Our tmxʷulaxʷ in the Arrow Lakes
The Sinixt people have always been part of the Syilx Okanagan Nation.
In 1846, the Territory and membership of the Syilx Nation were split when the Canada-United States border was drawn across our Territory without our consent. This had many impacts on our Nation, including the separation of our lands and the separation of families. Due to the tragedies of colonization, Syilx Okanagan/Sinixt people from the Eastern Parts of Syilx Okanagan Territory were dispersed. Some remained in what is now known as British Columbia, moving to sister communities in the Okanagan region of our Territory. Others moved within the Territory to what is now known as Washington State, settling at the Colville reservation. In 1956, the Arrow Lakes Band was declared extinct by the Government of Canada just prior to the flooding of ancestral village sites for hydroelectric projects under the Columbia River Treaty.
The Sinixt are still here: We were displaced from of our homes in the Eastern parts of our Territory. Some are in the US, but many are in Canada and live within the communities comprising the Syilx Okanagan Nation. Throughout all this time, we have continued to return to the Eastern parts of Syilx Okanagan Territory, including the Arrow Lakes area, to hunt, fish, pick berries, harvest, carry out ceremony and be present on the tmxʷulaxʷ (land), maintaining connection and responsibilities.
Despite the colonial border, longstanding kinship connections between members of the Syilx Okanagan Nation communities in what is now Canada, and the Colville Confederated Tribes continue to this day.
One Language. One Land. One Culture. One People.
The Syilx Okanagan, including the Sinixt, are nsyilxcәn-speaking people and we have always been—and always will be—united by our common nsyilxcәn language, our tmxʷulaxʷ (land,) and our sqixʷɬcaʷt (culture).
The Syilx Okanagan Nation, as represented by the Chiefs Executive Council, is the representative and successor group for the Sinixt in Canada.
The story of the historical denial and alleged “extinction” of the Sinixt is tragic, but it should not be used to exclude the Syilx Okanagan Nation from our Territory or deny the identity of Syilx Okanagan peoples in Canada who are of Sinixt descent.
For a full account of these concerns, please read Chief Robert Louie’s Opinion Editorial for the Vancouver Sun.
If you have questions about these guides, or about Syilx/Sinixt culture and history, please contact our nation directly.
Sincerely,
Chiefs Executive Council, Okanagan Nation Alliance
Reconciliation requires taking the time to truly understand the Territory, culture and history of Nations—including the impacts of colonization and resulting complexities.
See Also
Suggested Resources
Syilx Unity Declaration
