Chief Willie Sellers of Williams Lake First Nation discusses Indian Residential Schools, the harmony of cultural preservation with community advancement and reflects on his reconciliation efforts, in an enlightening interview with Aaron Pete.
Willie Sellars, from Williams Lake, BC and a member of the Williams Lake First Nation (WLFN) of the Secwepemc Nation, became one of the youngest elected Councillors in WLFN history at 24 and, after a decade on Council, was elected Chief in 2018. Previously a Wildland Firefighter and later the Special Project Coordinator in the WLFN Economic Development Department, Willie managed new business initiatives and community consultations. He is also an award-nominated author of "Dipnetting with Dad" and the upcoming "Hockey with Dad."
Chief Willie Sellers of Williams Lake First Nation discusses Indian Residential Schools, the harmony of cultural preservation with community advancement and reflects on his reconciliation efforts, in an enlightening interview with Aaron Pete.
Willie Sellars, from Williams Lake, BC and a member of the Williams Lake First Nation (WLFN) of the Secwepemc Nation, became one of the youngest elected Councillors in WLFN history at 24 and, after a decade on Council, was elected Chief in 2018. Previously a Wildland Firefighter and later the Special Project Coordinator in the WLFN Economic Development Department, Willie managed new business initiatives and community consultations. He is also an award-nominated author of "Dipnetting with Dad" and the upcoming "Hockey with Dad."
Welcome back to another episode of the Bigger than Me podcast. Here is your host, aaron Peep. As a council member for my community, chewotho First Nation, I'm always looking at other leaders to see who are setting a great example and who I can look up to and follow in their footsteps. Today I'm speaking with an author, dancer and the chief of Williams Lake First Nation. My guest today is Chief Willie Sellers. Willie, I have been looking forward to this. I have been watching you on LinkedIn and you are doing so many great things. Would you mind just briefly reminding people who you are and the work you do?
Chief Willie Sellars:We could wait up Cookbeat Willie Sellers from Squex, the Gekkel, Esquimulu. Hello, my name is Chief Willie Sellers and I represent the Williams Lake First Nation and I am a part of Esquimulu. I am very honored to be back. I've had some good things happening, but you've been killing it too, man. Follow along at this rising stardom. The studio keeps looking more professional. There's like a sound guy. You know the Gekkels out here before we started.
Aaron Pete:I appreciate it. Are we able to start with your reconciliation award that you received a few months ago? What was it like to receive that? You're always working behind the scenes and it was such a nice moment to see you receive that. What was it like?
Chief Willie Sellars:Yeah, oh, man, it was. You know you receive an award like that. You think. Do I deserve this award? I feel like I'm fairly young, that there's more people that are deserving of that award. You know, I contemplate these things and I even debrief them with our team about how I get honored when it's really on all of us here at WLFN. You know we have such a strong and supportive council and we've got great staff where, you know, I'm the figurehead of this organization, of this government, of this community, like I am not this person without all of them, and that's always. You know what's going on in my head. I mean, we want to recognize the team that we have.
Chief Willie Sellars:But a big part of our evening was, you know how we've been able to rekindle this relationship with the city of Williams Lake. You know you just have to Google the city of Williams Lake and the Williams Lake First Nation over the last, you know, five years and there's crazy headlines that have come out where we've proactively went after council and the mayor and asked people to step down because of statements that they made. And you fast forward to 2023-24 and we have a great relationship with the city of Williams Lake. We're working on artwork for our airport with an overlapping First Nation hot suit in the city of Williams Lake and the Kerber Regional District. We, you know we were going to ceremonies together. We were going to hold ceremonies at the mayor's house over Christmas. You know some interesting food options, but like tasty it would be an understatement and the way that we've been able to build towards this reconciliation discussion even with them, and promote Indigenous, non-indigenous relationships for the region to the better, it's been such a fun ride and to be acknowledged for that is just crazy.
Chief Willie Sellars:The whole ceremony was pretty wild too. It was at government house. I'm not sure if you've ever been there, but it's this massive house like on the hill in Victoria. You go in and that's where the Lieutenant Governor lives, and you know we were. My schedule is like really crazy. You know I have four kids and we were just talking about it earlier.
Chief Willie Sellars:It's playoff season, so it's a busier than usual right now with the hockey rinks. But you know, on top of that we've got a number of different things going on. So the only time that I could find to fly out to government house for this reconciliation award ceremony was the morning of. So we got there. The award ceremony started at 5.30. We roll into government house at 5. And it was that big snowfall in Vancouver, Victoria, so like we were 60K from the airport the whole way, it we barely made it. Next morning we flew out 5.45am to Salt Lake City for a whole other story. But you know, it was a bit of a whirlwind week for us, that one with this reconciliation award and, of course, sundance Film Festival.
Aaron Pete:Can I ask about how you process reconciliation? How do you think about it? Because so many people talk about the past and what has gone on, and there's truth that needs to be told in that regard and the challenges that Indigenous people have faced. But then there's the looking forward, and how do we overcome these obstacles? How do we create momentum within First Nation communities to rise above the past atrocities and continue forward and to flourish and grow and share their gifts? How do you think about the balance that needs to be struck between looking at the past and looking at the future?
Chief Willie Sellars:I mean it's such a valid, you know point that you bring up. It is a balance. We have this debate all the time. We have this conversation and the dialogue with our elders and with our membership and with other leaders all the time about you know how we manage our traditional territories even. You know we have that sovereign group that anti-industry, anti-pipeline, and yeah, I mean we can support them. But then we also have this other side where you know we need housing, we need infrastructure, we need better programs and services and I mean you really go down the list and all these things cost money. So I mean it is a balance that we need to find in this reconciliation discussion. It is really at the heart of that.
Chief Willie Sellars:You know, as the provincial and federal governments start holding up UNDRIP and we start honoring, you know, the vision around reconciliation, it's leveling the playing field. It is a big part of that having the conversations and making those uncomfortable conversations comfortable. You know there is this massive movement in this country right now around, I guess, recognizing the legacy and the history of residential schools. You know, with that has come investigations across the country which you know, one of which we are leading here at WLFN in regards to the St Joseph's Mission and it's sparked a lot of, you know, hate and untruths and just negative feedback towards some of our communities and some of our peoples. But I mean, what it's also doing is it's uncovering the truth that make people uncomfortable and invite. By doing that and holding up our culture and really focusing on language ceremony revitalization, we're starting to see, you know, those elders and those ancestors, those survivors, be brave and starting to have that conversation, helping us educate the non-indigenous peoples of our regions. And while that is happening, you know, the cycle is being broken in our opinion, which is a big part of what reconciliation is. It's an education, but it's also, you know, creating more allies.
