A health system shaped by the Nation, for the Nation.
A Different Way to Deliver Healthcare
NHSS exists because the Nation made it clear: healthcare must reflect the people it serves. That means services grounded in culture, guided by community, and focused on long-term wellness—not just treatment. We’re not trying to copy the provincial system. We’re building something different—something that works for the Nation’s needs, and honours its vision.
Today, NHSS provides care to over 1,300 members from seven communities across Nlaka’pamux territory. With a staff of nearly 40, we offer everything from primary care and mental health to home visits, mobile outreach, and land-based wellness programs. We’re small, but growing, and we’re deeply connected to the people we serve.
Built with Purpose and Guided by Tradition.
The Nlaka’pamux Nation has always had its own ways of healing. For too long, those ways were pushed aside by systems that didn’t listen, didn’t fit, and didn’t work. NHSS was created to do things differently.
We don’t treat tradition as an afterthought—it’s the foundation of how we approach care:
- Elders are involved in planning and guidance
- Land-based and cultural wellness programs are part of the core strategy
- Youth, families, and communities help shape services
- Traditional and Western approaches are both respected—and offered side by side
- Care is made accessible through mobile services, home visits, and community-based staff
Wellness isn’t just physical—it’s spiritual, emotional, mental, and cultural. We work to support the whole person, in ways that reflect the Nation’s values.
Our Role as a Health Authority
NHSS is recognized as a First Nations Health Authority for the Nlaka’pamux Nation. That means we’re responsible for designing, delivering, and coordinating care that meets the needs of our member communities. We’re also accountable to leadership, Elders, and the people themselves—not to outside agencies. Each of these communities helps guide the direction of NHSS through regional collaboration, health planning sessions, and shared leadership development. We listen first—and build from there.
Our services currently reach:
Ashcroft Indian Band
Coldwater Indian Band
Cooks Ferry Indian Band
Kanaka Indian Band
Lower Nicola Indian Band
Lytton First Nations
Nicomen Indian Band
Nooaitch Indian Band
Oregon Jack Creek Band
Shackan Indian Band
Siska Indian Band
Skuppah Indian Band
Creating Relationships Based on Trust
At NHSS, care doesn’t begin with a file. It begins with trust. Whether we’re visiting someone at home, delivering mental health support, or offering traditional knowledge at a cultural camp, our goal is to build relationships that last. People need to feel safe with their care team—and seen for who they are. We make time to show up, to follow up, and to make care feel personal.
Our Vision
The Nlaka’pamux Nation envisions a health system that:
- Respects cultural knowledge and teachings
- Prioritizes community wellness and self-determination
- Builds local capacity for long-term sustainability
- Provides accessible, consistent, and culturally safe care to all members
NHSS is working to make that vision real – through local hiring, infrastructure planning, and program development that reflect what the Nation needs most. We’re not waiting for permission – we’re moving forward. We’re building a health system that won’t need to be translated—because it already speaks the language of the land, the people, and the culture.
