As Syilx people, gathering together for an event is a time honoured tradition. From gathering together for storytelling in the winters, or in the summers to fish, events continue to hold an important role in our daily lives.
Continuation of multicommunal social institutions of interaction, of kinship, gathering, and practicing activities language and ceremony is a vital contribution in today’s day and age, building or enhancing relationship support and help and identity for all involved. The concept of getting to know the land and each other is a long-term practice in health and well-being in all aspects of traditional land management and self-care.
These community focused events help encourage and instill cultural teachings, education and awareness for the Nation and the public, build success in terms of understanding cultural identity through holistic occasions such as the Unity Run, R’Native Voice, and Youth Leadership Gathering. These events give cause to ignite the spark and passion in the journey that youth, women, men, and elders transition through.
Sexual Assault Awareness: Education, Consent, and Response April 30, 2025
tqʷəlqʷiltmnt April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). Join us for an important session during SAAM focused on Sexual Assault Education. This event will provide foundational knowledge and practical tools to help build safer communities through awareness and prevention. Topics: What is sexual assault? Understanding age of consent laws General training on recognizing and responding […]
n̓xaʔcín̓ (Elder) Luncheon April 16th, 2025
Calling all Syilx Elders to join us for another fall luncheon. We can visit, laugh, and share stories! The n̓xaʔcín̓ luncheon will feature music, bingo, and door prizes! Open to Syilx Nation elders.
xʷəxʷmínaʔ Trout Fishery May 3-4, 2025
The Okanagan Nation Alliance would like to welcome Syilx Nation Members to join us for the xʷəxʷmínaʔ (Trout) Fishery. We will be fishing for rainbow trout and bull trout and connecting with our tmxʷulaxʷ (land) and siwɬkʷ (water). Location: The fishery will occur at the Lardeau River outlet, near the bridge at the southern end […]
Syilx Nation nəqsil̓tət Family Declaration Presentations May 9, 2025
Join the Nation Child and Family Team as we present to Chief & Council and language speakers with the neqsiltet Family Declaration. The neqsiltet Family Declaration was developed by elders and knowledge keepers, who worked together to support the Nation’s families to revitalize aspects of our sqilxʷ/syilx/sʔukʷnaqínx ways of being and knowing. *Lunch will be […]
Spirit of Syilx Unity Run May 29 - June 1, 2025
The Okanagan Nation Alliance’s Annual “Spirit of Syilx” Unity Run is scheduled to take place May 30 to June 2, 2024. Over 100 youth and members from across the Syilx Nation will run to create awareness on suicide and violence. Participants will relay over 330 km starting from ncaʔm, Christina Lake, BC and run through the eastern portion of the Syilx Territory to qalisuʔ, Gerrard, BC. This Annual Run started in 2009 with the three major goals of the run: to create awareness of high violence in our Nation, to promote Nationhood among the Youth and to promote healthy living.
Fry Releases May 2025
This ceremonial release of 10,000 Okanagan Sockeye fry takes place by members of the Okanagan Nation and over 430 students from local schools so that kł cp̓əlk̓ stim̓ (cause to come back) will...
Syilx Youth Camp October 2025
kʷu tl təmxʷulaʔxʷ The Syilx Youth Camp aims to encourage Nation unity, practicing culture and tradition all while building strong connections. Youth will engage in various activities and learning experiences designed to connect them with the land and each other. We will be balancing the aspect of teaching and learning by ensuring there will be […]
Walk for The Children September 30
Healing starts with us Join us for a 2 km Walk for Reconciliation on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation! We will be departing from the Safeway Parking lot and making our way to the SIRS Monument outside the Penticton Hatchery on En’owkin Trail. Please Note: Please attend walk at your own risk, the ONA is […]
xʷəxʷmínaʔ Trout Fishery May 3-4, 2025
The Okanagan Nation Alliance would like to welcome Syilx Nation Members to join us for the xʷəxʷmínaʔ (Trout) Fishery. We will be fishing for rainbow trout and bull trout and connecting with our tmxʷulaxʷ (land) and siwɬkʷ (water). Location: The fishery will occur at the Lardeau River outlet, near the bridge at the southern end […]
Honouring styíłc̓aʔ Ceremony March 2025
The Syilx Nation would like to invite you to join us for a ceremony to honour and pray for styíłc̓aʔ (caribou). No registration required – see poster for more details!
