Welcome to Syilx 101
Learn About the Syilx Nation
About
way’ p cyʕap
Welcome to Syilx 101, an educational resource and information hub dedicated to all things Syilx.
For thousands of years, we, the Syilx Okanagan people, were self-reliant and well provided for through our own ingenuity and use of the land and resources. We lived united as a Nation with a whole economy, travelling the breadth and depth of our territory; hunting, fishing, growing, harvesting, and trading created a sustainable economy that met our needs.
The Okanagan Nation Alliance (ONA), established in 1981, is the inaugural First Nations government for the Syilx Nation. Our traditional Syilx territory includes the Okanagan Indian Band, Upper Nicola Band, Westbank First Nation, Penticton Indian Band, Osoyoos Indian Band, Lower and Upper Similkameen Indian Bands, and the Colville Confederated Tribes.
The ONA is dedicated to upholding our inherent rights and sacred responsibilities through sqilxʷcaʷt (Syilx cultural ways of being).
Culture
See more ›
captikʷł
captikʷł are a collection of teachings about Syilx Okanagan laws, customs, values, and governance structures.
Harvesting Protocols
Protocols are rules or laws that govern us. Our protocols are very simple. We follow them to this day. These…
How Food Was Given: Four Food Chiefs
The Syilx Nation’s worldview emphasizes interconnectedness, viewing nature relationally without distinction between animate and inanimate beings, including land, animals, and…
pl̓pul̓m Smudging
Smudging is a traditional practice of our Syilx culture and is still practiced today to help people participating in ceremony…
13 Moon Calendar
The Syilx Okanagan people, like many First Nations, use a 13-moon calendar system, and the turtle’s shell is a significant…
Sharing Circles
Sharing circles, or talking circles, are a very important element to Syilx Okanagan culture. In a circle everyone is respected…
Ceremonies
Syilx Okanagan ceremony protocols focus on respect for the land, ancestors, and Creator, highlighting reciprocity, humility, and responsibility. They are…
Declarations
See more ›
Okanagan Nation Declaration
“We are the unconquered aboriginal people of this land, our mother; The creator has given us our mother, to enjoy,…
Syilx Unity Declaration
One Language. One Land. One Culture. One People. In 1846, the Canadian-US border separated the Syilx Okanagan lands, without their…
Syilx Okanagan Language Declaration
Our nsyilxcən language is our knowledge of the land, water and the tmixʷ. Our nsyilxcən language affirms the connections between…
axá iʔ sccuntət iʔ tl x̌aʔxitət x̌l iʔ nqsil̓tət Family Declaration
The axá iʔ sccuntət iʔ tl x̌aʔxitət x̌l iʔ nqsil̓tət Family Declaration is a crucial expression of Syilx cultural values…
siwɬkʷ Water Declaration
The Syilx Water Declaration serves as a living document on the Syilx relations and values to water. This document communicates…
Territory
See more ›
Syilx Territory
This is our Syilx life place, our laws/responsible life-ways have never been given away or sold. These ways are forever,…
Land Acknowledgements
Introducing the Syilx Okanagan People’s territory involves more than just naming the boundaries; it is about acknowledging the profound cultural,…
kɬlil̕xʷ Spotted Lake
For centuries, Syilx people have gone to kɬlil̕xʷ to seek healing, whether it be physically or spiritually. It has been shared…
Syilx Member Communities
The Okanagan Nation Alliance (ONA), established in 1981, is the inaugural First Nations government for the Syilx Nation. Our traditional…
Our tmxʷulaxʷ in the Arrow Lakes
Due to colonization, Syilx Okanagan/Sinixt people from the Eastern parts of Syilx Territory were dispersed. We have continued to return…
ackɬt’pus Giant’s Head
Syilx people used ackɬt’pus as a training ground for young women and men, to encourage them to think about what…
History
See more ›
Our Traditional Way of Life
In 1876, before colonization and the imposition of the federal Indian Act, the Syilx Okanagan people were a self-sufficient, self-governing…
About Indian Residential Schools
In 1883, Canada authorized the creation of residential schools across the country to separate Indigenous children from the influence of…
Syilx Indian Residential School Timeline
From first contact with European settlers, the Syilx Okanagan Nation, like all indigenous nations in Canada, experienced significant impacts from…
Impacts of Indian Residential School
Indian Residential Schools inflicted deep emotional trauma by separating families, disrupting cultural ties, and damaging self-esteem, leading to cycles of…
Syilx Resilience
The Syilx people are gaining strength every day. As a Nation, we are working to reclaim and restore our traditional…
Take the Indian Out of the Child Book
The first book to speak about the specific ways in which Indian Residential Schools has touched the Syilx people. This…
Survivors of the Red Brick School, Cranbrook
In 2001, the film “Survivors of the Red Brick School” was created by a collective of former Syilx students from…
Syilx Indian Residential School Monuments
The Syilx Indian Residential School Monument is a testament to what our people have endured—a tribute to our strength and…
Indian Residential School Resources
Reconciliation involves educating yourself about the devastating impact of residential schools on Indigenous children, families, and communities, and working towards…
Salmon
See more ›
ntytyix Chief Salmon
Importance of ntytyix (Chief Spring Salmon) and the sacred connection to Syilx people.
Fish in Schools (FinS)
ONA’s Fish in Schools program is one of the key fish education programs for youth in the region, particularly the…
Broodstock
“Broodstock” refers to mature fish that are specifically selected for breeding in a hatchery environment. These fish are used to…
kł cp̓əlk̓ stim̓ Hatchery
The kł cp̓əlk̓ stim̓ Hatchery is a testament to the perseverance of the Syilx people to realize their dream of…
kł cp̓əlk̓ stim̓ (cause to come back)
The journey of the Syilx Okanagan Nation to restore sockeye salmon from the edge of extinction reflects the revitalization of…
Language
See more ›
Our nsyilxcən Language
The Syilx Okanagan Nation is a distinct people of the Salish-speaking language family. nsyilxcən is notably different from our Salish…
nsyilxcən Language Revitalization
Like snk̓lip’s responsibility of transforming items into anew, the Syilx people have been spinning a web of creativity, ingenuity, and…
nsyilxcən Language Fluency Programs
In March 2021, the University of British Columbia Okanagan (UBCO) became the first university in Canada to offer a bachelor’s…
Okanagan Song
For the love of our land and people, let us honour our sacred bond with the lad and all it…
n̓x̌aʔx̌ʔítkʷ Song
The n̓x̌aʔx̌ʔítkʷ Song tells the story of n̓x̌aʔx̌ʔítkʷ as it dances in the water, with the waves it generates creating…