Chief Willie Sellars:I found where you know, before, when we would strike a deal or we'd have a major project or we would conclude a settlement or an agreement with a major proponent in our traditional territory, there would be animosity from the non-indigenous population, where they're just like, you know, why do we get that? And that's not fair and that's our tax-paying dollars. I mean you hear those conversations often, but now it's like, you know, hell yeah, williams Lake First Nation. We got to continue to support what they're doing because they're making our region look better and that is a win for all of us.
Chief Willie Sellars:Now they have to realize that we have to work together in these conversations and when we have a massive victory at WLFN, we get an award or we sign an agreement or we start a business, that money, that money and that recognition is like bolstering our economy here. That money is staying here. That conversation about how good a place that is is here. Now itd's us realizing that balance that you talked about and then just doing our part to make it a better place, not just for the Williams Lake First Nation but for the city of Williams Lake and the Carver Regional District. Now there's lots of things that we should be working on together and it would be a lot easier if we were working together, but now those conversations are easier said than done. Just got to continue to move towards that common goal.
Aaron Pete:Can I ask about reclaiming the St Joseph's Mission Indian Residential School? How did that process come about and what did it mean?
Chief Willie Sellars:Yeah, so you know we've. We had the Prime Minister here in our community. That brought a ton of profile to the region. He came and he visited the site of the former residential school of St Joseph's Mission. That is the residential school that my dad went to, my grandma and numerous others from multiple nations throughout this region and really through the province of British Columbia. So far, through our investigative works we've identified over 50 nations or 50 communities, sorry, that are represented, with children at that school.
Chief Willie Sellars:No, but it wasn't just the Williams Lake First Nation school, it was. You know, there was sequemn kids that went there, there were Chilcotine kids, stallium, de Geath, new Hall. You had done a list of kids that went there. I mean it was pretty scary. There are very many good stories that came out of that school, a lot of trauma and a lot of triggers. So when the announcement of the 215 came out of KIB, we started, you know, down our own path, our own investigation and working collaboratively with the province of British Columbia, with the federal government, and making sure that we had the funding and the resources and support but that we were leading those works. And of course we hold up ceremony in that conversation. But what we found is it's resulted in us, you know, further reinforcing that there's a lot of healing that needs to happen in our communities. You know it's not just, like I said, a Williams Lake First Nation concern. Initially it is an indigenous issue. Now, why aren't our kids learning about the residential schools in the curriculum of our school districts and our territories? No, I never learned about them. I'm not sure about you, but we're starting to see that movement where curriculum is changing and those teachers and those educational institutions are starting to hold up and educate individuals on that story. And I mean that is just as important as the work that's going on over there. We want to be able to break that cycle and you know, on the other side of that, we still get conversations and we still get comments with our survivors and our elders around. You know they don't want to talk about it anymore and they don't want to hear about it anymore and that's in the past. But by keeping that mainstream media we've been able to continue to make sure that work is getting done, which is not easy. I mean I hold up our investigative team that Whitney Spearing, sharon Belle, you, nancy Sandy I mean those are Charlene and Nancy. Those are two former chiefs that are really spearheading that interview investigative piece with our research team led by Whitney Spearing, and I just you know you hold them up in your thoughts and your prayers on a daily basis because of how intense that work is.
Chief Willie Sellars:So in our territory where St Joseph's Mission is located, it's all private property there. So it's private property where the school used to sit in the outbuildings. Then it's private property as you move out into the valley, more private property as you get to the edges of the valley, on top of the valley, and as we start ground truthing the, I guess, the properties, you start to realize how complicated it gets. Right away, through interviews or research through the archives, we're bringing those survivors out onto the grounds and having them tell our stories and show us, you know, areas of interest to get the start with the ground, penetrating radar works. But when you're dealing with multiple property owners it gets so much more tough Because you're like really kind of you know, hoping and so far so good. It's been really great with the private property owners.
Chief Willie Sellars:But I mean they could stop those works if they wanted.
Chief Willie Sellars:And that's the biggest fear and that's where we push the feds and we work collaboratively with Brooks and Shannon Waddell on that 14 acre parcel where the school used to sit, and we were able to find some success and purchase that 14 acre parcel where the school sat, where the gym sits, numerous other outbuildings, where the nuns used to stay and the priests used to stay, for example, and where the graveyard is the historical graveyard that sat in that valley.
Chief Willie Sellars:So I mean that has alleviated a lot of the pressure around making sure that we can continue to get those works done. You know it's brought us together as a team and as a community and it's just made the conversations easier on how we move forward and chart that path and it gives us peace of mind of what we can make that site, because that's also going to be a big part of it. You know there's maybe eventually we get to an excavation, exhumation conversation that brings all the communities together in ceremony. But you know what about after that and how we make that site into a place of healing as opposed to a place of anger and frustration, because you know people want to gather there and we've got to make it safe and we want to make sure that we honor the ancestors that are buried there.
Aaron Pete:This is a very complicated subject, and I don't know if you saw that I interviewed Candice Malcolm, and the organization she founded, true North Media, wrote a book called Grave Error, where she disputes a lot of these claims. She questions it a lot of it, and I did my best to have a sensitive conversation with her. Where we start with, these are human beings. These are individuals who were connected and had family members and loved ones and never got to reach their full potential. One of the places we started with, though, was she pushed back and said Do you really think that nuns and these types of people were just letting kids die and letting them be murdered and that that was just going on in Canada and nobody cared? That was one of her first comments, and I'm wondering what your perspective on that is.
Chief Willie Sellars:I mean I've heard those stories firsthand of the horrific things that happened at that school that is known as St Joseph's Mission. So I would contest her right away in India the comments that she makes, that's calling our elders liars. And when you see the emotion, you hear the stories and you look at the abuse that has been done to date and then you look at that archival works, the charges that were filed, historically and taking those priests to tasks, and there there is no a legacy of horrific acts. So I don't know how she would want to say otherwise. I mean it's documented.
Chief Willie Sellars:But I think you know there is always going to be naysayers and when we think about you know, I don't know, I want to talk about proving them wrong, getting to a place of excavation and you will never prove that those anomalies or reflections are on marked graves until you do that. So it eventually will probably get to that place, but it's going to take time and there's a lot of healing that needs to happen for that to take place as well. I mean you look at even our site and where we're at and where we're going. I mean we could still be a year or years away from that conversation and that's you know. Maybe that's even being ambitious. There are a lot of communities that are saying they don't want to do that, and that's something that we're going to have to weigh into the decision making of how we move forward in the year and coming years.
Aaron Pete:One of the other comments that she made was that the Truth and Reconciliation Commission took place and they know exactly how many students went there and how many students passed away due to illnesses or like. Her claim is that that's all already been documented and so if there were missing children, they would have been documented in the National Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and so this work is already complete. And my counter points to her was one if you did lose a child in an organization like this, there would be incentives to cover it up, to not have those stories told, and that many people were fleeing from these circumstances, and so there would be arguments that they ran away and so they were never documented leaving. What are your thoughts on the fact that some of these people may not be documented?
