stqaʔtkwłniw̓t, Westbank, Syilx Okanagan Nation Territory: Red Dress Day is our day to remember, to rise, and to fight back. The Okanagan Nation Alliance (ONA) honors our Missing and Murdered Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQIA+ relatives across Turtle Island. We carry them with us, and we refuse to stay silent while our living relatives face violence, erasure, and injustice from a Canadian justice system that keeps failing us.

The 2019 National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIWG) Final Report Reclaiming Power and Place named this violence as genocide. Seven years later, our women are still being murdered, our girls are still being locked up, and our families are demanding justice that never comes. Our people want to be listened to and heard. They want accountability and action over silence. Survivors have told us: “Silence is harm.” Silence protects failing systems, deepens trauma, and leaves Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQIA+ people to carry violence alone.

This is willful blindness fueling an epidemic of violence, erasure, and incarceration. They know our women are dying and our girls are being locked up, but they choose to look away. That choice stains our homelands with our people’s blood. Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQIA+ people are far more likely to go missing or be murdered than non-Indigenous women in Canada. From 2015-2024, Indigenous women and girls were killed at a rate 12 times higher than non-Indigenous women and girls. At the same time, Indigenous girls now make up 60% of female youth in custody in British Columbia. The system fails our women in life and fails our girls in childhood. That is the shameful reality we name today.

Despite clear warnings, these outcomes were predicted—and preventable. The National Inquiry warned governments our women would keep being harmed by systems where victims aren’t believed, victim services don’t exist, police and Crown responses fail, and justice processes strip away dignity. After countless reports and recommendations, nothing has changed. Our survivors are still disbelieved, defenseless, fighting to be heard and seen. These are not abstract failures—they are violent lived realities such as the following:

• Judicial minimization:In the Don Ashley matter with multiple Syilx women, Canada reduced their harm to one count of “common assault” and gave probation. The courts failed so completely that Syilx Okanagan Nation Chiefs had to banish him from all our lands using our own jurisdiction.
• Administrative erasure:Jordan Ned, a Syilx survivor who told ONA “say my name,” was erased when the Crown “forgot” to notify her of her attacker’s sentencing. She couldn’t face him or reclaim her dignity. The system made her invisible.
• Systemic leniency:Nathan Chasing Horse, a known predator of Indigenous women and girls, evaded Canadian justice until a U.S. court gave him 37 years to life. His Canadian charges against Syilx woman and children still sit unresolved. Canada lets predators walk while our women pay the price.

Survivors are still coming forward. Their voices continue to surface despite years of silence, fear, and systematic barriers. Some have shared they were told by law enforcement that pursuing justice would not be easy, a reality that discourages reporting and deepens mistrust in the system. Yet despite these obstacles, they are speaking out. This reflects a pattern where Canada allows predators to evade accountability while Indigenous women and girls bear the consequences.

Even “reforms” prove the pattern. Bailey’s Law only came after Bailey McCourt was stabbed to death in Kelowna in July 2025. Bill C-16 promises victim rights after decades of demands. These changes only happen after our women are gone. That’s not justice. That’s too late. These failures aren’t mistakes. They are deliberate, repeated, and unacceptable. Our women, girls and families shouldn’t have to suffer to access accountability. Our communities shouldn’t have to scream to be heard. Our girls deserve protection, not prison cells. The time for silence is over.

The time for action is now. ONA calls on the Federal and Provincial Government to implement the recommendations provided in the MMIWG final report and to work with our Nation as we develop and deliver our Nation Justice Strategy.

For the Syilx Nation, protecting our women and girls is our sacred duty. This is affirmed by the Okanagan Nation Declaration, Syilx Unity Declaration, and siwɬkʷ Declaration. When the justice system fails, we step up. Our jurisdiction protects what Canada won’t. The Chiefs Executive Council is committed to uphold these sacred duties expressed in our Syilx Okanagan declarations.

Media Contact:

Jennifer Lewis, Wellness Manager

Email: Wellness.Manager@syilx.org

Mobile: 250-826-7844

PDF COPY: Red Dress Day Media Release Final

Jordan Coble, Westbank First Nation Councillor and Chair of the ONA Natural Resource Committee, and Mackenzie Clark, ONA tmixʷ (Wildlife) Program Lead, were recently featured in The Narwhal in a compelling in-depth article exploring the future of grizzly bear restoration in the North Cascades.

