WHAT: The Annual Spirit of Syilx Youth Unity Run will begin at Blanket Creek Provincial Park, heading north to Revelstoke, on to and around BC Hydro’s Mica Dam. In total the Run will go through 309 km of the Okanagan Territory, ending at Martha Creek Provincial Park. We are estimating around 120 Syilx youth to run, and will include a multitude of other participants including Syilx elders, leaders, community members and a range of other participants that wish to contribute to the event.

WHY: This annual event is to raise awareness of Suicide and Mental Health issues confronting our communities. The Syilx Unity Run is to encourage and strengthen healthy lifestyle and living through action, and physical exercise activity, Syilx youth are also provided the opportunity to experience being out on their territory, being together as Nation as a means to address a broad range of community and societal issues from suicide and mental health to cultural rejuvenation and reconnection with nationhood and the land. By utilizing action as a means to engage with youth in the community, ONA has a significant opportunity to reach the ever-growing number of youth among the eight member communities and hearing what issues are important for them.

“The Unity Run emerged from youth requesting to come together and find a way to raise awareness about suicide and violence in their communities and we responded. This action provides the opportunity to unite, get to know other youth from across the Nation, while also experiencing and connecting to different parts of their territory. All of this contributes to building identity and unity amongst our youth, and is often a touchstone for belonging” stated Jennifer Houde, Community, Family, and Youth Health Services Manager, ONA.

The Syilx Spirit of Youth Unity Run is a way to continue to draw attention to these issues within the Nation and region. The run is not only an awareness campaign, but developed as a prevention platform for youth that participate by utilizing the connection to the land, implementation of the Syilx teachings and culture as a means to wellbeing.

WHO: The Syilx Spirit of Youth Unity Run is organized and hosted by the Okanagan Nation Alliance. For further information please visit: https://syilx.org/events/spirit-of-syilx-youth-unity-run/

WHEN: May 11-14, 2017

WHERE: The Unity Run starts at Blanket Creek Provincial Park, continuing on for 309 km, and will end at Martha Creek Provincial Park on Lake Revelstoke.

For interviews or additional information please contact:

Dominique Alexis, ONA Event Planner

Tel: 1-250-707-0095 ext. 233

Email: dalexis@syilx.org

 

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The National Inquiry has extended the deadline for receiving Standing Applications and applications for funding related to standing to Monday May 1, 2017, at 5:00 pm Pacific Daylight Time. The National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls is now accepting applications for standing from interested parties. There is also an opportunity for those parties seeking standing to apply for funding. Applications are available here. Families and survivors who wish to testify do not need to apply for standing.

The National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women is giving those with vested interest a little more time to get their applications in. The deadline for groups, organizations, individuals and government bodies has been pushed to May 1, 2017.

To date, there are just 122 family members’ names in the commission’s database, despite other databases in Canada pegging the number at well over 1,000. The hearings will begin in May. A schedule for 32 locations will be released soon, officials said.

If you have a family membered missing and murdered and/or a friend, please look at the information provided at http://www.mmiwg-ffada.ca/.  If you have further questions or concerns please contact the MMIWG website or by phone as below:

Phone

To reach the National Inquiry by phone, please call the toll-free line at
1-844-348-4119 or Fax at  604-775-5009

By Email

Prior to the hearings, the National Inquiry is inviting family members, loved ones, and survivors to reach out to us and identify themselves. This is the only way to ensure active participation in the process. Please email the National Inquiry at Profile@mmiwg-ffada.ca with your name, contact information, and location. A member of our team will contact you.

For general enquiries, please email us at: info@mmiwg-ffada.ca

Crisis Line 1-844-413-6649

A national, toll-free crisis call line is available to provide support for anyone who requires assistance. This line is available free of charge, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Please call 1-844-413-6649 if you or someone you know is triggered and needs help or support as a result of reading the content on this website.

