hen̓łeʔ kʷ | hello

My name is Lisa Post. I am an Indigenous woman with historical family roots in northern Shuswap. I am the youngest of the late Stella Abel/Hunter and late Johannes Post. My father and his family settled in the Nicola Valley in the 1950s from Holland as visitors to nłeʔkepmx territory. He met and married my mother, a tiny and lively Indigenous woman who was born in Canoe Creek, raised by the late Emma Abel (Hunter/Haller) and Quin Abel an Irish/Cherokee Gang Ranch cowboy. My mother attended the Williams Lake mission school and landed in the Nicola Valley at the age of 16yrs. I grew up on a ranch in Petit Creek and spent most of my time riding horses, fishing at Lightening Lake and picking morels & sxusem berries on Stoyoma. I have four adult children, two of whom are traditionally adopted from Siksika Nation.

I have extensive leadership background with many years experience working with Indigenous families and communities both within the profit and non-profit sectors. My most lengthy tenure was in Blackfoot territory with Siksika Nation where I was employed for over twelve (12) years and volunteered in many other capacities for an additional five (5) years: food bank, outreach school/prenatal program, flood recovery; homelessness, affordable housing and the original creator of a youth centre for Indigenous youth in Strathmore (small town adjacent to Siksika Nation). I excitedly returned to the Nicola Valley in 2019 as the Executive Director of Scw’exmx Child and Family Services Society, where I’ve realized a long desire to contribute to my home community.

I have been gifted by our Ancestors with a purpose and passion for change; to advocate for our People across many realms: socially, politically and culturally. Integrity and ethical leadership, collaboration and proven experience in the successful integration of traditional values through Elder’s teachings and Knowledge Keepers are forefront within my leadership approach. I am grateful to have a number of cultural guides to support this journey both personally and professionally.  

kwukwscemxw |hum̀eł
Lisa Post

Way’, hénłeʔ,

I was born in Richmond, BC and grew up on southern Vancouver Island. My mom is Georgia Elisabeth Jane Peters, and my late father is Duncan Campbell Williams. I have a younger sister, Maggie Alexandra Williams. I am starting to dedicate time to learning about my ancestry and trace my heritage. As I understand it today, I have lineage from Wales, Ireland, Germany, and the Netherlands and am fourth or fifth generation ‘Canadian’. I live with my partner Buster Frank Bell, our kid, Korbin and our two dogs in Merritt. We moved here for work in September of 2022. I also have two grandbabies, Maverick, and Freya, who live in Terrace, BC.

I am an artist, teacher, and dedicated land use planner. I believe in collaboration, transparency, integrity, and accountability. My education and experience are quite varied as I have sat in many different seats and gained unique perspectives from each; from private sector sustainable urban design to non-profit arts and culture, to teaching graduate-level community planning students, to First Nations government, and most-recently leading the planning, economic development, and building departments at the municipal level here in Merritt. I hold a Master’s Degree in Urban & Regional Planning from Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson) and completed one year of graduate studies in Applied Arts at Emily Carr.

I look forward to helping support an incredible team; to work with like- minded and like-hearted people; and, to embrace my creative side to decolonize policies and processes. Being new to the Nicola Valley, I have so much to learn about the local stories, protocols, teachings, and laws. I feel immense gratitude to support such meaningful work.

Weytk,

I am Samantha Minnabarriet, I am from St’uxwtews, Bonaparte First Nation. I live in Kamloops with my two children. We keep busy with competitive sports and rodeo, which gives us plenty of opportunities to travel and enjoy our province. I also enjoy being outdoors; hiking, trail running, snowshoeing, riding horses, and camping.

One of the most defining moments in my life thus far was running the 110km journey from Kamloops Indian Residential School to Bonaparte First Nation; Náskan Úxwal - I’m Going Home in 2017, bringing the children’s spirits home. The time that I spent traveling and visiting with the elders on the trip drove me to continue to learn the culture of our people and to always try to do better every day.

As of recently, I have more time to enjoy outside and with my children; I finished my Master of Business Administration program from Thompson Rivers University in collaboration with Nicola Valley Institute of Technology in December 2023. This program was rich in Indigenous culture and teachings and was an enriching opportunity. I have over 15 years of accounting and financial management experience in property management, real estate, and a corporate setting, and over 4 years being in a First Nations setting.

I am excited and honored to be welcomed to the Scw’exmx Child and Family Services Society team.

Hello! My name is Kelly Donaldson, and I am very excited to be joining the SCFSS team!

I have lived in Merritt for over fifteen years and although that is a decent amount of time, I recognize that I’m still quite new to the Nicola Valley given the rich cultural history of the two Nations that have been here since time immemorial.

You may already know me from NVIT as both an employee and an instructor with the health and fitness courses, or maybe I’ve coached a child you love on the soccer field, or maybe you know my husband or children who are equally infamous. Whether you know me or not, we will become acquainted in the coming weeks as I immerse myself in the operations of SCFSS and level up my skillset to the high bar in front of me.

For the last eight years, I have been at NVIT in the academic office and most recently responsible for program and policy development. I am committed to professional integrity and organizational efficiency and will use these strengths in support of SCFSS’s commitment to the Call to Action. I look forward to bringing people together in a collaborative setting and having a positive impact on the important work ahead.

hen̓łeʔ
nceweʔ nskʷést Corrina Manuel. nskíxzeʔ Dorothy Spahan. nsqác̓zeʔ Roland Manuel. tuł nc̓ə́łtkqʷúʔ kn. nspapzeʔ peł nkz̓e Lloyd Spahan, Marlene Clarke, Robert Manuel, and Gloria Skinner (nee Dennis).
I was fortunate to grow up learning some traditional knowledge from my mother and grandmother. Harvesting traditional food and medicine was normal to our lifestyle as was being a part of the community when we were needed. As a mother to four children, I do my best to keep the knowledge alive through them. 

I look forward to continuing the important work of revitalizing the nlaka’pamux culture and language and sharing the knowledge I have learned so far.

kʷukʷscémxʷ