Vision for the Future

Traditional Ecological Knowledge has been used to establish protocols within two of the seven member bands, the Penticton Indian Band and the Lower Similkameen Indian Band. It has been addressing various issues which affect and/ or impact the Traditional or Ecological Knowledge of the Syilx people of those areas. Issues including; recovery, water tables, water, habitat, species and immediate threats to specific areas of importance. It is the goal of Syilx people to establish the Traditional Ecological Knowledge programs within the remaining communities of the Syilx Nation.

The objective of Traditional Ecological Knowledge is to assist Syilx communities increase their knowledge base and to encourage the use of Syilx traditions and practices in gathering, harvesting, to enhance Okanagan people's understanding of Syilx cultural land use protocols and to enhance conservation efforts protecting our foods and medicines through Traditional Ecological Knowledge.

The education and recovery of Syilx lands through Traditional Ecological Knowledge practices as a part of conservation efforts has been used in projects such as the Locatee Lands ECOmmunity Place project where the En'owkin Centre launched a major fundraising campaign to secure a long term lease agreement with the Locatee Land owners for conservation and restoration purposes. The current recovery and conservation efforts of the En'owkin Centre in cooperation with The Land Conservancy of BC and funding partners include the surveying of endangered and threatened species of birds, plants, amphibians, reptiles and mammals residing within the Locatee Lands boundaries. It has involved seed collection, planting of test 'plots' and winter burns to enhance the rose thicket habitat. Activities include Frog/ Bird Watch, Interpretive Tours, participation in the annual Meadowlark Festivals and Nature Calling events, Earth Day celebrations and Ecoliteracy activities and preparations for the great Riparian Duck Race.

A performance company has been formed within the Southern Okanagan so young people of the OKanagan Nation could learn their traditional songs, dances, languages and stories. The Nak'ulamen Performance Collective presents traditional works in addition to contemporary performances. Richard Armstrong and Madeline Gregoire have mentored the group in traditional based songs, dances and stories. Chris Eneas and Delphine Derrickson have mentored the group by teaching them the Okanagan language and songs in a historical and cultural context. Geraldine Manossa, Co-Artistic Director, provides contemporary performance training while Jeannette Armstrong, Artistic Director, teaches play writing, cultural teaching stories, okanagan language, singing and drumming.

Since the time of contact with non Indigenous settlers in the southern interior of B.C. many traditional Indigenous harvesters including hunters, fishermen, and gatherers from the Ktunaxa, Nlaka’pamux, Secwepemc, St’at’imc, Syilx, and Ts’ilqotin nations have repeatedly expressed concern about the declining health and abundance of culturally important foods in our respective traditional territories. Therefore, the Interior of B.C. Indigenous Food Sovereignty Conference (IFSC) Planning Committee is dedicated to organizing the time and space for traditional Indigenous harvesters to come together and articulate and debate Indigenous food sovereignty issues and find solutions to the consequent insecurity of Indigenous food systems in the southern interior of B.C. As one of the partners in the project, the En’owkin Centre offered to host and take a leading role in the administration of the Interior of B.C. Indigenous Food Sovereignty Conference which was the 1st regional conference on this subject. The conference took place at En’owkin Centre in Syilx (Okanagan) territory on Penticton Indian Reserve from August 28-31st.