By Goat Staff
A Simpcw First Nation elder will receive an honourary doctorate from Thompson Rivers University this spring.
Mona Jules will receive the doctorate during a Virtual Convocation Ceremony on June 22.
The honorary degree is the highest form of recognition offered by TRU and awarded for demonstrated excellence in the fields of public affairs, the sciences, arts, humanities, business, law and philanthropy.
Mona Jules, Doctor of Letters, honoris causa
Elder Mona Jules is a member of the Simpcw First Nation, a respected researcher and Secwepemcstín language instructor who has devoted her career to fostering and revitalizing her traditional language. Jules has encouraged the proliferation of the Secwepemcstín language through her lifetime of work and, more recently, alongside the Secwépemc Cultural Education Society and First Voices by creating a living database and historical record of Secwepemcstín. Throughout her career, Jules has worked as a Secwépemc language instructor, including her time as a sessional instructor for Secwepemcstín at TRU. Most recently, she rejoined SFU through its Language Program at the Shuswap Nation Tribal Council to continue to innovate Secwepemcstín curriculum and help increase understanding of the language in political spheres. She has also contributed to the development of a Secwepemc language spoken calendar, dictionary, additional digital recordings and written curriculum. Jules’s efforts to reclaim and revitalize Indigenous language through education and advocacy exemplify the respect for Indigenous knowledge and the values of inclusion that TRU strives to foster in its students.
