Kamloops Museum and Archives and Secwépemc Museum and Heritage Park Jointly Awarded Heritage Legacy Funds to Support Reconciliation

People seated at a long table in the centre of the open air powwow arbour located at Tḱemlúps te Secwépemc.
Heritage BC Conference participants listening intently in a session at the Kamloops Museum and Archives..
Four Heritage BC Conference participants seated alongside one another engaging in a panel discussion.
Heritage BC Conference materials titled Relationship Building displayed on a table.

Photo captions:

  • From left: Julia Cyr, Kamloops Museum and Archives, Lachlan Gonzales, Secwépemc Museum and Heritage Park, Dr. Sharanjit Kaur Sandhra, Belonging Matters Consulting, and Jackie Jules, Secwépemc Museum and Heritage Park, participate in a panel discussion at the May 2025 Heritage BC Conference Me7 Elkstwécw-kt—Working Together.
  • May 2025 Heritage BC Conference Me7 Elkstwécw-kt—Working Together conference participants gather for an evening social hosted by the Secwépemc Museum and Heritage Park at the Tḱemlúps te Secwépemc Powwow Arbour.
  • May 2025 Heritage BC Conference Me7 Elkstwécw-kt—Working Together conference participants in a session at the Kamloops Museum and Archives. 
  • Breakout session materials at the May 2025 Heritage BC Conference Me7 Elkstwécw-kt—Working Together. 

Photo Credits: OKGN Co. 

The Kamloops Museum and Archives and the Secwépemc Museum and Heritage Park have received funding from the Heritage BC Heritage Legacy Fund. The $5,250 grant will support continued work on building a museum-to-museum relationship through reconciliation and cultural planning.

The funding will specifically help both museums work together to create a plan for repatriating (returning) First Nations cultural belongings to their communities of origin. In addition, the funding will support related repatriation activities, education, programming, and processes.  

“We are proud and honoured to collaborate in the building of our continued museum-to-museum relationship through reconciliation and the creation of safe and welcoming spaces that uplift all community voices,” said Kúkwpi7 Casimir, Tḱemlúps te Secwépemc.

Julia Cyr, Museum Supervisor at the Kamloops Museum and Archives, explained that planning around reconciliation and related programming involves extensive community engagement, including education and awareness through workshops, communications, gatherings, and community conversations.

“We are excited to champion a dialogue on museological practices, to share in cultural knowledge, and to create lasting, positive impacts in our communities, guided by reconciliation,” said Cyr. “As we draw closer to National Indigenous Peoples Day on Sunday, June 21, 2026, there will be opportunities for the broader community to engage and learn about the work of repatriation.”

Reconciliation has been reflected through past museological events such the March 14, 2024, gathering Reimagining Museums: A Community Conversation, in collaboration with the Secwe̓pemc Museum and Heritage Park, the Royal BC Museum, and the Kamloops Museum and Archives, and the May 2025 Heritage BC Conference Me7 Elkstwécw-kt—Working Together, a conference jointly developed by the Secwépemc Museum and Heritage Park,  Heritage BC, and the Kamloops Museum and Archives.

Learn more about the museums:
•    Secwépemc Museum and Heritage Park 
•    Kamloops Museum and Archives

To learn more about repatriation, please refer to the following resources:
•    From Stealing to Healing: Repatriation and B.C. First Nations - First Peoples Cultural Council
•    Repatriation Cost Analysis: A Framework and Model - First Peoples Cultural Council 
•    Ethical Stewardship at the KMA - Kamloops Museum and Archives  
•    Provincial Repatriation Policy Framework Co-Development – Province of British Columbia