2024 23rd Annual Border Crossing Canoe Paddle July 4th

Sharing information:

kʷu tl təmxʷulaʔxʷ

The Syilx Nation would like to invite Syilx Nation members to join us for the xʷəxʷmínaʔ Trout Fishery. We will be fishing for rainbow trout and bull trout and reconnecting with the eastern part of our Syilx Territory.

Fishery will be hosted at the mouth of the Lardeau River at the Trout Lake Recreation Site near Kaslo BC. Fishery to start at sunrise and run throughout the day and weekend.

Open to all Syilx Nation Members | Travel Support Available

The Children First Forum is an annual ONA event held to bring together syilx Okanagan leadership, staff, and community members working with children and families to equip them with tools for care of our children.  This includes building relationships, gaining new ideas and perspectives, preparing to lobby for legal jurisdiction, and addressing any gaps.

Open to Syilx Okanagan Nation members and community members.

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 in Policy & Planning.

captikʷł are a collection of teachings about Syilx Okanagan laws, customs, values, governance structures and principles that, together, define and inform Syilx Okanagan rights and responsibilities to the land and to our culture.

Open to Syilx Nation Members only.

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.

Each year, the event consists of workshops, discussions, presentations, keynotes and activities that focus on connecting to the land and water, connecting to each other, our well-being and learning useful tools to thrive!

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, connections were lost, and sharing of culture between generations was disrupted. This event will be 2 days of working on our relationships with each other and with ourselves.  Through various workshops, ceremony, and food, this event will bring survivors and Nation members together to heal and work towards a stronger, healthier Nation.

Open to Syilx Okanagan Nation Members & Community Members

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 capacity needs within the Nation, define and reclaim family roles and responsibilities, and connect with one another.

Syilx Grandmothers have an inherent role and responsibility to strengthen/teach the practice of Syilx traditions, culture and language. Following Phase II, and Phase IV of the Grandmothers Group Strategy, this event includes Nation and community relationship development and initial steps to the development of a Grandmothers Group Work Plan.

Open to all Syilx Nation Grandmothers | Spaces are limited

Responding to the opioid drug crisis

The Syilx Nation Drug Forum is an annual event to create space for sharing of information, resources, tools, stories and personal experiences related to drug and alcohol use. It began in response to the opioid drug crisis and focuses on bringing awareness to overdose. This will be a space for meaningful discussion around what is needed for the Nation going forward; capacity building as well as healing – these are integral elements to overall Syilx well-being which is the main objective of the ONA wellness program. We want to explore the personal experiences of people, families, and communities in the Nation and focus on what the needs are in moving toward wider opportunities for healing. Addiction and overdose is a complex issue that requires complex attention. We want to bring together Nation members, workers, and partners to continue meaningful conversations around addressing needs and creating healing.

Mental health, substance use, and human trafficking has been a growing epidemic in the Okanagan region and has directly affected Syilx Nation member communities for too long. Prevention and intervention is the only way to combat this fast growing business and protect Syilx Nation members.

This event is for Syilx Nation members, community members, and community member staff.

We run for our people and our land

The Unity Run emerged in June 2009, as a response to youth requesting to come together and find a way to raise awareness about suicide and violence in their communities. This event allows the ONA to engage with the youth in the community, provides a significant opportunity to reach the ever-growing number of youth among the eight member communities and hearing what issues are important to them. Between 140 and 200 Okanagan Nation members will come together over the multi-day event, with a minimum of 100 partakers joining for the entire event. Based on the previous years, the average age of runners will be in between the ages of 14 and 18, with the youngest runner being 5 and the oldest in their 60’s.

The majority of the runners will be members of Okanagan Nation communities who are chaperoned by designated community members. If you have youth that would like to participate, please contact your local member community youth worker or Wellness/Health department. If you would like to bring your own youth or yourselves please register directly with the ONA.

This event occurs annually on the first weekend in June!

Donations:

If you are interested in donating to the Spirit of Syilx Unity Run for Suicide and Violence Awareness, please see payment options below:

• E-transfer to etransfertd@syilx.org (we are registered for auto-deposit – no password required)
  • Please include a note for your e-transfer in the message box stating “Donation – Unity Run 2024”
• Cheques payable to “Okanagan Nation Alliance” (please see mailing address below)
  • Please include a note of your cheque in the memo box stating “Donation – Unity Run 2024”
• Cash donations can be dropped off at our main office

Mailing Address: 101-3535 Old Okanagan Hwy, Westbank BC V4T 3L7