The story follows one of the most endangered grizzly populations on the continent, where as few as six bears may remain, and examines a growing, Indigenous-led effort to bring them back. Led by the Okanagan Nation Alliance and partner Nations, the initiative blends Indigenous knowledge, science, and long-term stewardship to restore not only grizzly bears, but the ecological and cultural relationships they represent. While past recovery efforts have faced setbacks, the article highlights renewed momentum, careful planning, and a vision that may take decades to fully realize.

As Jordan Coble reflects:

We should do this, and we must do this, and we must do it together.

Suiki?st, Pauline Terbasket, Executive Director of ONA, further emphasizes that the article “raises the complexities of numerous issues faced by those working to right, restore, reintroduce, and ultimately rebalance the relationship between human social and economic impacts and the natural world.”

This is really the task, the responsibility of upholding the principles that challenge our Nation rebuilding in every facet of our work. I have shared over and over, decolonization is messy work if truly committed to “the people to be” and as this article shares for the 20 Grizzly bears that may survive in this Area in the next 20-50 years.

— Suiki?st, Pauline Terbasket
Executive Director, ONA

To read the full article click HERE: B.C. First Nations are bringing grizzlies back to the North Cascades | The Narwhal 

What does it mean to plan not just for the next ten years but for the next ten generations?

In the Okanagan and Similkameen watersheds, leaders are beginning this conversation with a bold initiative that looks 250 years into the future.

The long view will be front, and centre as Syilx leaders, scientists, local governments, and international water experts gather for the siwɬkʷ Water and Climate Forum, hosted by the Okanagan Nation Alliance in recognition of World Water Day.  The two-day Forum will bring together regional and global voices to explore climate-resilient governance and collaborative watershed stewardship. The Forum will be opened by renowned Syilx Scholar lax̌lax̌tkʷ Jeannette Armstrong, PhD.

Global Perspective on Living with Less Water: Alongside regional leaders, the Forum bring will bring an international perspective with a keynote address sharing insights from the strategy adopted by Spain in the face of their water shortages. Water governance expert Nuria Hernández‑Mora, PhD will discuss her region’s process of learning to live with less water amidst a changing climate, including the roles of ecosystem-based management, economic analysis, and public participation.

Long-Term Regional Commitment to Water: The Forum will spotlight one of our regions most significant new initiatives, the Okanagan Similkameen Watershed Collaborative Leadership Table (CLT).

This milestone in regional cooperation brings together, more than 130 elected leaders from Syilx communities and neighbouring municipalities and regional districts committed to safeguarding the waters that sustain us all.  This is a Syilx guided process where leaders strengthen government-to-government relationships and work together to address shared priorities to protect and restore siwɬkʷ including kɬúsx̌nítk^w Okanagan Lake and the nməlqaytk^w Similkameen River.

For a region facing rapid population growth, intensifying drought, wildfire risk, and climate change, the stakes are high. Water systems across both watersheds are under pressure, and leaders recognize that no single government can solve these challenges alone.

“It’s amazing to see the leadership of the districts come together on an issue of common concern, and that’s water,” says y̓ilmixʷm sil-teekin Chief Greg Gabriel of Penticton Indian Band.

There is a strong foundation for watershed planning in the past and current work undertaken by both the Syilx Nation and Local Governments. Because of this foundation—and building on our collective responsibility for water.

“This is our opportunity to build a new history together,” says Penticton Mayor Julius Bloomfield.

The Collaborative Leadership Table is developing a Watershed Responsibility Plan with a multi-generational approach to stewardship, recognizing that decisions made today will shape the health of the watershed far beyond typical political timelines.

Forum participants will hear directly from regional leaders involved in the CLT during a special discussion moderated by CLT Co-Chair Tricia Brett, Councillor for Lake Country.

For many involved in the initiative, the message is simple but urgent.

“No life exists without water. If we don’t protect it, we’re going nowhere,” says Lake Country Mayor Blair Ireland.

The siwɬkʷ Water and Climate Forum brings people together around the shared goal of ensuring cold, clean, flowing water for all living things—today and for generations to come.

EVENT DETAILS 

Date: March 23-24, 2026

Location: The Delta Grand Okanagan Resort, Kelowna BC

REGISTRATION REQUIRED and is closing soon, get your tickets while they last! Registration extended to Thursday Evening.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION AND REGISTRATION: siwɬkʷ Water & Climate Forum – Okanagan Nation Alliance

The Okanagan Similkameen Watersheds Collaborative Leadership Table (CLT) is a Syilx-guided initiative bringing Local Governments and the Syilx Nation together to protect and restore siwɬkʷ|water. Over 130 elected leaders signed the Memorandum of Agreement building government-to-government relationships honoring the jurisdictional spaces of each member government. Currently, the CLT is hosted by the Okanagan Nation Alliance in partnership with the Okanagan Collaborative Conservation Program. The CLT is focused on creating a 250-Year Watershed Responsibility Plan as a means of facing the complex challenges of the region with a united response and multi-generational perspective.

