SYILX FORESTRY PRINCIPLES AND STANDARDS

The Syilx Nation holds un-extinguishable rights, title, and steltalt-responsibilities to the land and the resources within unceded syilx Territory. Syilx laws pre-date any agreements, declarations, or other legislation in our Territory. We remain the rightful titleholders to all lands and resources within our Territory—as recognized in Canadian law by the Canadian Constitution Act.

Our 69,000 km2 territory is a beautiful and diverse land with semi-arid landscapes, abundant lakes, dry and wet forests, and endangered grasslands. The northern boundary is located near snxƛ’utɬxstn, Big Bend, north of snkx̌ykntn, Revelstoke. The eastern boundary roughly borders ntə̕lt̕kʷitkʷ, Kootenay River or what is now known as Kootenay Lake. The western boundary extends past nɬq̓iɬm l̕x, Quilchena in the Nicola Valley and the
southern boundary extends south of the Canada-US border into the state of Washington.

The syilx people have taken care of the land and all that gives us life since time immemorial—always governing our land according to principles that carry with them a sacred, inherent responsibility to care for the tmxwulaxw (land) and the tmixw (all living things). It is the application of our laws, our language, and our ecosystem management strategies that have led to thousands of years of resilience, harmony, and adaptation within our territory. As stated in the Okanagan Nation Declaration (1987):

“We are the unconquered Aboriginal people of this land, our mother. The creator has given us our mother, to enjoy, to manage and to protect; we, the first inhabitants, have lived with our mother from time immemorial; our Okanagan governments have allowed us to share equally in the resources of our mother; we have never given up our rights to our mother, our mother’s resources, our governments and our religion; we will survive and continue to govern our mother and her resources for the good of all for all time.”