Chief Willie Sellars:100% facts. You hear even stories at St Joseph's Mission. I mean, these are public stories that are even told in the sugarcane documentary that is going to be coming out later this year, made public, and kids getting thrown in an incinerator. I mean, how do you approach that without getting emotional? Extremely challenging and difficult and the amount of trauma that comes from even hearing a story like that is something that we have to live with and hold up the individuals that are telling it in a way that is super challenging.
Chief Willie Sellars:The mental health and wellness of our survivors is of utmost importance in this language, ceremony, culture, revitalization, discussion that we continue to have. They fought so hard to give us this life that we have as Indigenous Peoples in our communities that we have the ability to celebrate that part of our history. You know, speaking our language and singing our songs and participating in ceremony and sometimes we take it for granted and we need to get passionate about it again to honor and hold them up. And really, you know, fight back to those individuals that are calling us liars or saying that it's not true and it's a money grab. I mean you can't put a price tag on the health and wellness of our community. It's just something that needs to be done.
Aaron Pete:On that point.
Aaron Pete:I'd just like to point out that like and I'm hoping you can share your story as well my mother was born with fetal alcohol syndrome disorder as a consequence of her mother enduring St Mary's Indian residential school here in the Fraser Valley, and so when I think about it, I go through the atrocities and the terrible trauma that my grandmother must have lived through in order to survive that and then have children, and then she has multiple children, and then those children are born with that same intergenerational trauma.
Aaron Pete:But there's hope in having a child that things can improve. And so to me I have a responsibility to lead the community the best I can, to lead my family the best I can, to set a positive example, to show that we can break these cycles, as you were talking about earlier, and that we can show that we are resilient and that we can overcome these things. But that thinking about things in a seven generations lens is encouraging in that you know that people sacrificed so much that you could never comprehend in order for you to be here today, and that is a shared story, I think, for so many people, if their parents fought in World War II or World War I, that we, many of us, have a story where our families fought for us to be here today and it overcame horrendous odds in order for us to be here, and we should be grateful for that and appreciate it, and I'm just wondering if you can share your perspective on that.
Chief Willie Sellars:I mean it is totally true and you know that healing piece of a big part of it is forgiveness. And I think about the history that I had and how fortunate I am that my mum raised me and you know she is an indigenous woman who raised just on the reserve in community of WLFN and she instilled hard work and good values and, you know, at the same time did her best to hold up who we are as indigenous people and what it means to be sequem. You know I had a lot of animosity towards my dad growing up, and so did my sisters, because he was never around. And you start to learn your history and you start to learn the traumatic experiences that your parents and your grandparents and great grandparents went through and you hear a story about how important it is to forgive in order to heal. And you know me and my dad have never been closer. But it took me a long time to get to that point, to understand why he is the way that he is and make sure that me, as a parent, isn't doing that same thing, right? I mean, you brought it up and I think you take the best qualities of your parents and use those with your own teachings to raise your kids so that you can put your kids into a position to break that cycle In generations from now. You know we are not going to be dealing with that. We are a generation removed from the Indian residential school system in this country and we are going to learn about it and we are going to talk about it. But that same trauma that impacted my dad and intergenerational trauma that impacted me isn't necessarily going to have the same impact on our kids in future generations from there. So I mean it is exciting having these conversations too. It is inspiring to think about how successful we are considering and how successful our kids and great grandkids and grandkids and great kids are going to be moving forward. We just have to continue to be that mold and that model and make our ancestors proud.
Chief Willie Sellars:Every time I pick up that drum I feel a little bit better, even if I am having a bad day. Or every time you participate in ceremony you feel a lot more pride. We are seeing in our school districts too, where kids are proud to be indigenous, and it wasn't necessarily the case even ten years ago, which is not that long ago. In our community here we have a great powwow culture and we have two powwows per year Our father's day powwow that happens June 14th to 16th this year we have a plug in here and of course, our set of powwow that happens September 6th to 8th. We have a gorgeous arbor that our community actually built 25 years ago, and 20 years ago you start to see more and more of these kids dancing and wanting to pick up that regalia and the amount of pride and how proud our elders are seeing that. It is so unbelievable to see and that is just like one piece. The idea is that we need to continue to make them proud, both present day and into the future.
Aaron Pete:Would you mind also sharing? You have a book Hockey with Dad and then you go and get to dance at a Canucks game. Can you tell us that story?
Chief Willie Sellars:It is one of my most favorite life moments. We are a die hard Canucks community here or die hard family. I grew up watching the Canucks through the trials and tribulations of winning and losing and making cup finals and not winning the grand prize. I did not start powwow dancing very long ago Just into my second year now and I got great mentors here in community. I look at a dancing water sandy or Lenny Supernult and just how they have been able to kind of coach me along and give me good tips and advice even William Lulawa, who is 18 years old, who coaches being on how to be a power dancer on the moves and even how I should do a better job staying hydrated, which is something that seems simple but is often overlooked when you are having fun out in the dance surface. Of course, the Canucks were super fans.
Chief Willie Sellars:I got approached by Joanna Sparrow and she she asked if I would be available to speak on Truth and Reconciliation Day or profile around what we've been able to do and how we've been a part of this reconciliation discussion and investigative works at St Joseph's Mission, where we've got me on the radar, and they wanted me to come and be a part of September 30th National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, or a sure day with the Vancouver Canucks. I was going to get to speak and be a part of the puck draw and I was like, you know, there was no hesitation, yes, I will do that and I'm super stoked to do that. And then they phoned me on Tuesday and they said, hey, would you be willing to dance at center ice in between the periods? And I said, yeah, no hesitation, Can I bring somebody? They said, yeah, I'm bringing William Bellew. Then he's a band member, he is one of my power mentors, he is an inspiration to me. And then they phoned me on Thursday and they're like, hey, can you speak to the dressing room in the morning of Truth and Reconciliation Day? And they said, yeah, that seems simple. Oh man, I speak at a lot of events and when we did the puck draw, my eight year old got to be a part of the group that dropped the puck. We have this great picture in my house now.
Chief Willie Sellars:But speaking in front of 16,000 people was not hard. It was very easy for me and it was not stressful at all. But earlier that day, going into the dressing room and speaking to the Vancouver Canucks players about what Truth and Reconciliation and what this day means for Indigenous peoples is probably the most stressed I've ever been at a speaking engagement the most stressed, arguably, that I've ever been in my entire life. I walk into the room and all those guys in there they're legit my heroes. You got Pederson and Miller and Demko, Rick Talkets sitting to my right, Quinn Hughes you have coaches like the Sadeen brothers. It was really a surreal moment and I always like to speak from the heart in these instances. That's one of the things that a lot of former leadership has taught me. You know ones like Ann Louie and Nancy Salindy or like Rick Gilbert, really out front. You go down the list and that was such a cool moment.