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First, we want to thank our communities within the Okanagan for their continued support. Specifically, we want to thank those who came forward with information when Roxanne first went missing. Thank you to all those who showed their support during the “Prayer Walk” while Roxanne was still missing. We believe the added pressure from community support finally drove the Robotti’s to confess their crime. Thank you to everyone who organized and attended rallies at the Penticton courthouse during the bail hearing and preliminary hearing. Thank you to all the organizers of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women’s annual vigil on February 14th. Additional thanks to the UBCO Women’s Resource Centre for holding Tea Talks on Missing and Murdered Indigenous women. These events are crucial for raising awareness and empowering Indigenous voices. Additional thanks to the Osoyoos Indian Band and the Okanagan Nation Transition Emergency House (ONTAH). Also, special thanks to Okanagan Nation Alliance emergency response team for their support throughout the trial.

Roxanne Louie died under tragic circumstances, and we acknowledge these circumstances. However, we also ask everyone to see past the trauma inflicted upon Roxanne and to remember her for her vibrant energy. She was always filled with light-hearted laughter and determination. She was also a beautiful woman, with a great big smile. She grew to be a very generous and responsible mom, who loved to go on many outings to the park or beach with her son.

Nothing will ever bring our beloved Roxanne back. However, the jury’s verdict to convict Grace Robotti of second-degree murder is the best outcome in this terrible situation. Additionally, we are extremely disappointed in Pier Robotti’s sentence of interfering with a body. These past two years have been extremely difficult; we feel our loss in so many ways. As family and friends to Roxanne we are still processing both convictions. However, we are relieved for the closure Grace Robotti’s verdict brings.

There are still many murdered and missing Indigenous women out there. Locally, three Indigenous women have been reported missing in the last five years alone. This includes Caitlyn Potts, Ashley Simpson, and Deanna Mildred Wertz. In all case’s the RCMP made a public statement asking for the public’s assistance. As Roxanne’s friends, family, and supporters, we wish to reiterate the RCMP’s request for public support. We learned that while Roxanne was missing, no information was too trivial. Therefore, if you have information about any of the missing women, bring it forward.

We hope that all of these women are found, and preferably found safe. We still remember what it was like searching for Roxanne, and we pray that this feeling is not prolonged for the families any further. We send our prayers and support to each of the women, along with their friends and families.

Additionally, we hope that Grace Robotti’s conviction makes potential perpetrators think twice about targeting Indigenous women. There is an estimated 1,500 murdered and missing Indigenous women in Canada. Organizations such as the Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC), the Coalition on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, and the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls indicate that this is not just an Indigenous issue; it is a Canadian issue. This issue stems from deep-seated and widespread gendered racism that go unchecked. Such attitudes were showcased in Grace Robotti’s, Pier Robotti’s, and Dylan Spence’s descriptions of Roxanne. They were subtle remarks; however, they suggested that violence towards Roxanne was justifiable due to their perception of who she was, which was inextricably tied to her Indigenous heritage. Therefore, it is important to take notice of these harmful attitudes, and how society is slowly adjusting so that perpetrators are more often held accountable. There is still more work to be done. However, this is one step in the right direction.

Moving forward we will continue to advocate for Roxanne, her son, along with all missing and murdered Indigenous women, including those impacted.

Lim’limt from the Hall and Louie family.

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Syilx Okanagan Nation Territory, Westbank BC:  The Okanagan Nation Alliance (ONA) is welcoming the provincial court’s March 27, 2017 Desautel decision.

The decision arose as a result of hunting charges laid by the Province against Rick Desautel in 2010. The court acquitted Desautel and held that the descendants of the Sinixt continue to exist and hold rights in the Arrow Lakes.  The Sinixt had previously been declared extinct by the federal government back in the 1950’s.

Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, Chair of the ONA stated that, “This is a historic win for us; the court has confirmed what we have always known – that the Sinixt were the original inhabitants of the Arrow Lakes region long before the Europeans arrived.  Descendants of the Sinixt are now part of the ONA in Canada and the Lakes Tribe in the U.S.  It should be clear to the Province now that the Arrow Lakes region falls squarely within our territory and is subject to our Title and Rights.”  Grand Chief Phillip further stated that, “four weeks of court time was taken up trying to figure out what the Indigenous history of the area is.  We, the Syilx Okanagan people hold the history of the area but because of the rules of the courtroom, we could not be there to bring forward our information.  We hold up our two elders, Richard Armstrong and Hazel Squakin, who were able to share some of their knowledge in support of Rick Desautel.”

