OUR LIVING EARTH

There are many stories, which explain the connection that Aboriginal people have with the land. In Syilx culture EVERY story explains the connection the people have with this land, our "earth". In order to fully understand the connection, one has to immerse themselves in ceptikw (Syilx Legends). Every story is a continuation to where another one left off and all are interconnected. When one is reviewing published resources it is hard to know where to start. The key, however, is to know exactly what it is you are looking for.
The Okanagan people are so precise and the language is so specific that when you ask about (or for) a general story you may not get what you are looking for. Example; you would like to gain access to the creation story ....First you have to know the creation of what. The creation of land, animals, people, songs, food, fire? You can't just ask for a creation story and not say which creation story and expect to get it.
The origin of the Syilx is the Earth. We were created from the land as part of the land, therefore the Earth in all it's elements and the ones who came before us, are our "parents". Like all "parents" their job is to take care of us and as such everything we have was given to us by them. We never 'accidentally' come across fire, it was given to us, food-given to us, dreams-given to us, everything was a gift to ensure our survival and they were all given to us, by our "parents". This is what we mean when we say " the living Earth' and this is not a term to be thrown around lightly.
Therefore, the land, to Okanagan people is more than dirt, rocks and a place for us to live. The land means more to us than a property value or assessment and the land is more than just a dollar amount. This is why Okanagan people have not surrendered any rights to the Okanagan territory, this is why the Okanagan people have and will continue to fight land claims and disputes, this is why we will protect our land and our responsibilities to this land against anyone claiming or wishing to claim title, rights and possession of Okanagan lands. Earth is our parent and we are the children.

AIR

When speaking Nsyilxcen (Okanagan language), air is another word which requires specific details since there os no common one name for air.
Air comes in many forms; breath, mist, fog, a light breeze and a heavy wind. It is the sound of the trees, the songs of the Earth and its inhabitants and it is the only reason we are able to communicate with one another. It is how our prayers are carried to those we are praying to and it is how our songs are heard. To Syilx people, every form is a life form and alive. The North Wind (as told by Mourning Dove), was described as an Old man who lived in a teepee and nuxwina is the woman who makes the sound which comes from a certain kind of tree.
Air is considered 'nothing' by some because it has no shape, form and isn't something you can see. It doesn't mean that it means nothing to people, but it is nothing. “Vanished into thin air� means they disappeared and couldn't be seen with the human eye.
In English there are many generic terms when describing Air, such as oxygen and wind. To Okanagan people the closest word in nsyilxcen (okanagan language) for describing air is “slexwencuts tmxwula?xw' (slexh-wen-chut-tim-who-lough) which literally means 'breath of our land'. As previously stated EARTH is our parent and the 'air' is her breath. This is what 'Air' means to us, as Okanagan people.

FIRE

In the time before people, the land was overcome with rain until every last fire on Earth was extinguished. The animal people had a meeting and discussed what they should do and decided to make war against the sky beings to bring back the fire. In the Spring Coyote pointed his arrow towards the sky and started shooting his arrow first and the people shot their arrows towards the sky. They never made it to the upper world. Many animals tried, one after another, but none succeeded and all their arrows fell to the Earth. Finally, Chickadee pointed his arrow and let go of the string and everyone watched as his arrow had reached the sky. He began making a chain of arrows by shooting the arrows together to which the animals could use as a ladder to reach the sky world.
After everyone was on their way up, Grizzly Bear was the last one to climb the chain of arrows and since Grizzly is large and heavy, the chain broke and he fell back to Earth. Grizzly was unable to join the other animals in their battle.
When the animals reached the sky, they found themselves in a valley near a lake, where the people of the sky were fishing. Coyote went out as a scout, but was captured by the sky people. Muskrat dug holes along the shore of the lake while Beaver and Eagle were sent to steal the fire. Beaver lay down in a fish trap, pretending to be dead, when the sky people found him, they carried him to their chiefs house. Where the people began to skin him. Eagle flew to a near by tree and landed, when the people saw him they ran out. At once, Beaver jumped up, and using a clamshell stole some burning coals. When Beaver got to the lake, the people were already chasing him and were trying to catch him with nets, but Muskrats holes had emptied the lake.
When the animal people got to the place where their arrow-chain ladder was they found it broken. Each bird carried a four legged on his back down to the land. Only Coyote and Sucker were left in the sky world. Coyote tied a piece of buffalo robe to each of his paws and jumped down, landing in a pine tree. Sucker had to jump down and when he landed, he was broken to pieces. The following morning Coyote was showing off his wings, but when he tried to take them off he couldn't and transformed into a bat. The animals gathered all of Suckers bones they could find and pieced him back together. Since some of his bones were missing the animals used pine needles in his tail, which is why Sucker has too many bones.
This story has been published by Mourning Dove in 1976 as 'The Arrow Trail to the Upper World Land' in the book 'Tales of the Okanagan's' which is a collection of stories by Mourning Dove and again by James A. Teit in 'Folk Tales of Salishan and Sahaptin tribes' (1917).
This story, is told as an example of how things were given to us. Within Syilx county there are families, known as traditional fire keepers, who preserve and protect the fire. In one of their newsletters Forrex published an article about traditional Okanagan fire keepers featuring the late Annie Kruger, a traditional fire keeper from the Penticton Indian Band.

WATER

Water is sacred, powerful and forever changing. The Syilx (Okanagan) people consider water to be the most important part of the tmixw (creation). Water is sacred, she is a part of everything including birth. Our unborn children are protected by water while they are still in the mother's womb. Water makes up majority of both our bodies and the land. Water keeps our bodies, minds and spirits healthy and clean. We use water to cleanse ourselves physically, mentally, spiritually and in ceremonies. Water keeps us hydrated and alive.
Water is so powerful that it not only has the power to keep us alive, it has the power to take away life. Our bodies can dehydrate from lack of moisture or water and cause death. If there is a drought it can cause members of all species to die. If water became depleted or poisoned in a certain area and was consumed it can cause death. When the necessary precautions around water are ignored it can cause drowning. During fierce weather conditions water can cause flooding, giant waves and other conditions which may be fatal to Okanagan people.
Water is ever changing. If a stream has been in the same area for thousands of years, it is never the same stream. Water is constantly flows through the area and is never the same water, therefore never the same stream. In a split millisecond the stream changes before our very eyes, unnoticeably. It is said by Okanagan elders the flow of the water and its ever changing state demonstrates the power of the water. The source of the water, has never run out, the water levels of streams have never increased and the place where the water empties has never overflowed. This is how powerful water is.
It is also said that there is much to be learned from water. Water, in all of its power and wonder seeks out the lowest places to flow through. It is not on the highest mountain peaks claiming its power, to the world. The water is humble and teaches us, to be humble as well. This too, is another lost teaching, in today's society. When one believes they have all the power, they build their houses on top of the hills looking down at every one. Executives buy penthouse suites to demonstrate they've reached the top. People place themselves in places where they are looked up to and can look down upon everything and everyone else. Water does not, it flows in the lowest places, making it available to every form of life when needed.