Music
Music is and always has been one of the biggest components of Okanagan culture and traditions. Everything in life and about life in (and as an Okanagan person) the Okanagan could be defined or described in a song. It was (and still is) an expression of who we are as individuals or as a part of a whole. Music is a way to communicate what can't be expressed through words alone. The okanagan people sang songs as prayers, as part of ceremonies, to dance to and as entertainment.
Every song has an origin and a story behind it. Songs are either individually owned or communally owned. They were sung for prayers, as part of ceremonies or for entertainment purposes.
Individually owned songs are songs that an individual person receives for any of the above noted reasons and are to be sung by that person only. Communally owned songs are songs that are not owned by any one individual and can be sung by other singers and drummers.
One can communicate how they are feeling, thinking and behaving to others which gives a clear message to the rest of the people. A message that can indicate that you are welcome into the village or for a safe journey home. Or that one (or the whole group) could be ready to go to war, or that someone is in grieving.
There are welcoming songs, prayer songs, social songs, family songs, love songs, mourning songs, animal and plant 
songs, element (earth, air fire, water) songs, gambling songs, medicinal gathering songs, hunting songs, lullabies, story telling songs, honor songs, sad/ lonely songs, the list goes on and on.
Some songs (such as family songs) are for personal purposes and may have been passed from one family member to another. A song that would be used for generations upon generations just for that particular family to use. Other songs such as sweat lodge songs, ceremonial songs, prayer songs, honor songs or songs used for gathering/ healing practices were songs that were sung at specific times and for specific uses only.
With the introduction of residential schools and laws forbidding the practice of Aboriginal culture and traditions many Okanagan songs were lost. With the majority of Okanagan children being sent to the Kamloops Indian Residential School (1890-1978) in Kamloops, BC, Canada or St. Eugene's (1898-1970) in Cranbrook, BC, Canada.
Although there were laws in place several Okanagan people would continue singing songs when and as needed. It is this practice and the works of Anthony Walsh, teacher of the Inkameep Day School that kept several songs within the nations and in the hearts and minds of its people.
In 2004 En'owkin hired the late Quincy Paul, Robyn Kruger, Billie Kruger, Victoria Baptiste and Candice Gabriel to form 
the foundation for an Aboriginal live performance troupe "Nak’ulamen Performance Collective" and were later joined by Charles Kruger, Aimee Lezard and Shayla Allison.
The Nak’ulamen Performance Collective specialized in combining traditional characters, stories and songs to produce contemporary performances available to the general public. Performances included Okanagan Songs and dances. Mentored by long time Okanagan dancer and elder Madeline Gregoire and Traditional Knowledge Keepers Richard Armstrong, Delphine Derrickson, Jeanette Armstrong and Chris Eneas taught the collective communal social Okanagan songs they could sings and dance to.
NOTE: when a person sings their individual song OR a communally owned song it is customary for the singer to acknowledge the story and its origin to their listeners.