Learn more about the CLT: Okanagan Similkameen Watershed Collaborative Leadership Table – Okanagan Nation Alliance

For more information please contact: 

waterforum@syilx.org

The 2026 2026 siwɬkʷ Water and Climate Forum would not be possible without the support of our Sponsors:

limləmt | thank you

In recognition of World Water Day, the Okanagan Nation Alliance is bringing together Indigenous leaders, local government representatives, researchers, scientists, regional and international water experts and community partners for the siwɬkʷ Water and Climate Forum. Held in partnership with the Okanagan Similkameen Watershed Collaborative Leadership Table (CLT), the two-day gathering will focus on climate-resilient governance and collaborative watershed stewardship.

Rooted in the Syilx understanding of siwɬkʷ, this year’s Forum emphasizes cold, clean, flowing water for all living things, underscoring the critical need for strong watersheds — because without water, nothing lives. The Forum seeks to build practical pathways toward long-term watershed resilience as drought, wildfire risk, and ecosystem stress intensify in the region. Over two days, participants will engage in keynotes, panels, and dialogue sessions addressing drought planning, watershed governance, climate risks, and long-term stewardship.

This years Forum speaker and panel highlights include:

• Dr. Jeannette Armstrong, Syilx scholar and Canada Research Chair in Okanagan Indigenous Knowledge and Philosophy, speaking on siwɬkʷ as Life – Past, Present and Future, setting the intention of the Forum on day one.
• Joining us from Madrid Spain, Dr. Nuria Hernández-Mora, a globally recognized water governance expert and advisor to the European Commission on the European Union Water Framework Directive. Her keynote, Learning to Live With Less Water: Spain’s Journey Toward Climate-Resilient Water Governance, will explore collaborative governance approaches to water scarcity in Europe offering international examples that can guide and inspire local action.
• Terri-Lynn Williams-Davidson, Principal of White Raven Law and counsel to the Haida Nation, presenting lessons from long-standing government-to-government agreements
• Gwen Bridge, CEO of Gwen Bridge Consulting, addressing Indigenous and regional collaboration in water governance
• Riverside chat with 4 leaders of the CLT monitored by Co-chair Councillor Tricia Brett.
• Panels and discussions will also feature regional scientists, economists, and practitioners addressing climate impacts on aquatic habitat, hydrology, agriculture, forestry/wildfire, and watershed sustainability.

Our forests are burning, our waters are drying, and the time to act is now — the siwɬkʷ Water and Climate Forum is a call to action to protect our watersheds and ensure that there is:

cold, clean, flowing, water for all living things.

“Without water, we cannot live.” — y’ilmixʷm simo Chief Robert Louie, Westbank First Nation, Co-Chair of the Collaborative Leadership Table

EVENT DETAILS 

Date: March 23-24, 2026

Location: The Delta Grand Okanagan Resort, Kelowna BC

REGISTRATION REQUIRED and is closing soon, get your tickets while they last!

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION AND REGISTRATION: siwɬkʷ Water & Climate Forum – Okanagan Nation Alliance

The Okanagan Similkameen Watersheds Collaborative Leadership Table (CLT) is a Syilx-guided initiative bringing Local Governments and the Syilx Nation together to protect and restore siwɬkʷ|water. Over 130 elected leaders signed the Memorandum of Agreement building government-to-government relationships honoring the jurisdictional spaces of each member government. Currently, the CLT is hosted by the Okanagan Nation Alliance in partnership with the Okanagan Collaborative Conservation Program. The CLT is focused on creating a 250-Year Watershed Responsibility Plan as a means of facing the complex challenges of the region with a united response and multi-generational perspective.

Learn more about the CLT: Okanagan Similkameen Watershed Collaborative Leadership Table – Okanagan Nation Alliance

For more information please contact: 

waterforum@syilx.org

The 2026 2026 siwɬkʷ Water and Climate Forum would not be possible without the support of our Sponsors:

limləmt | thank you

Okanagan Nation Alliance tmixʷ Technician Delaney Hall Shares Knowledge on Beaver Mimicry and Watershed Restoration

Last week, Delaney Hall, one of our tmixʷ technicians at Okanagan Nation Alliance, presented at the Columbia Mountain Institute’s CRED Talks and Kootenay Conservation Program Winter Webinar Series. The webinar, titled “Lessons for the Next Chapter of Restoration and Stewardship in the Kootenays,” brought together leaders and community members to explore innovative approaches to land and water stewardship.

