A History of Unity: Syilx Unity Declaration

On July 15th, 2010, the Syilx Unity Declaration was signed by political representatives, Elders, and respected community members from the Okanagan Nation Alliance and Colville Confederated Tribes to reflect our longstanding shared history and family ties. It highlights our common cultural, familial, territorial, economic, and political ties as Syilx people.

The Syilx Unity Declaration opens as follows:

Members of the Okanagan Nation Alliance and Colville Confederated Tribes make this declaration to signify unity between the Syilx Nation. The Parties have owned and occupied their indigenous homelands since time immemorial; and without consultation or agreement with the Parties, colonizing governments established an international boundary, bisecting the Parties’ homelands; and the Parties never agreed to or acquiesced to the international boundary at the 49th parallel; and despite the international boundary the Parties remain united through cultural, familial, territorial, economic, and political ties; and the Parties wish to strengthen this unity politically, culturally, and economically; and the Parties understand that working together for the Parties rights, title, and claims in unity best serves our collective interests.

Despite Colville Confederated Tribes’ decision to walk away from the declaration in recent years, the Syilx Okanagan Nation communities north of the border remain committed to our kinship ties, our collective interests, and the principle of unity.