Strengthening mutual trust, understanding and collaboration are the crux of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) recently signed between the Thompson-Nicola Regional District and Llenllenéy’ten (High Bar First Nation/HBFN) near Clinton, B.C.
Leadership from both organizations attended a signing ceremony on Friday, Jan. 10, at the TNRD board office in Kamloops.
“This agreement recognizes a growing positive relationship between the TNRD and High Bar, and the importance of working cooperatively on matters of shared interests,” said TNRD board chair Barbara Roden in a news release. “Our board is continuing to focus on building partnerships with our many neighbouring First Nations, and we look forward to working with High Bar to address challenges and create opportunities for the region.”
HBFN Kúkpi7 (Chief) Jamie Fletcher said the High Bar community was pleased to formalize the working relationship they have already developed with the TNRD by signing the MOU.
"We've been working on this MOU for some time now," he said, adding the nation's objective is to get agreements with all levels of government they deal with. "We have one with Natural Resources in 100 Mile and with Clinton. We've been fairly progressive working on these relationships."
In 2024, High Bar also developed a joint Emergency Management Cooperation and Communication Protocol with Clinton and the TNRD, and joined the Union of BC Municipalities as an Indigenous member.
They are also working with BC Parks and looking at co-managing parks in the High Bar First Nation territory, as well as working on agreements or communication relationships with governments or companies around forestry, conservation, water, environmental protection, archaeological sites, oil and gas, mining, and fisheries.
"We still see ourselves as full stewards of our land and we are putting out agreements to get the government to acknowledge that we are part of the decision-making and being involved," Fletcher said. "We want to have an open door and not give people a reason not to communicate with us. We also want to know if they are genuine with wanting to work with First Nations or if they are just checking off a check box."
After the Big Bar landslide that blocked the Fraser River in 2019, HBFN was heavily involved with the remediation project, Fletcher noted. "We found our stride there and held the provincial and federal government accountable to work with us. And we learned a lot."
Wildfire rehabilitation has also been a focus, and Fletcher said they would like to get into prescribed burning and thinning so they are proactive, not reactive.
He became chief in June 2023, but said the nation has made an effort to forge agreements over the last five-and-a-half years, to grow capacity and become more involved with decision making that impacts them.
Fletcher said High Bar First Nation does not have actual reserve land.
"Our land is on the east side and the west side of the Fraser River west of Clinton about 90 kilometres. The biggest base of our people is in Clinton, but there are members spread all over in Washington, outside of Vernon, Williams Lake, and Kamloops."
Following the signing ceremony, a community-to-community forum was held between TNRD and HBFN leadership, including members of High Bar Council, Roden, TNRD electoral area directors of Areas “E” (Bonaparte Plateau) and “I” (Blue Sky Country), and staff from each government.
Engaging with First Nations is a priority in the TNRD's 2023-2026 Strategic Plan, which has relationships and reconciliation as key priorities, noted the news release.
There are 25 bands within the TNRD's 45,000 sq. km., and the board continues to work towards establishing formal relationships with all of its First Nations neighbours. In 2024 it signed Memorandums of Understanding with Simpcw First Nation near Barriere and Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc in Kamloops.