Meet Brenda, Tsartlip’s NNADAP Worker. Read her introduction interview below.
Can you tell us a bit about who you are and where you’re from?
My name is Brenda Bartleman, and I am a Tsartlip First Nations community member here, and I
do live on Tsartlip reserve.
I have recently been the successful applicant for the NNADAP position here at Tsartlip and
NNADAP stands for the National Native Alcohol and Drug Addictions Program. I’ll also be doing
what was my position, which was IRA for Tsartlip, which is the Indian Registration Administrator.
So I will also be doing the IRA position one day a month, and then the majority of my position
here will be the NNADAP worker.
What experience and expertise do you bring to the table for this new position?
For being a NNADAP worker, I do hold an alcohol and drug counselor certificate. I’ve been
working not only with Tsartlip, but with other First Nations community members and bands in
regards to their community members. The majority of my career has always been working with
the Aboriginal people and supporting them in their needs, and reaching out to community
resources when needed.
What’s your title?
The primary position would be the NNADAP worker and then my previous position, which was
the IRA, the Indian registration administrator position, which I was in a position with Tsartlip, that
was a part time position. And then I was also contracted with Tsartlip to do the First Nations
drinking water class action claim settlement for Tsartlip. Also I was doing the Indian Day School
to support our community members in regards to working with the Indian Day School, as well as
the First Nations drinking water class action claim settlement with our community members.
Those two positions were contract positions, and now that I’ve been a successful applicant for
the NNADAP worker, I will no longer be supporting the community members with the drinking
water settlement claims or the Indian Day School. However, I’m more than willing to give
community members information, like phone numbers where they can reach out to either the
Indian Day School and/or the drinking water class action settlement.
What kind of work are you going to be doing?
It’ll be more or less prevention in regards to the community needs. So this is a new position for
me to be in, so I would like to reach out to the community and see what their needs are and
what they would like to see presented in our community, and I’ll just take it from there.
What do you do when you’re not at work?
I spend time with my family and go to sports events like one of my family members is involved in
soccer, so just taking him to soccer. For myself, swimming and reading and spending time with
friends. I enjoy knitting and crocheting.