Delaney spoke about the powerful connection between Traditional Knowledge and science, highlighting how Beaver Mimicry can help revive Okanagan Nation watersheds.

The webinar reached an audience of up to 220 live viewers — a testament to the growing interest in collaborative, community-driven restoration work.

Thank you, Delaney, for sharing your knowledge and representing the Okanagan Nation Alliance.

If you would like to watch the full webinar, click here to view the video: Delaney Hall: Traditional Knowledge & Science in Beaver Mimicry to Revive Okanagan Nation Watersheds

Stay Alert. Stay Ready. Stay Safe! ⚠️

As of 07:45hrs on Dec 11, 2025, a flood warning is in effect for the Tulameen and Similkameen River areas, along with a high flow advisory for all tributaries.

❗The Lower Similkameen Indian Band Virtual Emergency Operations Center has been Activated.

LSIB Duty Officer Contact: dutyofficer@lsib.net
A reminder, until advised, LSIB Duty Officer is the first point of contact.

kʷumis k’ʷəcəck̕ʷact kʷu ɬat c̕uluʔs — We are stronger together.

Here are additional community resources to help keep everyone informed and safe:

❗Flood Warnings: https://bcrfc.env.gov.bc.ca/warnings/advisories/FWT_2025_12_10_1145_CC_SC_VI_upg.pdf

❗Flood Warnings and Notifications: https://bcrfc.env.gov.bc.ca/warnings/index.htm

➡️Prepared B.C.

Flood Preparedness Guide: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/public-safety-and-emergency-services/emergency-preparedness-response-recovery/embc/preparedbc/preparedbc-guides/preparedbc_flood_preparedness_guide_fillable.pdf

Resources for People with Disabilities: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/public-safety-and-emergency-services/emergency-preparedness-response-recovery/embc/preparedbc/preparedbc-guides/preparedbc_emergency_preparedness_for_people_w_disability.pdf

The Government of B.C. has announced that confirmatory testing has shown the white-tailed deer sample taken east of Enderby is negative for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). Although the initial screening returned a “non-negative” result, follow-up testing by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency using three independent methods confirmed that no CWD was detected.

Preventing the spread of CWD requires strong partnership, and the Okanagan Nation Alliance thanks the Province for its rigorous testing, rapid response, and ongoing efforts to help keep wildlife and communities safe.

At the same time, we strongly urge hunters and community members to keep bringing in animals for testing. Every single sample helps us detect CWD early, understand its movement, and prevent the spread. The more samples we receive, the more information we have to understand and monitor CWD.

ONA is here to support Syilx Nation members with CWD testing and answer any questions. Your participation is vital in protecting our tmixʷ (all living things) and ensuring the health of future generations.

To read the full statement from the Government of BC CLICK HERE: BC Gov News

For more information on CWD and Syilx-led drop-off locations CLICK HERE: Prevent the Spread: Chronic Wasting Disease – Okanagan Nation Alliance

For additional CWD resources CLICK HERE: Chronic Wasting Disease – Province of British Columbia

Important Wildlife Update: 

The province is currently investigating a potential case of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in a white-tailed deer harvested east of Enderby. This marks the first possible detection in the Okanagan, and the first outside B.C.’s current CWD management zone in the Kootenay region.

Hunters play a crucial role in B.C.’s CWD surveillance program. Without your participation, the level of monitoring and response needed to track this disease wouldn’t be possible.

We’re encouraging everyone to continue submitting samples from deer, elk, and moose harvested anywhere in B.C. Your samples help us understand where the disease may be present.

If you’re hunting in or around this region, we strongly urge getting your animals tested.

The ONA is here to support all Nation members with drop-off locations in Westbank, Penticton, and Castlegar.

Read the full Statement from the Government of British Columbia: BC Gov News

More information on CWD and Syilx-led Drop-off Location found here: Prevent the Spread: Chronic Wasting Disease – Okanagan Nation Alliance

Planting at the Okanagan Lake Fish Dam Passage Site!

After years of planning, and months of sometimes challenging work, the new Okanagan Lake Fish Passage successfully allowed the 2025 salmon run free passage from sq̓awsitkʷ, Okanagan River, into their kɬúsx̌nítkʷ  , Okanagan Lake, historical spawning territory.

