Fourteen months into his term as Kukpi7 (chief) of the formerly named Little Shuswap Lake Band, James Tomma is enjoying working for his people and is optimistic for the future.

One change recently instituted was a name change.

鈥淚t was a progression; way back when I was a child we started talking about it. It went from Little Shuswap Lake 鈥� and I don鈥檛 say the 鈥淚鈥� word 鈥� Band. Then it was Little Shuswap Lake Band. But that name was given to us.鈥�

The new name is Skwl膩x te Secwepemc煤l虛ecw.

鈥淥ur identity is Skwl膩x, black bear on two legs. Te Secwepemc煤l虛ecw, black bear on Secw茅pmec land. That鈥檚 our identity. The name change just reaffirms our identity that we鈥檙e known as, not an identity and number that was given to us,鈥� he explained.

Another progression fits in with Kukpi7 Tomma鈥檚 election platform in 2021.

That was his aim to work for the children, to ensure them the ability to be self-reliant and self-determined. Skwlax Resource Management (SRM) embodies that goal. Along with work in the construction industry, SRM allows the band to operate across a range of industries.

鈥淭he success that Squilax Resource Management has had is a good indication of not only the hard work and diligence of employees who have worked for SRM, but I might add the majority are Indigenous people working there. We take quite a bit of pride that we鈥檙e employing our people.鈥�

Tomma said he doesn鈥檛 foresee SRM ever going out of business.

鈥淚 think it has some legs and it鈥檚 going to continue growing. All indications are through projections, the business that we鈥檙e doing with the SRM construction and all the other things that are available out there for what Skwlax Resource does is only going to get busier. There鈥檚 various things 鈥� rehab of land, deactivation, road construction, assisting in building.鈥�

He said SRM won the bid for the clean-up of Quaaout Lodge following the fire in May 2022.

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Asked about the progress of the lodge, Tomma said the rebuild of what was the accommodation portion of the complex is in the design phase.

鈥淲e have a lodge rebuild working group right now鈥� One of my big things I ran on my platform was I was returning the band back to the band.鈥�

Tomma said the band members are actually the band, not the three people they elect or hire.

鈥淲e work for them,鈥� he said, explaining he wants band members to have a say on the vision for the lodge.

Although the accommodation wing was destroyed, the golf course, spa, restaurant and conference centre remain open on a limited basis.

鈥淵ou gotta pay the light bill somehow,鈥� he smiled.

When the lodge burned, the band lost a fair number of seasonal and full time jobs. But business ventures with SRM and others have helped to pick up the slack.

Kukpi7 Tomma said SRM has assumed total ownership of the band鈥檚 gravel esker or gravel pit.

鈥淲e鈥檙e not going to lease it out or hire contractors to run that business for us. SRM will initially get it up and running, but eventually band members will be working in the gravel pit. The band will see the dividends from that gravel pit because it鈥檚 going to be worth a lot of money to the children.鈥�

He said this is the direction SRM and the band are taking, ensuring the legacy left for children is one where they don鈥檛 have to fix anything but can instead improve on what鈥檚 been done.

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Already SRM has reached the stage where it has begun to pay for itself, he said, about three years earlier than initially projected.

鈥淥ne thing good about SRM is we鈥檙e able to diversify so that you don鈥檛 put all your eggs in one basket鈥� When you get to a certain size, then you鈥檙e able to get your hands into a bunch of different jobs that are available. Thus we can keep quite a few people busy throughout the year,鈥� he said.

鈥淥ur band, they鈥檙e quite proud of SRM. We鈥檙e becoming well known in the industry, quite well respected for the quality of work that鈥檚 being done and that only fuels expansion.

鈥淭hat goes a long way in ensuring when I finally lay down for the last time, knowing that my children will be taken care of then. SRM is a flagship for the band and I鈥檓 quite proud of it.鈥�

Kukpi7 Tomma is quick to add that while he does the steering, 鈥淚 do have a really good council, a really good administration, that makes me look good.鈥�

In the past, he said, the band鈥檚 wealth came from leasing land. He wants band members to be able to work for their money with band-owned businesses, which will bring in more money.

Overall, he鈥檚 generally pleased with how things are going.

鈥淔ourteen months in it, I鈥檓 still enjoying myself; there鈥檚 been road bumps and everything, as with life. But I look forward to continuing not only working for my people but hopefully I have an effect on the surrounding communities too.鈥�

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