Aaron Higginbottom

Williams Lake First Nation

The Williams Lake First Nation (WLFN), or the T'exelcemc (people of WLFN) have belonged to the Secwepemc (or Shuswap) Nation for over 6500 years. Today, the WLFN community includes a growing population of over 800 registered members who live on reserve in Sugar Cane, in nearby Williams Lake, BC, and across the globe. One of 17 Secwepemc nations forming Secwepemculecw, the greater stewardship land area extends from Shuswap Lake in the south, to Quesnel Lake in the north, and from Columbia-Kootenay Range in the east, to the Alexis Creek area in the west. Since time immemorial, our Kukpi7s (Chiefs) led a strong people, and they do so today. Today we have 786 band members and our population is growing. 233 members currently live on reserve, 511 live off reserve and 42 live on another reserve. Our band members include teachers, lawyers, social workers, artists, loggers, ranchers, and entrepreneurs. We honour our Elders and treasure our children. Our families are deeply important to us. We value our past and look towards our future.