UBC Okanagan welcomes first cohort of Bachelor of Secwépemc Language Fluency students, completing Interior Salish language degree offerings

Historic milestone helps deliver on commitments to Indigenous language revitalization and reconciliation

The University of British Columbia’s Okanagan campus celebrated the arrival of its first Bachelor of Secwépemc Language Fluency cohort at a ceremony held at Chief Atahm School in Chase, BC. This milestone marks the completion of UBC Okanagan’s Interior Salish language degree offerings, helping to fulfil a key commitment the campus made in 2019 to Indigenous language revitalization and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action.

The Bachelor of Secwépemc Language Fluency joins existing programs in Nsyilxcn, NłeɁkepmx, and St’át’imc languages, making UBC Okanagan home to all four Interior Salish language bachelor’s degrees.

The Honourable Spencer Chandra Herbert, Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation, joined community members, educators, and students for the celebration in Chase, BC hosted by the R Stselxméms r Secwépemc Institute and Chief Atahm School, a renowned Secwépemc immersion institution that has been instrumental in language revitalization efforts for over three decades.

Students entering the program have completed two years of foundational studies at Nicola Valley Institute of Technology (NVIT) and will finish their final two years at UBC Okanagan’s Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. The degree emphasizes immersion-based learning, community engagement, and the preservation of Secwépemc knowledge systems.