If Indigenous policy is being discussed, it is likely Loretta Jeff-Combs is at the table.
The 24-year-old Tsilhqot’in woman is married to Payel Laceese, is the mother of their five-year-old daughter, is a university student and most recently the chief’s assistant for Tl’esqox First Nation, 30 minutes west of Williams Lake.
Presently she is involved with three policy programs.
She is doing a nine-month internship with the Indigenous Youth Roots in Toronto.
A youth-led organization, Indigenous Youth Roots collaborates with communities to provide programs, grants and opportunities around Indigenous ways of knowing and being to strengthen and encourage Indigenous youth.
“I actually had the chance to do a live call with Wab Kinew, the premier of Manitoba,” Loretta said. “I was so over the moon. We got to talk about policy and about being Indigenous.”
A second program is the Level and Indigenous Policy Program through the Victoria Foundation. Recently she and other delegates did some legislation training where they met with various ministers such as Murray Rankin, Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation. They also met the speaker Raj Chouhan.
Thirdly, she is involved with the Indigenous Connectivity Institute and has been to a summit in Ottawa and will be going to Nova Scotia for meetings.
On its website, the institute describes itself as a community of Indigenous broadband advocates and network builders driving a digital future on Indigenous terms.
Proud of her heritage, Loretta said her family roots are from Tl’etinqox and Tsideldel. Her parents are Martina Jeff and Merv Combs.
Her grandparents are the late Helena Grambush and late Atwell Jeff.
Born and raised in Williams Lake, Loretta was crowned a School District 27 First Nations Role Model in 2016.
“That reign took me all over the district,” she recalled. “That was with Tracy Hubner, which I am super grateful for.”
Loretta was also chosen to participate in the Rotary Adventure in Citizenship Program and through that spent a week in Ottawa, another opportunity she was grateful for.
After graduation from Williams Lake Secondary School, she attended Thompson Rivers University and achieved diplomas in human services, education assistant and community support, plus she is completing a Bachelor of Social Work degree and taking an inter-professional mental health certificate program.
Recently she was invited to participate in the 68th Commission on the Status of Women, March 11- 22. It is the United Nation’s largest annual gathering on gender equality and women’s empowerment.
“I was actually the first Tsilhqot’in to ever attend,” she said. “I felt really, really, really blessed.”
She was invited by the United Nations Association Canada to participate through an email.
“The choosing program is unique. There was a tragedy that happened when a few of their delegates died in an Ethiopian Airlines crash and their families wanted to honour their lives. They get a portfolio of youth and they hand pick some to go to the commission who they think will carry on the legacy of their children.”
Loretta did not know about the sponsorship program until she arrived in New York for the commission and learned how three delegates were selected from Canada to attend.
“I felt super blessed to be one of those people. It’s such a beautiful story and so empowering and heartfelt.”
How she is and how she walks as an Indigenous woman was instilled by her grandmother, who passed on lots of teachings, and solidified by the birth of her daughter, Loretta explained.
“We think of seven generations behind us and seven generations ahead of us. When I had a daughter then I really wanted to live on reserve and I ended up in Tl’esqox where her father is from.”
Through raising her daughter, she is passing on the Tsilhqot’in language and culture and traditions.
“It’s about humility, strength and being proud of who I am and where I am from.”
READ MORE: Loretta Jeff-Combs new FN Role Model
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