the federal government about the National Indige-
nous CleanTechnology Hub. The focus of the proj-
ect is education and equipping Native entrepre-
neurs with the knowledge and guidance needed
to convert to clean technology and green energy.
Active community engagement is seen even on
the business side of things. Communication runs
in a two-way direction; the council’s plans and fu-
ture projections reach the people and open lines
of communication ensure that feedback from the
community reaches the council.
“Something we take very seriously is consulting
the community,” Chief Sam said.
With a population that is expected to double every
20 years, the band is heavily involved in revitaliz-
ing the Nlaka’pamux culture for the future gen-
erations. Although Canada is often described as
a mosaic of cultures, assimilation has diluted the
prevalence of First Nations culture. For instance,
in the Nicola Valley, only 16.8 per cent know how
to speak the traditional language and of this, a
small 1.6 per cent speak it at home. The LNIB is
actively trying to increase these numbers. It is in
the midst of implementing the Language Nest, a
program whereby Native children are exclusively
taught the mother tongue from birth to age five
in a home setting. This system will employ elders
and teachers and serve as a language revitaliza-
tion tool for both parents and children.
At the end of the day, the motivation behind the
band’s entrepreneurial endeavours is to solidify a
sense of identity and pride in the LNIB commu-
nity.
JUNE 2016
H
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