MEDIA RELEASE | August 12, 2026 tkwəɬniwt (Westbank), Syilx Okanagan Nation Territory: The Syilx Okanagan Nation is calling for immediate water conservation and coordinated action following the setting of HIGH water-scarcity…
The Okanagan Nation Alliance has an inherent right and responsibility to enjoy, manage, and protect its peoples, lands, resources, and forms of government as stated in the Okanagan Nation Declaration….
– excerpt from the Okanagan Nation Declaration
The Okanagan Nation Alliance (ONA) works collectively with our member communities to advance, defend and preserve Syilx Okanagan sovereignty and our collective title and rights within the Syilx territory. The ONA is dedicated to upholding our inherent rights and sacred responsibilities through sqilxʷcaʷt (Syilx cultural ways of being).
Unchanging stəɬtaɬt (the-truth-way or rights) In 1846, the Territory and membership of the Syilx Nation were split when the Canada-United States border was drawn across our Territory without our consent. This had many impacts on our Nation, including the separation of our lands and the separation of families. Learn more
This Syilx-guided initiative brings Local Governments and the Syilx Nation together to protect and restore siwɬkʷ|water in our region—now and for future generations. The Okanagan Similkameen Collaborative Leadership Table (CLT) is a powerful new voice to influence and direct future projects and policies as they relate to watershed security. Learn more
After years of dedicated effort, advocacy, meticulous planning, and successful implementation, the new Okanagan Dam Fish Passage is now operational. This development allows for a continuous flow of water, granting salmon uninterrupted access from the Okanagan River to their historical spawning habitat in Okanagan Lake for the first time in nearly 100 years. Learn more
For thousands of years, we, the Syilx Okanagan people, including Sinixt, were self-reliant and well provided for through our own ingenuity and use of the land and resources. We lived united as a Nation with a whole economy, travelling the breadth and depth of our territory; hunting, fishing, growing, harvesting, and trading created a sustainable economy that met our needs.
