Did you know that Sen̓áḵw has a Mentorship Program? This exciting opportunity is available to Squamish People who are looking to jumpstart their careers in a variety of fields, from administration to mechanical design.

Want to know more?

Read this excerpt from a Q&A with the Squamish Nation’s Tiana Lewis, a master’s student at the University of British Columbia’s School of Community and Regional Planning, who completed a two-week Development Mentorship at Sen̓áḵw in November last year:

Q: What made you want to sign up for Sen̓áḵw’s Mentorship Program?

A: “I really wanted to learn more about the project. It has such a long history. When I was a kid, driving over the Burrard Street Bridge, my Grandpa would point out, ‘That was our reserve.’ So I knew about it for a long time. I was there when it was returned to us and seeing it developed into homes—it’s just exciting and that’s why I wanted to learn more about development.”

Q: What did your Mentorship experience entail?

A: “I went into it expecting it would be specifically about development and Sen̓áḵw, but I learned it was a lot of different things. I met Nch’ḵaỷ’s different departments and learned about its Operating Businesses. I learned why there’s a development corporation and how Nch’ḵaỷ is different from the Nation. I also got the chance to meet the Nation’s capital projects team and learn about what they do to plan for the Nation and create housing strategies. Finally, I got to do a Sen̓áḵw site visit and see samples of the glass, the rebar, the elevator shafts, and everything. It was pretty cool!”

Q: Did the program contribute to your professional development?

A: “Absolutely, it was super relevant. Meeting the planning team at Nch’ḵay—especially Trevor Casey—it was really good to see another Indigenous developer and understand his career path and how he got to where he is. He has so much industry knowledge, so he was able to answer a lot of the questions that I had. What also really helped me was the exposure to what the development industry is like, compared to a municipal government, and to how fast-paced it is.

It definitely cemented the idea that I could go into development planning, and I am in development planning now, working with a not-for-profit.”

Q: Would you recommend the Mentorship Program to other young Squamish People?

A: “Yes. Honestly, it was really inspiring. I just think the exposure is something that’s important. I think it’s hard to know what you want to do when you’re young, so seeing what different industries are like and having the opportunity to spend two weeks with a very important developer in the city—nothing can beat that. It was a really good two weeks, and the teams were super welcoming.”

Huy chexw a (thank you), Tiana, for sharing your experience! For more information about the Sen̓áḵw Mentorship Program, including current opportunities, visit: https://senakw.com/mentorship-program.