Grand Chief Phillip further commented that, “Rick Desautel, a member of the Colville Confederated Tribes (CCT) in present-day Washington State, traces his ancestry to the Sinixt.  As colonization advanced and especially with the imposition of a boundary between the US and Great Britain, our Sinixt people were forced to choose which side of the border to live in.  Yet we are all related and we remain related to the present-day.  The ONA and CCT will continue to be united through our cultural, familial, territorial, economic and political ties.  Neither the Court’s decision nor an imaginary line at the 49th parallel can affect the relationships of our Sinixt people and the Title and Rights that belong to us.”

Grand Chief Phillip concluded by challenging the Province to properly engage in reconciliation.  “Since the hunting charges were filed against Rick Desautel back in 2013, we have called on the Premier to join us on the only path to certainty in the Arrow Lakes area.  We expect with this decision the Province will see the error of its courtroom ways and take up the invitation of our Chiefs to meet and put in place positive arrangements respectful of our Title and Rights.  It’s time for face to face courage at the negotiation table rather than hiding behind closed doors in the courtroom.”

The Okanagan Nation Alliance represents its member communities and is mandated to protect, advance and defend its collective Title and Rights.  The ONA member communities include thousands of members who are Sinixt descendants who historically lived in the Arrow Lakes area.

Media contact:

Grand Chief Stewart Phillip

Chairman, Okanagan Nation Alliance

Cell: 250-490-5314

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From March 19-24 2017 Syilx Basketball, the Okanagan Nation Alliance (ONA) and Westbank First Nation (WFN) will welcome over 700 athletes to Okanagan Nation territory for the annual, provincial, Junior All Native Basketball Tournament (JANT).
This is the largest First Nations youth sporting event in BC. Alongside the current tournament, JANT is will also be hosting a 13 & Under All Native Basketball Tournament.
“Young First Nations athletes from across BC are striving to represent their Nation through the sport of basketball and are coming to Kelowna to compete. We are honored to host the many athletes and teams and we look forward to the week of competition” stated Syilx basketball Coach Peter Waardenburg. Youth come together to learn sportsmanship, hard work, and have a sense of accomplishment.
The Tournament in Numbers:
► 5 days of games
► 12 hours a day
► 5 gymnasiums
► 61 teams
► 200 + coaches and managers
► 700+ youth
► 1000 spectators daily
► 100 + First Nations groups represented

Opening Ceremony
The opening ceremony will include an opening from Westbank First Nation (WFN) Chief Roxanne Lindley, a Grand Entry ceremony, alongside presentations from Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, City of Kelowna Deputy Mayor Mohini Singh, Richard Jock (First Nations Health Authority) and many more.

WHEN: March 19, 2017, 6pm.

WHERE: Kelowna Secondary School. 1079 Raymer Ave, Kelowna, BC

ADMISSION: Free
The 2017 Junior All Native Basketball Tournament is being co-hosted by Syilx Basketball, ONA, and WFN, in partnership with the First Nations Health Authority.

For more information please contact:
Tara Montgomery, JANT 2017 Tournament Coordinator
T: 250-862-6866
E: 2017JANT@gmail.com

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To: The Slow Food Community, here in the Okanagan, across Turtle Island and around the world:

As Terra Madre Day 2016 nears the Okanagan Nation Alliance (ONA) would like to take the opportunity to thank Slow Food Thompson Okanagan, Slow Food Canada, Slow Food Turtle Island and Slow Food International’s continued support in sharing the story of the return our sc’win and advocating for indigenous food sovereignty in general.

At the core of our connection with Slow Food is a set of shared values around the deeper significance of food and food systems, not only for sustenance, but for the well-being and resilience of people, cultures and ecologies. The key tenants of Slow Food “good clean and fair” food resonates with our indigenous perspective and experience, particularly regarding social justice, conviviality and the sacred nature of food that connects all of us. On Terre Madre Day the Syilx Nation acknowledge the importance and significance of this day set aside for reflecting upon our actions. We stand with our sisters and brothers around the world in our hard work advancing food security efforts for our beautiful peoples, beautiful lands, resources, and sacred waters. We look forward to collectively furthering these practices in the year to come.

