Diena Jules
Weykpt,
I am Diena Jules and am a member of Tk’emlups te Secwepemc. The traditional names that I have been given over my lifetime are: Sundance Pipe Woman, Yellow Flower Woman, and Black Wolf Woman. I am proud to say that I have two daughters and five grandchildren.
Parents:
Late Clarence Jules (former Chief and Band Councilor for many decades), Canadian Governor General award, 2009-Cowboy Hall of Fame
Mary Delores Jules, nee Casimir, founder Kamloopa Pow-Wow, Silver Jubilee Award Recipient
Siblings: Manny, Jeanette, Felicity, Freda and Raymond Jules.
Deceased: John, Cindy and Geraldine Jules.
Paternal grandparents:
Late Joe Jules (1885-1962), former KIB band councillor for many decades, fluent in several FN languages, farmer, horse logger, storyteller, hunter, fisher
Late Agnes Jules, nee Duncan, (1900-1967), herbalist, fluent in several FN languages, basket maker, horticulturalist
Maternal grandparents:
Late Thomas Casimir (1907-1968), former KIB band councilor, spoke Secwepemcstin, farmer, horse logger, trapper, hunter, fisher
Late Sadie (Felicity) Casimir (1907-1959), nee Leonard, farmer, spoke Secwepemcstin, hunter, trapper, taught traditional Secwepemc songs and dances
I was raised up in the mountains while my dad was a horse logger. We later moved onto the reserve and I attended the Kamloops Indian Residential School as a day scholar until I was in Grade 6. All Indigenous children were integrated into the public school system in 1967. In 1971, I lived at the KIRS for one year. I consider these years as the dark ages of my life.
As a teenager, I was a member of the Paul Creek Tribal Dancers and we performed our traditional songs and dances across BC and Alberta and, in 1975, we went as far as Quebec. I was a traditional dancer at pow wows primarily in BC.
In my younger years, most of my employment was with my band as a labourer, lifeguard, librarian, welfare financial officer and welfare department coordinator, home school coordinator and cultural and educational researcher. With my determination to improve the quality of life for my daughter and I, I decided to enroll in the NITEP at UBC where I graduated with my BEd and went on to to compete my MA at UBC. My thesis was: Traditional Ways Shuswap People Identified and Nurtured Gifted and Talented Girls.
While completing my graduate degree at UBC, I worked as a librarian, educational researcher and did a contract as a Native Indian Teacher Education Program instructor. After I returned to Kamloops I worked as at Sk’elep Elementary School teacher as a primary school teacher, then from 2004 until 2017 I was the Education Department Manager.
After I retired, I moved to northern Ontario and, after 18 months, I returned to my home community and family and began a term position in the natural resource department and worked part time in the cultural heritage study and genealogy research project. In July in began to work as the administrator of the SMHP.
I try to be a good role model in healthy living, I bike, ride and walk daily, I pray to the Creator for the health, safety and protection of our land, water, animals and ice, I live my values of showing respect and caring to all living things, but most of all, I take time to show my loved ones, especially my grandchildren, how much I love and value them. It is everyone's responsibility to be the change we wish to make in the world.