Chief Willie Sellars:Once all of that was done, then we still got to stay in the bowels of the building at Roger's Centre. You're like a kid in a candy store and you're in awe. In the hallways down where the Zambonis are, you get our own little dressing room for VIPs where our regalia is all set up and we're starting to get ready to dance. This is the fun part, the cool part. Earlier that day we got to go out there when the building was empty and we got to practice on this little 10 by 10 mat or 10 by 20 mat or whatever it is. Under the Jumbotron you hear the music just blasting. There's just a crazy amount of pride and excitement that comes with Pawao and Pawao Music when we're looking at getting to do that to help a team that you love and get to honour Indigenous people in a packed stadium. It was a surreal moment. That was the easiest and funnest part was a dancing piece. I keep hounding the Vancouver Canucks for that footage, for those pictures, but I haven't gotten it yet. I don't know, maybe I'm saving it.
Aaron Pete:That would be amazing to be able to watch and be able to replay and share with the community. I'm wondering, and I don't mean to put a damper on it, but I'm just wondering how you think about these moments, because I've heard comments. Ainez Louie from the Stolo region called out the Canucks at one point in time. She was going to go sing the Canadian National Anthem, I believe, and the financial offer I think the Canucks were making was not in line with what she was looking for. I just sort of think about some Indigenous people have this perspective of like there's too much tokenism going on or there's a fear of tokenism. Does that ever cross your mind when these opportunities come up, A fear that you're not getting the respect you deserve? Or is that easy for you to process?
Chief Willie Sellars:Yeah, it's tough and I mean maybe it's a little bit easier for me. You know, like I'd do those things for free. I think it's not even a contemplation. It was funny when they asked me like I had a list of demands and they're just like no, and I said okay, well, I don't care, this is my team and I'm going to do it anyways. And you have those conversations afterwards like we're able to secure a handful of tickets for members. We were able to secure a handful of tickets for some of the kids that were down there on my son's hockey team and that was good enough payment for me.
Chief Willie Sellars:I understand the importance of making sure that we pay and we honor our artisans and our cultural leaders, because I know how it is in our community. Even here at WLFN we have four cultural workers on staff. They make an annual salary and we try and hold up and honor the importance of those individuals in our community because we know how detrimental they are to our healing as a community and our revitalization discussion that we continue to bring up. But you know there is again I mean you continue to talk about it, even you had mentioned it earlier this balance that we need to strike. You know it's very easy to call individuals down on both sides of the table, but I mean we need to see progress and if I'm making a sacrifice to see that progress and I'm being a part of that movement in a good way, hopefully what it does is it blaze that trail so that you know it's easier and individuals are fairly compensated for their time and how they hold up Indigenous peoples in this country. But I mean it's way easier for me than it was 10 years ago for those leaders, 20 years ago for those leaders.
Chief Willie Sellars:I just had this conversation at lunch actually about, you know, you think about how grandiose the AFN personation summit, ubcic, is, in regards to how easy it is for me as a leader to get down there and be a part of it and participate. You can participate virtually now or you can fly down, drive down when you're in a hotel. You have a per diem. It's super easy and simple. You just have to find the time to go where.
Chief Willie Sellars:I mean you look historically and those leaders were carpooling, hitchhiking, sleeping on park benches, getting apartments together and sleeping on floors and on couches and in bathtubs, just so that they could make those meetings, so they could make it easier for future leadership to have, say, at the table with the provincial and federal government. So I mean it is a balance there. I mean you don't want to be a token I understand that part of the conversation but you want to make sure that you are being a part of making it easier for future generations. So it's a tough, a tough balance to find, for sure just like anything else For the Vancouver Connect, though I would have hitchhiked down there myself if I had to.
Aaron Pete:Well said, I'm wondering if you could describe what it's like to be a chief with somebody who is non-indigenous, somebody who doesn't understand. Often we get compared to municipalities, but I do find that our housing is completely different, Like so many. Processes on reserve are so unique. Culture is key within First Nation communities in a different way that it would be for a municipality. Would you mind describing what being a chief means in comparison to other leadership?
Chief Willie Sellars:Yeah, I mean it is like being. I mean obviously it's different than a municipality or a provincial or federal government, but I mean it's fairly similar, except that every single one of your constituents has access to your cell phone, nose where you live and for the most part you know, grew up with you, knows who you are on a very personal level and I think about you know we've had these conversations in the past with our non-indigenous staff and individuals that we bring in to help provide better programs, services, policies, etc. In our community. It's like you know, there's this hybrid model that we need to have in regards to governance. That isn't necessarily like a municipality, because we have to hold up the history of who we are as Indigenous peoples and what our governance looks like. That is not an easy question to answer by any stretch of the means.
Chief Willie Sellars:But you know I look at the misconceptions that you always have with non-indigenous people around. We don't pay taxes, we don't pay for housing, we don't pay for education. Everything just comes to us for free, and I mean we are supported by the federal government. I look at our staff here we have 108 staff now, 50% of which is paid for by funding that we get flying and scraping from the federal government. The rest comes from own source revenue from successful businesses, from agreements that we signed through. You know our own means, our own blood, sweat and tears and you know what we get from the feds isn't enough to provide proper programs, services for our community. You know I'll continue to improve the housing crisis that every single one of us has, improve our infrastructure and make sure that we have clean drinking water and proper sewer system. People take these things for granted, but you know it is stressful on a day to day because we are in charge of all of that. But you know, as a chief, you are the figurehead of that community, of our government here at WLFN. But I am one person at that council table and I mean I'm sure that you can relate Everyone puts the chief of a bunch of pedestal and they get all the glory also get all the crap. But you know it's I'm not the one that's going in there and like changing everything and making decisions by myself. We make that as a collective, but we also make that on the advice and guidance of the staff that we have.
Chief Willie Sellars:That is also something that we are very blessed with here at WLFN We've been able to develop a lot of capacity, both in-house, bring a lot of capacity in that allows us to do these things and do them in a timely manner. Now it's not as easy as like, hey, we want a new rec center or we want a new administration building. You know, make a statement like that it's, you know it's very complex thinking about. You know, where is that money going to come from to build it? You know, going through the engineering, the detailed engineering, the site prep, I mean you, these things take years and that's where, that's where I've been really blessed again, in all honesty, is my timing seems to have always been really good.
Chief Willie Sellars:Former leadership did a ton of work and really set things up for me so that when our administration got in, some big things happened right away. And you know it's like, wow, chief Willie's doing all these things. But it's that former administration, which I was also a part of, that set that up in the timing just worked out when we were able to get in. But now we continue to raise that bar to do it and we have non-digious people coming in and asking us you know what does it mean to be chief and how great it is.
Chief Willie Sellars:You know what? They don't see them. And they see that positive front that we always put on but they don't see. You know some the stuff that really weighs in on your mental health, you know, weighs in on you as a dad and you get those in any kind of politics and that's probably the toughest part of all of us is weighing that for the better good of our community. No, I'm not shy to shed a tear cry or not shy to Don't speak to our elders or talk to a therapist. And you know, go play hockey a couple times a week because that's what helps me find my balance. But you know, you only can do what you can do and Membership recognizes that. But but again, I always fall back on. They have to recognize our council and our team here, because they're pretty special too.
