About Us
We are Le7 te Melámen Health Society, an independent society dedicated to supporting safe, culturally appropriate healthcare to the Secwépemc Nation.
Le7 te Melámen translates to “good medicine”, and represents our mission to educate, facilitate, and empower Secwépemc communities in achieving spiritual, mental, and physical well-being in a way that meets the unique needs of our Nation.
Our History
Although we became an independent, self-governing Society as of April 1, 2024, we began as the Secwépemc Health Caucus and operated under a host agency for many years. See the full timeline of events that brought us to where we are today.
Health Society Structure
The Le7 te Melámen Health Society (formerly the SHC) is comprised of 16 Kupkúkwpi7 and 18 Health Directors/Health Leads from Secwépemcúl̓ecw and has 7 Board members.
As the Secwépemc Territory covers approximately 145,000 square kilometres and includes 17 communities, we established the sub-regions: Northern, Central, and Lakes. Each sub-region has two representatives on the board.
We don’t work in isolation. Our board and staff work with regional health authorities and other partners to offer the best possible health and wellness support to our communities.
Governance
We are guided by the values and principles set out at our inception as a health caucus, and we’ve held onto them as we move forward into the next phase of our work as an independent health society, supporting the needs and health of the Secwépemc Nation.
Learn more about how and why we work as well as the principles that govern us.
About Our Logo
The Le7 te Melámen Society translates to “Good Medicine Society”.
“Melámen” was brought forward by Robert Simon, a member of Skeetchestn Indian Band. The name was shared with Secwépemctsín knowledge keepers and elders to be translated for the new Secwepemc Nation Health Society. The name signifies how Secwepemc medicine people would meet with our neighbouring Interior Nations to share knowledge, further spiritual skills, and share medicine.
Le7 te Melámen Society was carefully selected by the Secwepemc Health Directors, Secwepemc Chiefs, and Board of Directors.
The society logo was created by Greg Barker from St’uxwtéws (Bonaparte First Nation). With the feathers and coyote paw prints representing reaching people, travel for health, meeting with our neighboring Interior Nations to share knowledge, spiritual skills, and sharing medicine. The 17 circles with arrows represent the individual bands in the Secwepemc Nation and the half circle encompassing them represents the bands being a part of something as a whole, all Our Relations Healing and Healthy Together.
The LtMHS would also like to acknowledge the late Dr. Mona Jules, Mona helped with translating the society constitution and accompanying documents into Secwépemctsín – making it the first time an Indigenous language was approved in a society’s establishment.
Further, Dr. Mona contributed her knowledge and teaching to the SHC and Nation for many years through language translation, language teaching, and participating in meetings and ceremonies providing guidance and grounding.