Knucwentwécw (helping each other)
Natasha Hampshire
When I was working in big tech circles back in the UK, leadership was usually defined by a strict hierarchy. You had a boss, they had a vision, and everyone else followed. It was a very top-down way of getting things done.
Since moving back home to Chu Chua in October 2025, I’ve been looking at leadership through a different lens. I’ve been reading the records of James Teit, who spent a lot of time documenting our ancestors' ways of living. He noted something about Secwépemc chiefs that really struck me: they weren't "bosses" in the way we think of them today.
Teit recorded that chiefs had no special privileges and their main duty was simply to look after the general welfare of the band. A chief didn't have the power to force anyone to do anything. Instead, their influence came from their character and how well they supported the people. Teit described the chief more as a leader who was expected to set a good example and act fairly in all matters.
The consultant trap
In the tech world, consultants often act like the old-school version of a boss. They come into a community or an organization, tell everyone what they’re doing wrong, and try to force a one-size-fits-all system onto them.
This is exactly what we want to avoid at chuchua.tech.
When it comes to things like Indigenous Data Sovereignty or building language tools, the vision shouldn't come from us. The vision already exists within the community, the Elders, and the Nations. Our job isn't to lead: it’s to practice Knucwentwécw, which means helping one another.
Being the "technical hands"
We see ourselves as those traditional advisors Teit wrote about. We aren't here to tell you how to run your data systems or how to teach your language. We are here to provide the technical hands to make your goals a reality.
We listen first: Just like a traditional leader, we look for the consensus of what the community actually needs.
We support jurisdiction: Our goal is to build systems that help Nations reclaim authority, not systems that make them dependent on us.
We stay in the background: The tech should never be the star of the show. The teacher in the classroom or the social worker supporting a family is the one doing the real work. We just want to give them better tools.
Building for the common good
Teit also mentioned that among our people, land and resources were looked upon as tribal property rather than belonging to one person. Resources like fishing platforms were communal and built to benefit everyone. We think digital infrastructure should be the same way.
We’re trading the corporate ladder for a seat at the community table. We’re here to help build tools that are owned by the community, governed by the community, and designed to make life better for the people we see every day.
"The chief was looked upon as a kind of father and leader of the people, and was expected to set a good example, and to act fairly in all matters."
Do you have a vision for a project but need some "technical hands" to help build it? Whether you're working on data governance or a community app, we’re here to help you lead the way.
Recommended Reading: To learn more about the history of our people, I highly recommend exploring James Teit’s 1909 book, The Shuswap. It is a foundational record of our traditional laws and ways of life. You can read the full digital copy for free at the Internet Archive.
Protocol Note: The leadership models mentioned are based on the historical records of the Secwépemc people as documented by James Teit in 1909. We share these to honor our traditional systems of governance and show how they guide our modern business practices at chuchua.tech.