, he had worked for 14 years teaching the Secwepemc language in School District 27 as well as the Kamloops School District. Dick has also worked with the Tsq̓éscen̓ First Nation as a traditional governance researcher and went out on the land with the traditional youth study team.
"I helped to initiate the starting of the society some years back, over 18 years ago, or something like that, and now it's obviously come to its fruition," Dick remarked about his additional role in forming the Northern Secwepmec Cultural Society, which built the cultural centre.
He is also a semi-fluent Secwepemc speaker, as well as versed in the Lillooet language and Cree, along with other Indigenous languages.
Dick said his initial duties as the manager of the cultural centre will be taking calls and assisting those who need access to the building.
"I'm letting them do their work and preparing to get set up for incoming items. In regards to the future of the building, the landscaping, artifacts, managing a budget and helping to coordinate events and be a voice along with the cultural society team members," Dick explained.
He had been working for the Esk'etemc First Nation when he had seen the job posting, and said he had applied due to the excitement of the position.
"(I am) just excited to hit the ground running, helping to restore artifacts and to bring artifacts from out on the land. So that's part of my motivation, and the motivation is to gather the people together as well as to use the centre as a hub, so to speak," Dick said.
Dick said that the cultural centre is planning for a potential grand opening on June 21, where they might have something happening for people to come by and check out. Additionally, clients, such as the Cariboo Regional District (CRD), in addition to a film course, are set to use the cultural centre, with the CRD doing so for two days in June. In addition, there are potential plans to host something on Canada Day alongside the 108 Mile Heritage Site.
"There are a few things in the works right now and that, as a team, we need to continue putting together here," Dick stated.
Dick overall said that he feels excited and confident to take on this role, noting there was many things that had motivated him to do his job.
"We have a great, huge gap in research information regarding our culture here on the plateau. We've been here longer than the pyramids, older than the pyramids, and so there are artifacts not yet found out there that you know are going to be brought to the centre - and other artifacts currently in the works, being put together," Dick said.