captikʷɬ: k̓ʷəck̓ʷəcstim iʔ stəɬtaɬtet Winter Season 2025-2026
Strengthening Our Truth Okanagan Nation Alliance will be hosting captikʷl Forums this year, in partnership with the En’owkin Centre. The captikʷł forums are held for insight and community engagement in examining Syilx captikʷł, how lessons from the captikʷł connect with our modern way of living, and how to integrate Syilx values and principles within captikʷł […]
Four Food Chiefs Gathering TBD
ɬə txətʼntiməlx mnimɬcəlx kʷu ks txətʼntimʼ The Four Food Chiefs Gathering is an annual gathering of Syilx Nation members. This event focuses on information sharing, utilizing the enowkinwixw model through our Four Food Chiefs. Join us for a two-day gathering featuring workshops, presentations, keynotes, and activities focused on connecting with the land and water, promoting […]
Syilx Indian Residential School Healing Gathering April 3-4, 2024
puti kʷu‿alaʔ The Syilx Indian Residential School (SIRS) Committee at the ONA holds an annual gathering for Syilx Okanagan residential school survivors, intergenerational survivors, and other family members to share stories, support each other, and participate in healing together. Residential schools were extremely disruptive to Syilx Okanagan relationships. Families were separated and roles were forgotten, […]
Syilx Water Forum Friday March 20, 2026
The Water Forums is a gathering of the community to showcase the work completed through the Natural Resource Department’s Community Water Forum Project. The...
Spirit of Syilx Unity Run May 29 - June 1, 2025
The Okanagan Nation Alliance’s Annual “Spirit of Syilx” Unity Run is scheduled to take place May 30 to June 2, 2024. Over 100 youth and members from across the Syilx Nation will run to create awareness on suicide and violence. Participants will relay over 330 km starting from ncaʔm, Christina Lake, BC and run through the eastern portion of the Syilx Territory to qalisuʔ, Gerrard, BC. This Annual Run started in 2009 with the three major goals of the run: to create awareness of high violence in our Nation, to promote Nationhood among the Youth and to promote healthy living.
Fry Releases May 2025
This ceremonial release of 10,000 Okanagan Sockeye fry takes place by members of the Okanagan Nation and over 430 students from local schools so that kł cp̓əlk̓ stim̓ (cause to come back) will...
Salmon Calling Ceremonies June 2024
We honour our ancestors with this annual ceremony in which we gather in five separate locations along the Columbia River to help pray for the return of the salmon.
Salmon Feast September 19-21, 2025
It is one of the goals of the Syilx Okanagan Nation to carry on the work of the people's ancestors and Elders who taught the importance of preserving and revitalizing...
Grandmothers Gathering April 2026
Calling Syilx Grandmothers who are passionate about working with children and families to reclaim and restore Syilx family ways of being. This event is an opportunity for Grandmothers within the Syilx Okanagan Nation to gather and focus on familial roles, Nation needs, and traditional models of child-raising in today’s world. Grandmothers will identify training and […]
YES Specialized Training iʔ scx̌asəsmil̕tət The YES Program is dedicated to assisting the Syilx Nation in addressing family violence and sexual assault. As part of the Specialized Training within the YES Program, we offer a comprehensive full-day training session aimed at enhancing the capacity to effectively respond to various forms of violence. Open to Syilx Nation Members, Community […]
kʷu əc ̕ ulluʔs: Frontline Wellness Gathering and Supporting Frontline Workers The YES Program offers specialized training and self-care opportunities for frontline workers of the Syilx Nation, addressing their community responsibilities in crisis response. It aims to combat vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue by providing tools for self-care and a relaxing environment for respite. This event will feature training aimed at […]
Syilx Nation Data Governance Plan Presentations nłk̓ʷsalqʷm: ackʷum iʔ sck̓łpaʔx̌tət The Syilx Data Plan has been guided by the collective knowledge and wisdom of our ancestors, elders, knowledge keepers, and Nation members of today to plan and prepare for the people-to-be. Good quality wellness data helps with community planning and monitoring of programs. ONA data team would like to invite you […]
Early Years Gathering I? scmala?tet The Early Years Gathering provides opportunity for Aboriginal Early Childhood professionals to engage in a manner that can contribute to capacity building and resource...
River Restoration Workshop The Okanagan Nation Alliance in collaboration with many project partners have been successfully restoring spawning and rearing habitat for salmon in the Okanagan Basin for over 20 years. Traditional Ecological Knowledge, best management practices, measured stream geometry and natural habitat features have guided these restoration works. This workshop will teach the math behind the stream […]