Aaron Pete:May I ask about your election process? When I first ran on council for my community, we didn't have any processes like Like a debate portion or an all candidates meeting where people can get to know our community. Still, very much a vote it's based on whose last name is big in the community and you have a few big families that vote for their kin and it's the Hatfields in the McCoys Continuously where they're battling for grounds and they're making decisions in the best interest of their family and luckily I'm from a relatively small last name. But I ran on a platform. I went forward. I held all candidates meetings. Only a few people showed up. I posted a lot on Facebook.
Aaron Pete:I did an interview with the local reporter. I said what I wanted to accomplish and what I thought I could bring to the table. That was unique and I came in second place for both running for chief and running for council and I believe that I was in large part because I was running on something I was. I was saying what I was gonna do rather than just running on my last name. And I'm wondering how your elections go and do you have any processes that I could bring in for my next election that have worked for you, or that seemed to bring out the best ideas rather than just the last names.
Chief Willie Sellars:Yeah, well, I mean my first Plan of attacks. I just got to continue to have kids and eventually they all become voting, just kidding. But we have a custom election code here at WLFN so we run in four year staggered terms. So the next election is actually this summer. There'll be three council positions up for grabs and you know some people say it's a popularity contest.
Chief Willie Sellars:But again, I mean I, I come from the same background as you. I mean you lead by example, you show the community that you care. You know you bring a certain set of skills that may be a little bit different than other people, but your passion for the community is a big part of what our membership will recognize Now. They see you at community events, they see you Talking and in port, portraying this positive image of not only who you are but where you come from and what nation you're from. And there is a respect piece that comes with all of that. I mean we always have to carry ourselves in a good way and I figured that I always have at WLFN Ever since I was a kid and it comes from those teachings from my mom and you know I did certain teachings from my dad to and my family on both sides. But Making sure that the membership knows who you are is the key piece, where you know if there is a debate or an open forum. We have that as well through our custom election code and you got to make sure you participate in those. I mean it could be the difference.
Chief Willie Sellars:But you also just Want to make sure that people are making informed decisions when they're going to the polls and it isn't just based on family, because I mean, I mean you need the best people that you can in these positions because they're making decisions on behalf of all of you and no, that has drastic impacts on Not just this generation but future generation, seven generations from now, like you were saying earlier. And you know it's good having the staggered terms I think for here at WLFN, because then you get consistency in that leadership group. So there isn't a huge upheaval, you know, every every four years. And what what I found is? You know it's been very consistent.
Chief Willie Sellars:We've always had a good counsel since I've been in this role. But but you know there was there was always great voices at the table that challenged the administration that currently was in. I remember even me. I used to. I used to have full-on arguments and yelling matches with former G fan Louis, and I think that is healthy. I think that's probably why she respects me the way that she does and it's why I have always respected her Is she would never back down and she was always so passionate and I took great lessons out of that even to this day.
Chief Willie Sellars:You know she's so strong. She's back at the council table now and we don't have those same yelling matches, but but she always, you know, puts me in my place and then it gives me a lesson when it's needed, which is also very important to me. It's good to have those competing minds, but at the end of the day, when we do make decisions, I always say this we all support that decision moving forward and we Put that united front out so that membership can see that we are strong, and I think that's benefited. That's in the short term and the long term here where we come from and our small part of the interior.
Aaron Pete:I've written an opinion editorial and basically the thesis is that I think my main concern moving into the future is I think first-nation communities need to be somewhat be treated like a municipality, in that those council meetings are public record and that there should be reporters that are able to come and ask Questions and make sure that we're leading properly, because the tragedy that I see with other first-nation communities that are still in poverty is sometimes those leaders aren't being accountable for taking action, for taking necessary steps and for moving forward. So we have communities that like yours, that shed a beacon of light for communities like mine to go. We want to move in that direction and your health building looks amazing and we want to move and we want to be more like that. But then I see other communities and they're stuck in the same slumps. They were when I was a kid and they haven't moved anywhere. And I think healthy journalism would be able to highlight and help inform that dialogue.
Aaron Pete:Not all not all members Know what questions to ask or how to phrase the question or how to get an answer, but journalists certainly do and they know how to hold leadership accountable and ask the necessary questions.
Aaron Pete:And I think right now one of the fears that so many people have is Insulting a first-nation community or coming on to the land inappropriately or do, and of course, there's a place for that but when we're talking about getting first-nation communities out of poverty, this has to be a part of the conversation, in my opinion, to make sure that the leaders are actually delivering on what they said they were going to do and that there isn't just the positive stories, that there's tough stories to where we find out this leader isn't on the up and up and they need to be removed from office and another leader needs to step in, so that we don't stay in these ruts for 20, 30 years and so that we don't have such a huge discrepancy between Successful first nations and unsuccessful first nations when leadership seems to be the challenge. Do you have any perspectives on that?
Chief Willie Sellars:Yeah, I mean it's the timing of you asking that question is just crazy. We had a community meeting last night and it was the discussion around Williams Lake first nation pursuing a self-government agreement, starting a rights and recognition table with the federal government moving the direction. You know, for the last 30 years we've been in the treaty process. There's been a ton of amazing work that has happened. 30 years ago, 3d was really the only option to be a self-determining first nation achieving self-government. Legislative landscape has changed significantly over the last 30 years with numerous court cases that have changed, you know, and Evolved and given us additional options. So a self-government agreement is something that we wanted a table with the community and Get some feedback and have some conversation around. Is this something that appeals to you and that you would support? No, we figure we have the mandate through the treaty process because a self-government agreement is a part of that process. Anyways, so paralleling the two would be a benefit. You know we would put the needed pressure on the government so that we can, you know that, achieve one of them in a timely manner instead of waiting another decade or more. But you know, one of the comments that we had at our community meeting last night is from one of you know I don't know how you terminate a radical Individual saying we don't have community meetings and we need to be more transparent and our communications suck and sick. Okay, well, let's just unpack that for a second. And you know I'm always quick to say, and even said it last night you were not going to hurt my feelings or counsel's feelings by asking questions. No, all we ask is that you be respectful and you say to the room you know we're not going to proactively go out there and Comment and answer questions on aggressive social media posts, but if you come into the office and you want to have a conversation, bring it on. If you don't feel comfortable with doing that, you know, forward an email and answer, ask those questions and we're never gonna, you know, judge an individual for doing that. I mean we want to be challenged. At the end of the day it's. It's healthy Conversation to have in transparency, which is what the membership wants, and we're quick to rebut a last name.
