Roxanne Pop, the granddaughter of Ralph and Minnie Phillips, has been working at the Xatśūll Heritage Site since she was 14, missing just one summer, but has taken on a new position as of October 19.
Pop is the new intern in the Housing Department as part of the Housing Internship Initiative for First Nations and Inuit Youth program administered by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.
Pop will be doing a lot of the administrative work within the department including filing, data management and data entry. She will also work on tenant relations and be the face that community members will see when they come into the department. She’ll also handle maintenance requests and incoming communications from tenants and pass them on to Housing Manager Holly Wycotte as needed.
With Pop now in the Housing Department Wycotte will be able to focus on some of the bigger projects she’s been looking to get done.
Pop says she’s excited and quite different from what she’s been doing at the Heritage Site.
“This position is a great opportunity, my hope is to learn from it and help however I can along the way,” she says. “I’m excited to just learn new things.”
Excluding 4 years, Pop has been a resident of Soda Creek Indian Band her entire life.
“Two and a half years ago, I had my daughter, and that’s another way people know of me. After having my daughter, I have become more aware of all the opportunities that the band has to offer.”