- The Governor General of Canada
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Kamloops Indian Band of the Shuswap Nation
Kamloops, British Columbia
Grant of Arms, Supporters, Flags and Badge
June 21, 1996
Vol. III, First Peoples, p. 1
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Blazon
Arms
Argent a cross throughout potent grady of two the vertical arms Gules the horizontal arms Sable charged with a cross wavy Azure edged Argent surmounted at the crossing by a bezant thereon a representation of the supports of a winter lodge of the Kamloops People Gules the end gradients from the chief clockwise Gules Or Argent and Sable the quarters charged first and fourth of a fawn statant second and third of a salmon leaping Gules;
Crest
On a rock issuant from a circlet of copper proper an eagle Gules its head and breast Argent beaked and membered Or its wings elevated Azure each charged with a wild rose proper edged Argent;
Supporters
On a grassy mound Proper dexter a coyote Argent gorged with a collar of pine branches Vert sinister a fox Gules gorged with a collar of copper beads pendant therefrom three eagle feathers proper;
Motto
WEL ME7 YEWS RE STKEMLUPSEMC;
Symbolism
Arms
White and red are the historic colours of the Kamloops People. The red and black arms of the cross represent the paths of the spirit and of human beings. The wavy stripes represent the two great rivers which flow through the Kamloops lands. The crossing point represents the heartland and the traditional community dwelling site of the people. It is defined by the gold circle, alluding also to the disc of the sun and the life force it gives. The hundreds of generations of settlement by the Kamloops people at the river’s edge is symbolized by the winter lodge. The fawn and salmon represent the traditional foods of the people and the bounty of the earth. They also refer to the obligation of people to be good stewards of this bounty. At the ends of the cross are four rectangles in the four colours of the cardinal points, also symbolizing the circle of life.
Crest
The eagle, in the colours of the Kamloops People, symbolizes watchfulness over people and the carrying of messages to the spirit. Its blue wings refer to the sky, the element in which it lives, and the home of the spirits of ancestors and those yet to come. The wild rose symbolizes the promise of new life. The copper circlet represents the collective wealth of the people and the gifts of chiefs and elders over the generations. The rock outcrop refers to the nearby hills rising above the valley, and especially Mount Paul.
Supporters
The coyote represents the messenger and teacher who came from the creator spirit. The pine branches are a symbol of thanksgiving of the beings of the earth. The fox represents the peacemaker; the copper collar the gifts of chiefs; and the eagle feathers the strength of the spirit and the power of the people gathered with elders in council.
Motto
This Shuswap phrase, meaning “The Kamloops people endure and flourish,” describes the Kamloops People, their endurance and their renewed strength.