Chief Willie Sellars:We've had numerous referendums to move ourselves along in the treaty process. We have had. We had our specific claim referendum or land code ratification referendum. We have numerous meetings that are more engagement sessions around the direction of how we approach industry. So you know that there is Belatedly in the concerns that we need to have more. Yeah, I mean COVID really jammed us up in that conversation, but I mean, now we're getting back out there and we're starting to open back up and and that was one of my comments to some of our team today was man, we need to have more community sessions, just even information sessions about what's going on, so that people can feel more comfortable and give a shit if they want to. You know like those are my favorite sessions because you really get to hear what the concerns are and In the last thing we want to do is muzzle people and not feeling comfortable but voicing their opinion.
Chief Willie Sellars:So moving towards open council meetings is another priority for our administration. I was talking to a member last night. He said when is that going to happen? And I'm like I know I sound like a broken record around these things, but we have all the latest and greatest technology here at WLFN with our new administration build. It's going to happen. We just need to make sure we don't roll it out and fumble it, and you know that is the task to our team that we have with our CAO and our communications group on how we tighten up our Minute taking and our messaging and how those meetings are structured in a way that is not going to Well. That's going to keep us safe as as a council and as a community because, really, once you open it up to membership and having those public council meetings, the world is going to see them, and that's something that we need to be cognizant of and know how to properly structure our meetings to reflect that.
Chief Willie Sellars:Making sure that we're being as transparent as possible is something that every community should strive for, because that is often the misconception. Indigenous country across Canada is that they're, you know, protecting their hiding, their corrupt and there's, you know it, it's the same in every community. That's the one. If I guess they're encouraging things is that the same problems that we're having here at WLFN are the same problems that are that are that are Happening in every single country. Some of us are just, you know, getting better that how we deal with them, but there's still, you know, we're not perfect here. There's still a ton of work to do on a number of different fronts. That Keep me awake at night.
Aaron Pete:Yes, I just had an open house recently in regards to housing and we had the Ministry of Transportation come out. Fraser Valley Regional District we're working on getting 30 new units. We're working on how to communicate that and then getting member feedback on how to design it, and I spoke with all the stakeholders Afterwards on how they thought it went. At times it got a little bit louder, so I was like did everything go okay, how are you feeling? And the response was how impressed they were and how passionate the membership was about sharing their thought.
Aaron Pete:I think for so many it's like you just don't have the opportunity to say the one thing you want this road to be Expand it a little bit so that you can fit your, your bus, that you're getting picked up for, your kids for, and like these very simple things that Community members need to share.
Aaron Pete:And I'm always very cognizant of making sure that, even if it doesn't make sense at first, that I kind of steelman the position and try and figure out what's the best part of that argument and how can I carry that piece forward. Because there is this balance of like. If you put it out to the whole world to see, information can be misconstrued or misunderstood and you want to be cognizant that certain information isn't kind of going off in the wind. I know whenever we're in a specific claim now in my community there's talks of like oh, are we getting a payout, or is membership getting a payout? So like, how things are communicated is something you have to be cognizant of. But you never want membership to feel that cut off and I certainly sympathize that. There's lots of tick-tock videos out there about indigenous leadership and how we can do better.
Chief Willie Sellars:I mean, it is so true and you get into those community meetings and usually it's the loudest voice that that really commands the room and you know free housing is one that's always thrown out there. Per capita payouts and the debate that we have in our community meetings around People that say things like that or comments that are made on our social media, is that you know we just won this specific claim that was a 30-year court battle, went to the Supreme Court of Canada, went through the tribunal process and we ended up settling out 135 million. We took 5 million, we did a per cap, we paid off some bills, we put some aside for some infrastructure improvements, but then we locked up 130 million into a community trust and there was a ton of debate around how could you do that? You should be paying it all out. This is BS and Like those are what the loud voices were saying in it and if you don't look closely, I mean that's what you think the entire community is saying. But when we go to referendum, you know it's 90-plus percent vote in favor of locking that up into a community trust and that's something that really opened my eyes around. You know the loudest ones in the room don't necessarily speak for the room, and we have to make sure that we keep that in mind while making decisions on behalf of the community. You know it's easy to succumb to that loud voice and think that they're speaking and part of, as part of the broader community, but they're, for most part, not. And Now there is no way and I said this in those engagement sessions and to people that would talk to me is now I would.
Chief Willie Sellars:I'm ready and willing to be voted out to make sure that this gets locked up into a community trust, because that isn't just the legacy of this current administration or staff. I mean that protecting that money for future generations is the legacy of every single elder and ancestor that fought for that Specific claim and writing that historical wrong over the past 30 years and that was just so much more important. I mean my kids will get a nice check to start the modern life when they turn eight, when they turn 18, then in every single future kid moving forward which is now pretty Crazy plus, I mean the annual interest off of that specific claim is is gonna allow us to do whatever we want. Really, that, that is, that is a lot of money annually that will come, be coming into WLF and long past I'm gone, and that's something that we we're very proud of.
Chief Willie Sellars:But again, I mean it doesn't come with making sure that we are being transparent and communicating with our membership. I mean simple Things like just even returning a phone call to members whether it's good news or bad news, is what they want. I mean, people want information, they want to be communicated with, and Sometimes that's not Easy to do because it's not good news, but it's something that we have to do. We always have to make sure that we realize that we have our positions and in in our organization Whether it's achieving council or whether it's a CAO or whether it's social development senior manager or senior manager of education and we have jobs because of our members, and that's the sick close to our hearts when we're doing this work too.
Aaron Pete:That's beautiful. I have two more questions. One of them is a little bit longer and I didn't just invite you on for Altruistic reasons. I actually would love your perspective on my work on council, so I'm going to give a little bit of a rambling talk on what I've been working on and I'd love to hear your feedback on the end on where I could take things. We're about 18 months from our next election, so I just love your thoughts. So I manage the portfolios for housing, economic development finance and tax.
Aaron Pete:On housing, when I joined Chihuahua First Nation, on their council, we had no housing manager, no housing plan to repair the existing 89 homes in our community and no plan to ever build new, new homes. Since about 18 months ago September 2022. I've brought on a housing manager. We've repaired about 15 homes. We have a plan in place to repair another 15 within the next year, so and a long-term plan over the next three years to repair all 89. I would say when I came on, all 89 had severe health or safety issues in regards to them. So we should have that resolved by the time that my term is up, or we should be on the way and there should be shovels in the Ground repairing those existing homes. We're putting in an application right now. We did one for our hi 3 For CMHC. We were unsuccessful in that bid because we didn't put in our own source revenue. Now we're working on a BC housing application for 30 units and I'm optimistic that we'll see results on that. So housing is moving forward on all good fronts in that regard.
Aaron Pete:Then economic development when I came on, everything was done in house. We didn't have an active Economic development corporation that operated separate from our First Nation community. So we've gotten that up and running. We have three board members. We're working on getting up to five and they're now dealing with the responses on procurement and processes and what we're looking for, and we're working on an economic development plan in that regard so that we can operate based on what the members actually want and what jobs and Businesses they'd like to see started in the community. So that's moving in a really good direction.