As with most major construction we were left with a considerable amount of bare soil, some was seeded to grass earlier in the fall. On November 7^th and 8^th, as promised post-construction, with the help of 220 volunteers including students from four schools, the Penticton scouts, various groups, Syilx Nation members and the public at large, we planted at least 500 native species. The volunteers collectively worked hard to get Saskatoon, willow, snowberry, thimbleberry, mock Orange, birchleaf spirea, rose, Oregon grape, hawthorn, and chokecherry shrubs into the ground.  The earlier planting of willows and cottonwoods along the lake shore quickly rooted, leafed out and are now dormant. In the years to come, new plantings will receive irrigation when soil moisture, and temperatures dictate the need. The volunteers took part in more than just the planting they received an overview of the many ONA led fish and wildlife enhancement projects along the Okanagan River and a tour of the passage project.

The ONA team is truly grateful for all the volunteers that came out to lend a hand and the planting funding provided by TD Friends of the Environment and the donation from the Okanagan Similkameen Conservation Alliance.  The benefits of this funding will be seen well into the future as we watch these plants grow and form mini habitats along the passageway.

The Okanagan Nation Alliance Okanagan Fish Passage Project, which is part of the kł cp̓əlk̓ stim̓ (cause to come back) initiative was funded by Chelan PUD’s Habitat Conservation Plan Rock Island Tributary Committee, Douglas PUD’s Habitat Conservation Plan Wells Tributary Committee and Grant PUD’s Habitat Subcommittee of the Priest Rapids Coordinating Committee. Project partners included the Penticton Indian Band, City of Penticton, Ministry of Water, Lands and Resource Stewardship, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Thank you to our funders and partners for making this project possible.

Check out this recent CBC news clip featuring ONA staff discussing the Okanagan Lake Dam fish passage. Fish Biologist Natasha Lukey and Cultural Facilitator Elliot Tonasket shared their perspectives on the project and its importance for the ntytyix (salmon), the environment, culture, connection, and future generations.

To view full video click here: Salmon Warriors restore spawning grounds as sockeye return to Okanagan | CBC.ca

Last week, Chief y̓ilmixʷm Robert Louie and Councillor Tricia Brett, Co-Chairs of the Okanagan–Similkameen Collaborative Leadership Table, published an Op-Ed in the Kelowna Capital News highlighting the table’s vital work and its growing significance across the region.

To read the full article click here: Creating watershed security through collaborative leadership | Kelowna Capital News

The Collaborative Leadership Table (CLT) brings together 30 representatives from Syilx communities, municipalities, and regional districts to speak with one unified regional voice on siwɬkʷ (water) policy. Grounded in trust and respect, the CLT works collectively to advance Syilx-led water priorities at provincial and federal levels and protect and restore the Okanagan and Similkameen watersheds for future generations to come.

To learn more about the CLT click here: Okanagan Similkameen Collaborative Leadership Table – Okanagan Nation Alliance

The Okanagan Nation Alliance (ONA) is pleased to announce the addition of the Women Uplifting Women Leadership Award, to our Building a Better Future Bursary Program for Syilx Nation Members. This additional $3000 Bursary gifted by Syilx community member Buffy Mills, recognizes Syilx women who demonstrate leadership, uplift other women, and create positive change within their communities.

“I created this award because I want to be the kind of woman who creates the change I wish to see in our community,” says Mills. “This bursary is for Syilx women who lead from the heart—who lift other women up, who walk with courage, and who make space for others to shine. You don’t need a title to be a leader. You just need the fire to rise—and the generosity to take others with you. If that’s you, I see you. I believe in you. This is for you.”

ONA extends its sincere thanks to Mills for founding and supporting this award, whose vision and generosity make it possible to celebrate and empower Syilx women. This initiative reflects ONA’s ongoing commitment to recognize student perseverance and achievement to encourage our members to continue their educational pursuits.

The award is open to Syilx women enrolled in any post-secondary program, and at any stage of their educational journey. Building a Better Future applications will open in mid-April 2026 and close in early June 2026. The recipient will be announced at the ONA Annual General Assembly on July 22, 2026, hosted this year by Lower Similkameen Indian Band, Member Band, Syilx.

For more information on our Building a Better Future Bursary Program visit: https://syilx.org/about-us/operations/building-a-better-future-bursary/

For More Information Contact:

Dorothy Harrower, Communications Coordinator

E dharrower@syilx.org

T 250-707-0095 ext. 123

IndigiNews recently published a feature highlighting ONA’s stunx (beaver) mimicry initiative—a restoration project that seeks to bring back the ecological and cultural benefits of beavers to Syilx territory. 

Check out the article HERE: People are imitating beavers to help them return – Indiginews 

For more information about ONA’s beaver mimicry project click HERE: Coteay Creek stunx (Beaver) Dam Analogue – Okanagan Nation Alliance