Osoyoos woman will be appointed to Order of B.C.
Brenda Baptiste of Osoyoos is one of 16 exceptional people who will be appointed to the Order of British Columbia, the province’s highest form of recognition, Lt.-Gov. Janet Austin, announced Monday.
Baptiste was hired in
2003 to coordinate the planning and operations for the $10-million first phase of the Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre that would celebrate Syilx culture and life in the desert context.
The Osooyos Indian Band had limited financial resources to subsidize the cultural centre and opened the NDCC to the public to assist with financial operations and to celebrate Indigenous Syilx culture, a precursor for reconciliation.
The centre went on to win numerous awards and is now in a Phase 2 expansion, for which Baptiste is guiding the Indigenous story.
The completion of this next phase will further anchor the centre as one of the leading cultural attractions in B.C
She was soon elected to the board of Aboriginal Tourism BC, which was a young financially strapped organization of 12 members and one employee. It he grown significantly and now has 500 members and 12 employees.
Baptiste was also the director of the Aboriginal Business Showcase for the Four Host Nations during the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. This venue hosted over 500 Indigenous cultural businesses and artisans from across Canada.
The vision was to create an opportunity for visitors, reflecting dynamic and diverse Indigenous cultures, thereby facilitating the growth of cultural opportunities for all Indigenous nations in Canada.
More recently, Baptiste led the coordination of a holistic cultural program for Indigenous inmates at the Okanagan Correction Centre. She has implemented cultural events for those often in most need to build pride in their essence as a native person.
She has implemented Syilx cultural programming, including spiritual counselling, smudging, singing and drumming, sweat house ceremonies, Syilx language and crafts.