Rosanne Casimir is the Kúkpi7 (Chief) of the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc. She is the third woman to serve as Kúkpi7. During her tenure, the remains of 215 children were found buried on the site of the former

Kamloops Indian Residential School The Kamloops Indian Residential School was part of the Canadian Indian residential school system. Located in Kamloops, British Columbia, it was once the largest residential school in Canada, with its enrolment peaking at 500 in the 1950s. The sc ...

Career

Casimir first ran for election as Kúkpi7 in 2018. She succeeded the previous office-holder Fred Seymour, who did not seek re-election, becoming the third woman to hold the office. She had previously served as a Tk’emlups councillor for nine years, holding portfolios for land, taxation and housing. One of her ancestors is a previous Tk’emlups chief Louis Clexlixqen (1852 -1915). During her tenure as Kúkpi7, the remains of 215 children were found buried on the site of the former

. In May 2021, according to a source referencing TteS Kukpi7 Rosanne Casimir's news release, the remains of 215 children, including some as young as three years old, were found buried on the site of the former residential school. In the press release issued by Casimir, stated that: “We are not here for retaliation. We are here for truth telling.” In October 2021, President

Justin Trudeau Justin Pierre James Trudeau ( , ; born December 25, 1971) is a Canadian politician who is the 23rd and current prime minister of Canada. He has served as the prime minister of Canada since 2015 and as the leader of the Liberal Party since 2 ...

issued a formal apology to indigenous leaders, including Kúkpi7 Casimir, since he decided to not formally participate in Canada's first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. This was despite having received two invitations from the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc Nation. Casimir described his lack of attendance as a "gut punch to the community". In November 2021, Casimir was elected for another three year term as Kúkpi7 (Chief) of the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc. Of the 475 eligible ballots cast, 245 were in support of Casimir.

Awards and recognition

In 2022, Castanet News selected Casimir as Person of the Year 2021 and was made a Member of the

Order of British Columbia The Order of British Columbia (french: Ordre de la Colombie-Britannique) is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Instituted in 1989 by Lieutenant Governor David Lam, on the advice of the Cabinet under Premier ...

. She is a member of the board of directors of the British Columbia Assembly of First Nations.

Personal life

In February 2021, Casimir and her husband both tested positive for

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly ...

. She is married and has two children and one step-child.

References

External links

Tk'emlúps te Secwe̓pemc Kukpi7 Rosanne Casimir on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's visit and apology
(interview)
'Shock, anger, sorrow and disbelief': Casimir on Trudeau's trip to Tofino, B.C.
(speech) {{DEFAULTSORT:Casimir, Rosanne Living people Year of birth missing (living people) Tribal chiefs Indigenous Canadian women