Brenda Baptiste Recognized With the Order of British Columbia
The Lieutenant Governor of B.C. has announced sixteen exceptional people to be appointed to the Order of British Columbia, including Brenda Baptiste of Osoyoos.
On behalf of the board and team at the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association, we congratulate Brenda Baptiste of this very special honour, the Province’s highest form of recognition. It has been a pleasure to work with Brenda in the Thompson Okanagan over the years through her work with the Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre and as board member and Chair of the Board for Indigenous Tourism BC.
About Brenda Baptiste
In the late 1990s the Osoyoos Indian Band (OIB) established itself as an economic force in the South Okanagan. At the same time, chief and council embarked on the feasibility for a cultural centre that would not only help preserve Syilx culture but present this cultural richness to the greater public.
In 2003, Brenda Baptiste was hired to coordinate the planning and operations for the $10-million first phase of the Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre (NDCC) that would celebrate Syilx culture and life in the desert context. The OIB had limited financial resources to subsidize the cultural centre and decided to open the NDCC to the public to assist with financial operations and to celebrate Indigenous Syilx culture, truly 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.
Following the inspirational success with the NDCC, Brenda was elected to the board of the then Aboriginal Tourism BC (AtBC), which was a young financially strapped organization of 12 members and one employee. Now known as Indigenous Tourism BC (ITBC), the organization now has 500 members and 12 employees.
For Baptiste, three issues became evident:
Indigenous cultural tourism would need to become not only an economic opportunity for B.C.’s Indigenous communities but would provide “pride-of-nation” and a powerful path to reconciliation for Indigenous communities as they chose what cultural elements to protect and what to share and celebrate with visitors, ensuring cultural authenticity.
For Indigenous cultural rebirth a clear road map was imperative and as a result she worked in collaboration with a team to develop a blueprint for the growth of Indigenous cultural tourism in B.C., and the first of its kind in Canada. The strategy was the catalyst for incredible growth in Indigenous cultural tourism — 20% each year on average, including revenues of more than $1.2 billion and 7,400 full-time jobs.
The vision for a potent Indigenous cultural presence had to include a strong B.C. identity, which would celebrate the rich cultural life of Indigenous people. This collaborative effort would be sustained through meaningful partnerships with the B.C. government and tourism industry partners.
Baptiste was also the director of the Aboriginal Business Showcase for the Four Host Nations during the 2010 Olympics. 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.
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.