Aaron Pete:And then for finance, we were three years behind on our audits and come March we should be caught up on all of our audits. We're working on bringing in a controller so they can manage all of the finances and make sure that we stay up to date. And then we're now implementing budgeting for all of the departments, which we didn't have previously. So that is also all being sorted out and we're working on getting approved by FF First Nations Financial Management Board certification and we should have that in the following year, which will likely be 2025 by the time that we're starting to get approved on all of those fronts.
Aaron Pete:And then taxes we were on the previous system and now we're working on getting up to date on the new federal system that goes outside of the Indian Act and that's moving quite well, and then we'll start to have certification by the provincial authority on taxation. Property assessment, pc assessment. So that is where I'm at, but I'm very eager to continue the momentum forward and I'm wondering what advice would you have for a council member that I might not have heard before and how can I continue to do better if I do choose to either run for chief or council again in 18 months? How long are you term section?
Chief Willie Sellars:three years. So well done. You know you, you listen to all that work and I mean it is inspirational even for me. You know we have a massive team of individuals that help us move these things along WLF and I mean I am no, I am no cracker jack when it comes to taxes and finances, and but I mean that we have individuals that are on staff. You know they deliver the vision that we have as a council and its communities, like yours, that you know help give us that mold, and we hear stories like this you take that little bit of what other communities are doing and you tailor them to the needs of your own community.
Chief Willie Sellars:One of the biggest pieces of the pieces of advice that I have for anybody that's getting into leadership is that to make sure that they realize that they have to be patient. You know, like these things don't happen overnight and we see it time and time again. People are running for leadership roles and their territories is that they're gonna change the world Now. They're gonna do this, they're gonna do that, and then they get in there and it's just like you know, there there is a bureaucracy within indigenous communities, just the same as there is with municipalities and Provincial governments and federal governments. I mean we can act a little bit quicker, obviously, but we need to have the proper people in place for that to to realize. And Of course, you need community support, which you know you want to come in and you, you want, you want to fix 89 homes. I mean, geez, that is, you know, an undertaking that could potentially take decades if you're relying and waiting on the federal government to do it, and I can imagine how challenging it would have been for you to even get 15 and then have the commitment for additional homes in the future. I mean, those are probably, you know, pestering and Just being aggressive on your calls with the feds and just the consistency of Of doing that like on a weekly basis, probably to make sure to shake loose that funding. You know how you're partnering that up with BC housing and and and other Funding sources to Make sure that it happens.
Chief Willie Sellars:And then, on the flip side of that, people are still screaming for new homes. I bet right. And when people want new homes, subsidized homes or its free homes, which isn't a reality in indigenous communities because somebody has to pay for that mortgage. So if you're giving a free home or or you're subsidizing homes. That money comes from own source revenue and it's that educational piece that we had need to make sure that we were sharing with our members. If you don't pay, well, I mean, how do you expect us to even fix the homes? And this is that recurring cycle that we see and and in and also making sure that we're educating them how to properly maintain their homes. I mean, I'm a homeowner. I owned a trailer and then I eventually bought a house in community here, built a house, got a mortgage. You know you do the things that need to be done and like being a homeowner is like stressful, you know, like looking at your roof and making sure that you're you're maintaining your, your, your plumbing and and and the soft, I mean you really it's. It's an educational piece that I wish I had when I was growing up.
Chief Willie Sellars:And we think about wanting to make change in in our communities. We just, you know, going back to we just have to make sure that we are patient, but we are also persistent that those conversations are continuing to happen on a weekly basis, because I because I mean you you have experienced it firsthand if you're not continuously hounding those funding groups, bringing it up at the council table. You know they're never going to happen. It's that squeaky wheel that's going to to get rewarded for the most part, unless you're a massively successful community and there's revenue streams that are just flowing in and and you're able to use that on source revenue and allocated to the different initiatives in the community. I mean, that's a that's a really cool conversation to you know.
Chief Willie Sellars:I look at Our community and the success that we've had. We're a resource based economy here, I'm sure you sure you know it's forestry, it's mining, it's pipeline. We're trying to diversify, of course, and we're doing our best with our cannabis initiatives, amongst other things. But you know, signing an impact benefit agreement with the local mine doesn't necessarily sit well with the entire community, or Indian country for that matter, but you know it, signing that impact benefit agreement, creating that relationship with proponents in the territory and striking up partnerships with, with, with, with industry, is about building a revenue stream and having a seat at the table and finding again going back to that balance Right of being proper stewards of the land and being able to provide better programs, services, housing, etc. For your community.
Chief Willie Sellars:All that, all of those things cost money and that's the balance that we need to continue to stress to our community and we're not sellouts at WLFN. But you know, we are doing what's best to make sure that we can be better and we can see progress, so that we can make sure that hoses are being repaired and people are working and providing for their families and, and you know, the health and wellness and the family Structures continue to improve in our communities. You know, but again you go back. These things don't happen overnight and we have to make sure that we are being patient in how we approach them. But as long as progress is happening, we have to make sure that we're.
Aaron Pete:It was chief Clarence Louie who said it's the economic development that pulls the social cart, and I thought that that was an apt statement to keep in mind for First Nation communities who are facing those challenges. My last question for you, because you are such a great leader, is what makes a great leader in your perspective?
Chief Willie Sellars:Oh man, I I've been blessed with good timing. We say that I got into Counsel and I got to work under some pretty amazing people. I got to mentor under I mentioned her already Former chief at Louis. I got to mentor and sit beside the late former chief and sat on council the entire time I was in leadership Rick Gilbert no, chris Wycliffe, seniors at her table. Nancy Sandy, former chief, she works on our St Joseph mission investigative team. She is quick to put me in line always and I feel that's because she respects me.
Chief Willie Sellars:We have to always make sure and hold up those former leaders, because there's gonna be a point in time when I'm not a leader anymore and you know I I'd like to hope that I will be respected the same way that I respect our former leaders. No, you always have to make time for them and appreciate their opinions and Respect the comments that they make, because they always make them in a good way and they used to be in the seat that you, that you're in right now I I Think about. You know the lessons that I've been told that could have, you know, arguably got me removed from office or tainted my reputation, or you know Just how they were used as life lessons to me Because of just how stressful this position is. Right and you know, the life that we live is filled with stress and anxiety and we're always trying to find the balance and and keep everybody happy. But you know, everybody has their own issues, that that happen in their own stresses that happen. We have to also make sure that we're respecting those as well. So what makes a good leader, you know, being fair, being honest and just making sure that we're making that time to listen to every single one of those members that we have and Holding up our elders and our ancestors that have, you know, done it before and lived it before, and in honoring them at the same time. I mean, it's no easy task. I Come off shiny, but you know I've had a rocky road, just like anybody else, which is, um, you know, a part of the process.
