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About Us

The Adams Lake Indian Band (ALIB) belongs to the Secwepemc Nation. ALIB is a member of the Shuswap Nation Tribal Council (SNTC); which consists of nine Secwepemc Bands.

The Adams Lake Indian Band Office provides services for band members, consistent with our Vision & Mission Statements. Chief and Council provide the political leadership and guidance to the Executive Director and managers to administer programs and services for the benefit of community members.

Over the past decades, ALIB has grown tremendously, which has driven the charge for significant changes within our community. We have developed new tools to deliver services in a changing world, which has resulted in more and varied opportunities to create and advance band programs, develop economic initiatives and to provide meaningful employment to more families.

The main band office is located on the Sahhaltkum (Sexqeltqin) Indian Reserve #4 located on the western side of Little Shuswap Lake, across from the Village of Chase, BC. The main band offices are spread out over ten administration buildings in the Chase IR4 community.

The Switsemalph (Sxwetsmèllp) Indian Reserve #6 is located along the western side of Shuswap Lake, within the municipal boundaries of Salmon Arm, BC.  The Nexe7yelts Pierre Moyese Health Administration building houses offices for health & wellness departments and has office space available for Council and visiting staff from IR #4. There are two additional administration buildings; one building is designated for small community gatherings and education purposes, the other building is a community hall downstairs and a youth center upstairs.

ALIB is organized into these broad areas: Natural Resources; Sustainable Development; Community Services; Infrastructure; Administration; and Governance.

A variety of services and activities are provided by the ALIB administration, included but not restricted to the following: Frontline Administration, Chief and Council, Lands and Taxation, Information Technology, Membership, Finance, Education (K-12, Post-Secondary, Training), Human Resources, Title and Rights, Communication, Strategic Planning, Forestry, Mapping, Recreation Sites, Archeology, Fisheries, Elders and Youth, Health and Wellness, Social Development, Daycare, Chief Atahm School, Headstart, Public Works, Housing, Security, Fire Department, Capital Planning and Recreational Facility

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Our History

Adams Lake was once a gathering place where neighbors would come to meet, socialize and gather roots, berries and what the earth would provide for them.

The shorelines of lakes and rivers have archaeological remains of pit-houses where the Secwepemc people resided in the surrounding premises that are old as nine thousand years’ old.  We are often reminded by the Elders that our people have been here for centuries.  Our main source of economy was fishing, hunting, trapping and gathering berries which all led to developing networks, social and political systems.

Our Land

In 1865 agent Douglas for the Crown agreed to setting out reserves for the community.  However, it was not until 1877, that the Joint Reserve Commission allotted seven reserves to our Band, totaling approximately 2,785 hectares.  These were not contiguous, which has always made it difficult to govern and manage the lands.  The seven reserves include: Cstèlen IR #1 (Hustalen) located at the south end of Adams Lake as it outlets into the Adams River.  Sq7em IR #2 (Squaam) situated on the north shore of Squaam Bay, on the west side of Adams River.  Tegwups IR #3 (Toops) is positioned on the west shore of Adams Lake as it outlets into Adams River.  Sexqeltqin IR #4 (Sahhaltkum) which is located on the bank of the South Thompson River just southeast of Little Shuswap Lake.  Stequmwhulpa IR #5 is situated along the southeast shore of Little Shuswap Lake.  Sxwetsmèllp IR #6 (Switsemalph) located on the western limits of the municipality of Salmon Arm.  Sxwetsmèllp IR #7 (Switsemalph) is west of the Salmon River within the City of Salmon Arm, BC.

Our traditional territory includes extensive lands, which in turn include our winter villages and traditional resource harvesting sites.  As a result of inhabiting the traditional territory for so long, many signs of our culture, such as artifacts, spiritual sites, stories, place names and traditions, remain tied to the land.  Much of the territory is presently used or held as fee simple land by First Nation community members, for uses such as farms, ranches, parks, mining activities, timber enterprises, oil and gas exploration and other uses related to transportation, among others.  The steady increase in all of those uses, with a gradual influx of more people has prevented us from accessing many of our traditional sites and has sometimes resulted in damaging or destroying significant cultural sites.  As a result, our young people have been discouraged from continuing traditional activities simply due to the realities of difficult access due to conflicting uses.  

Committees within the Adams Lake Indian Band

  • Housing Committee
  • Membership Committee
  • Governance Committee
  • Finance Committee
  • Education Committee
  • Community Strategic Planning Committee
  • Emergency Management Committee
  • Safety Committee

View ALIB Committee Policy.

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