Around three months after inking a similar agreement with Tk’emlups, the Thompson Nicola Regional District has signed-off on a new partnership agreement with another area First Nation.

The Llenlleney’ten, or High Bar First Nation has signed the Memorandum of Understanding with the TNRD, suggesting it wants to increase ties in the area.

“High Bar is progressive and forward-thinking in our approach to building relationships with other orders of government,” said Kukpi7 Jamie Fletcher as part of the ceremony at the TNRD headquarters on Friday.  “We look forward to building upon our existing cooperative work on emergency management with the TNRD, and to working with them to build a strong, inclusive, and resilient regional community.”

The Llenlleney’ten Nation is based in the South Cariboo, around the Clinton area.

It’s traditional territory runs along the Fraser Canyon area.

While part of the broader Secwepemc Nation and culture, the Llenlleney’ten is not a member of the Secwepemc Tribal Council.

“This agreement recognizes a growing positive relationship between the TNRD and High Bar, and the importance of working cooperatively on matters of shared interests,” said TNRD Chair Board Chair Barbara Roden. “Our Board is continuing to focus on building partnerships with our many neighboring First Nations, and we look forward to working with High Bar to address challenges and create opportunities for the region.”

The TNRD signed a similar agreement with Tk’emlups in October.

While mostly symbolic, the agreements do open up a more formal line of communication between the two sides, as they call for regularly-scheduled meetings for updates on the various projects of interest each side is working on.