As we gear up to celebrate Terra Madre Day here in the Okanagan and abroad, we wish to briefly share with you a story that may contribute to the Slow Food theme of “Love the Earth, Defend the Future”. In 2016 around 342,391 Okanagan sockeye returned to the Columbia watershed, three times as many as were originally forecasted. This unexpected bounty was a cause for celebration, and was in deep contrast to the previous year’s fishery closure due to the effects of climate change. This return is deeply connected to our collective cultural ceremonies and prayers, and provides the opportunity to carry out a successful food fishery that put one of our key first foods, sockeye salmon, into thousands of our community member’s homes. Such an experience affirms the “Love (for) the Earth”, and that we must continue to “Defend the Future” for the generations that come ahead. For more information please visit our website or check out the video:

We recognize the importance that advocacy and communication plays in shifting perspectives and attitudes, and greatly appreciate all the opportunities that have been provided by Slow Food over the years. We look forward to continuing to collaborate in future.

Lim ‘limpt

OKANAGAN NATION ALLIANCE

For more information on Slow Food:

http://www.slowfood.com/

For more information on Terra Madre Day:

http://www.slowfood.com/what-we-do/international-events/terra-madre-day/

Official copy of this letter:

Terra-Madre-Day-Letter-of-Gratitude-Final-2016-Dec-1

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November 23, 2016 

Stq’aˀtxʷ niw’t, Okanagan Nation Territory: The Okanagan Nation Chiefs Executive Council welcomes the much anticipated report from Grand Chief Ed John, Special Advisor on Aboriginal Child Welfare titled Indigenous Resilience, Connectedness and Reunification – from Root Causes to Root Solutions presented to Premier Clark, Minister Cadieux and Indigenous Leadership on November 21, 2016.

 Unfortunately, our community members have yet to experience the outcomes that would come from implementing the recommendations from countless reports commissioned by the Ministry for Children and Family Development. Despite the enormous investment put into reports, none have effectively reduced the dire statistic of 70% of children who have been removed from their homes for “neglect”.   Clearly, this gives rise to the question, why hasn’t real and effective change occurred?

Grand Chief Stewart Phillip maintains “Poverty kills and neglect is an outcome of the systemic poverty that characterizes too many Aboriginal communities. We are in the best position to keep our children safe. Enough children have been lost, and our children continue to be the most vulnerable from the lack of movement of the Provincial and Federal Governments.”  Reports continue to be mandated without involvement and input from the Nations and communities, yet we are the ones waiting to see critical changes impact the wellbeing of our families.

The Okanagan Nation Alliance calls for immediate action on the Recommendations.   With the roadmap set out by a plethora of reports on Aboriginal Child Welfare in this province, the path is clear.  Recognition, resources and implementing jurisdiction is paramount.  If we are truly in the business of seeing improved outcomes, the actions must follow.

The Okanagan Nation has never relinquished its inherent right and responsibility to ensure the cultural integrity, safety and well-being of all our children and families. Chief Harvey McLeod states, “The longer we talk, the less opportunity we have to make change.” Our Nation will continue to do the necessary work required for our future generations as we continue to witness the detrimental impact the BC Liberal government’s ‘culture of indifference’ on the wellbeing of our children and families.

For More Information Contact:

Grand Chief Stewart Phillip,
ONA Chairman
Cell: 250-490-5314

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Hartman Lutz chaired the North American Studies Program at the University of Greifswald until March 2011. He gained his PhD in Philosphy from the University of Tubingen in 1975. Professor Lutz will reflect on his experiences working in Indigenous Studies and speak about and screen his film Trapped in a Human Zoo, a 2016 documentary about how thousands of Indigenous peoples around the world were captured and displayed in human zoos throughout Europe in the 1800s.

This is a free event and open to the public with foods and refreshments served October 6 2016 from 1-4 pm.

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