Okanagan Territory

The Okanagan Nation territory is spread across an approximate 69,000 km2 (17.043 million acres) in the Southern Interior of British Columbia (Canada) and an additional 5,568 km2 (1.4 million acres) in Northern Washington (USA). The Okanagan Nation is comprised of 7 Canadian member bands with a combined enrollment of approximately 4,897 members and the American members are administered by the tribal governance of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation with a combined enrollment of 8,700 members.

 

The seven Canadian member bands are: Upper Nicola Indian Band (Merritt, BC) Okanagan Indian Band (Vernon, BC) Westbank First Nation (Westbank, BC) Penticton Indian Band (Penticton, BC) Osoyoos Indian Band (Oliver, BC) Upper Similkameen Indian Band (Keremeos, BC) Lower Similkameen Indian Band (Hedley, BC)   The Colville Confederated Tribes represents the following 12 bands: Wenachee, WA Nespelem, WA Moses-Columbia, WA Methow, WA Colville, WA Okanogan, WA Palus, WA San Poil, WA Entiat, WA Chelan, WA Nez Perce, WA Lake, WA

The Okanagan Nation territory consists of a diverse array of land levels and includes a variety of species both imported and indigenous to the Okanagan territory. Okanagan people used many methods using the four elements (Earth, Air, Fire & Water) according to the four seasons (Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall) to maintain their livelihood, preserve their land and ensure survival of (and for) future generations. The ecology of the Okanagan dictated the way the people lived and survived.