Mary Thomas, beloved elder of the Shuswap nation, has held the vision for creating The Shuswap Centre, Knucwetwécw, "Helping One Another" for several years.

Mary has recognized the need to preserve and enhance the Shuswap language, culture, and to bridge understanding and co-operation between Native and non-Native people. Mary has actively sought partners to work together to make The Shuswap Centre a reality.

In 1996, members of the Shuswap community and other supporters created an action plan that outlined the vision, goals, and tasks that needed to be completed to create The Shuswap Centre. Gradually gaining momentum, they have continued to build on those initial steps to move the vision forward.