Lawyer. Leader. Podcaster. At just 29 years old, Aaron Pete has proven he’s not afraid to take on challenges.

Since graduating from UFV in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a communications certificate, Aaron has made it his mission to help others and contribute to his community. In 2022, soon after completing law school at UBC, he decided that the best way to do that was as an elected representative for Chawathil First Nation, of which he is a member. Aaron held all-candidate meetings, met with Elders, and ran on a platform of economic development, earning a surprising number of votes considering he didn’t grow up on-reserve.

In September 2022 he was sworn in, and he’s worked tirelessly since. Three years later, many things he talked about – water upgrades, a new sewer system, an Active Transportation Plan, a Comprehensive Community Plan, a new website and B.C. Housing project — are all in the works, and he’s excited to see them cross the finish line.

“We’ve repaired 35 of 89 homes during this term and should have another 17 go through before the election in six months,” he said. “We received $1.1 million to develop sidewalks and multiuse pathways, and the B.C. Housing project will fund 31 units. I’ve also been working on a comprehensive community plan for about 8 months now.”

His experience at Chawathil has given Aaron the confidence to work with other Indigenous groups, helping them access funding and programs.

Aaron is also busy with a successful podcast. He launched the Bigger than Me Podcast during the pandemic, introducing listeners to inspiring innovators, artists, and entrepreneurs. Recently Aaron has steered the podcast in a new direction, conducting long-form interviews with newsmakers about complex topics. He’s interviewed a wide range of guests, from Brent Butt, star of the hit TV show Corner Gas, to B.C. Premier David Eby and Federal Minister of Indigenous Services Canada Patty Hajdu.

“I’m trying to embrace having my ideas challenged, because a big problem I see with our political discourse is you are on one of two sides and you just repeat the mantra of whatever side you’re on.”

Aaron often seeks out guests like B.C. Conservative John Rustad and Candice Malcolm whose beliefs don’t align with his because he believes that there’s something to be learned from different viewpoints. He’s thinking of changing the name of the podcast to ‘Nuanced’ to reflect that philosophy.

“I’m trying to embrace having my ideas challenged, because a big problem I see with our political discourse is you are on one of two sides and you just repeat the mantra of whatever side you’re on,” he explains. “But when you really get into the issues, they’re more complicated than we understand. Candice and I don’t agree on a lot of things, but there are small areas where we do. Being humble enough to say, ‘Maybe there’s something I don’t know’ is important, and she was able to do the same.”

Aaron returned to UFV last September to act as emcee for St’elt’elawtexw: a Celebration of Community. Walking around the Chilliwack campus reminded him of the important role the university has played in his life.

“I love debating and disagreeing and finding points I don’t align with, and they gave me the space to do that.”

“UFV is a place where my professors made a conscious decision to treat me as an equal, as a peer, even though I wasn’t,” he said. “I love debating and disagreeing and finding points I don’t align with, and they gave me the space to do that. It really shaped me, and you wouldn’t get that experience at another school where the professors might think themselves above the students. There’s a humility with UFV faculty, and I really attribute that to me learning to think critically.

“Because of that, UFV will always be a very special place to me.”