Chief Willie Sellars:It's funny, I had this conversation with my dad the other day and he was saying what are you gonna do after you're done as the chief? What are you gonna do if you get elected out? And I said I don't know. Celebrate. It's a stressful position sometimes and you and, and he freaked out, he's like what? And I'm just like you know I'm half joking with you, dad but like not having to worry on a daily basis about the direction of the community and you know how we improve the health and wellness and life of future generations. You know we'll still do that to an extent outside of leadership, but you know, life would probably get a little bit more simpler, and then that's a good thing too. You know, I'd probably have more time for family and more time to to learn my language, for example, and those are also important things.
Chief Willie Sellars:Same conversation pivoted into you know, dad, when are you gonna retire? When are you gonna, you know, be an elder in our community? And he's like I can never retire. I can, you know, but it's just like no, seriously, you know why don't you retire? You come drive our elders bus. You, you can work part-time because you know it's not a full-time job, and then you could also, you know, pick that drum back up and learn your language and be an elder in our community. And you know you laughed like I was joking, but I was dead serious.
Chief Willie Sellars:You know we have to understand the stress that gets put on our leaders across Indian country and recognize that as we move forward and as we look at you know, the future generation of leaders that are coming up. It's not an easy position. It gets only even more challenging when you factor in all of the you know, social media and access that people have to you, because, really, I am a phone call away from every single one of our members and I know that because they phone me all the time. Sometimes they phone me to call me down, and sometimes they phone me to thank me, and sometimes they phone me just to have a conversation, and you know we have access Across the board on every single different social media platform, and Making sure that that we're honoring you know what each of our leaders go through and holding them up at the same time is very key to that conversation. That's the messaging that we need to continue to have as we move forward. That conversation. That's the messaging that we need to continue to have as well.
Aaron Pete:Brilliant. You have a few powwows coming up. You mentioned the documentary coming soon. Would you mind telling people what's coming soon for you?
Chief Willie Sellars:Yeah, we have our traditional powwow June 14th to 16th. That'll be fun, more low-key but still awesome. We have our competition powwow September 6th to 8th. That is like the big show. It's like the Stanley Cup for our territory here. Last year we had Championship dancers from all over Western Canada. We had nine drum groups, some big ones from even Back East. It was some show, you know we we had some very talented individuals in there. You know I dance and I put in, you know, hundreds of hours every summer, try and like be sharp and in shape, and I don't even touch the the talent that comes to our powwow in in September and even, honestly, in In June. So we have those two. Everyone is welcome. We continue to level up on both of them.
Chief Willie Sellars:And then we have, of course, the documentary about our investigative works over at St Joseph's Mission, which premiered at Sundance in January. We won I think it was a best director award. It got picked up by National Geographic, so it'll be streaming on Disney Plus within the next six months sometime. So, yeah, that that will be, you know, a big one. It is something that you know the vision I Am in it like. I'm not the star or anything, I'm just in it, which is, which is cool.
Chief Willie Sellars:But there's some really important stories that come out of that About the history and legacy of residential schools and some of the atrocities that happened. But you know, the vision of that documentary will be that it is added into the curriculum of every single school in this country. That's something that we'll push for because it's an important story to tell and it should be a part of that education of Canadians, indigenous, non-indigenous For years and years and generations to come. So that's fun. We'll have the premiere for that Williams like hopefully before it debuts on Disney Plus, but we'll keep you updated on that one.
Aaron Pete:That sounds great. You have dip netting with dad and hockey with that and, if I'm not mistaken, there was really recent story in your local newspaper saying that you're gonna do a live reading with one of the schools.
Chief Willie Sellars:Yep, no, we, we. I try and fit them in, you know, as much as I can, because it's really important, right. You know, you instill that pride into those indigenous kids to see not just an author but a leader, you know, taking the time to Be a part of their day and and hold them up as as young indigenous people in this world. It was funny that the one I've done a couple over the past I guess March last month and and one sticks to mind where a girl, a young girl in the school, says my mom dries fish, and we're like at the end of dip netting with dad and I say, yeah, and you know what, your mom is the best Dry salmon maker in the whole territory. And she was like beaming with pride, right, and everyone's like whoa, yeah, that's so cool. They're like, you know, it's like an exciting moment. And then I run into the mum and she's just like now I got to make dry salmon for a whole. You got to hold up those artisans too, because they're a very important part of that revitalization Of our culture and our ceremony language discussion, you know. And there's a whole economy around that too. It's a whole other conversation, right, people are trying to provide for their families at the end of the day, and the easier that we Can make it for them, the better. I mean you, you.
Chief Willie Sellars:You commented in our preamble about some of the shirts that I've worn and I think about like dancing water. Sandy is built in the majority of the shirts that I have rosemary Johnson, and they're gorgeous, gorgeous shirts, and you know that is the kind of talent that we have right here in our communities and that's just WLF N right. And go across the board of those artisans that we should be holding up and showcasing their work on the events that we participate in. Go to Not only as leaders but as indigenous people, because everybody always asks those earrings that my partner wears, everyone asks. Or who your cousin wears, everybody asks that's that money that goes into the pocket that stays right here here in Williams Lake. We gotta be make sure that we're we're holding them up and proud to showcase them. Lots of exciting things and I will have, hopefully, a couple more books coming out and announced within the next year or so. You know we have them ready, just waiting on the illustrator. It's tough cookie that Kevin East. Hope Devon, if you're listening, man, sign up, let's go.
Aaron Pete:Chief, you are an inspiration to communities like mine. Your community is an inspiration to communities like mine. We're looking on who's doing it right, on who's setting the example, on which footsteps we can follow in and who we can learn from, and I'm regularly looking at you. My fellow council member, kelsey John, is regularly talking about how we need a health building. We need a multi-purpose building like WLF N, and so you guys have set the standard and you're inspiring other First Nation communities to go. We need to give our members better, and I thank you and your community for all the work you're doing on setting such a great example.
Chief Willie Sellars:Oh man, I appreciate, aaron. I mean, you're an inspiration to us. Man Like this is. What makes my life funner and our jobs easier as leaders is that we don't have to recreate the wheel every single time we want to do something and when we we think about no, the rising tide and other communities flourishing. Well, I mean, that's healing, that's, that's a lot of pride. So just keep doing what you're doing too. And and I appreciate the kind words and just remember, when you say um, you don't say chief, will you sellers, you say the Williams Lake first station, because we are a team here at WLF N.
Aaron Pete:That sounds good. I will definitely do that. Thank you again for being willing to do this. It's always a pleasure connecting with you. I think we're gonna have to do it in person one of these days.
Chief Willie Sellars:You know I watch a lot of Joe Rogan, so maybe we can even talk conspiracy theories and Indian country and all those kind of cool things too, but we're not sitting across from each other exactly, yeah, we'll have to have you in studio.
Aaron Pete:If you're ever down in Chilliwack, come on down and we'd love to host you.
Chief Willie Sellars:Okay, it sounds good. Awesome, Aaron, have a good one you.