Kukpi'7 (Chief) Willie Sellars of Williams Lake First Nation (WLFN) says connecting with provincial leaders at the B.C. cabinet and First Nation Leaders’ Gathering opens up opportunities for the entire Cariboo region.
“We believe in it,” Kukpi'7 Sellars said about the annual gathering which took place on Jan. 21, 22 in Vancouver.
WLFN council and representatives met with the premier and his ministers in brief meetings throughout the two days, communicating the nation’s priorities to the NDP as they settle into their new term in government.
"Meeting with these individuals and building relationships this early in their term is a positive thing,” he said, explaining it allows WLFN leaders to put faces to names and sets the tone for government-to-government relations.
Kukpi'7 Sellars said his team was well-prepared for the conversations they had, allowing them to push for continued support and grants on existing initiatives such as WLFN’s cannabis cultivation and retailing. The nation is also pushing new initiatives in areas such as housing and forestry.
“We can’t do these things by ourselves,” Sellars said, adding it wasn’t just about WLFN, but about the larger Cariboo Chilcotin community.
“We keep that in mind whenever we’re at the table with the province and the feds,” he said, giving the example of WLFN’s involvement in regional initiatives such as the Cariboo Memorial Hospital’s redevelopment project.
Sellars said relations with the province have come a long way, and he felt the leaders he met with were receptive and seemed willing to collaborate.
“We live this stuff in community every single day, we’re passionate about it and that comes across at the table,” he said.
Sellars recalled how difficult it was to be heard when he first became chief because not much was known about WLFN. Today, he said things are much easier as people have come to know WLFN and trust the nation will be successful with the resources they receive.
“The relationships we’ve established and continue to build are awesome,” Sellars said, adding that it said a lot about the strides made towards reconciliation in B.C.
