Events

As Syilx people, gathering together for an event is a time honoured tradition. From gathering together for storytelling in the winters, or in the summers to fish, events continue to hold an important role in our daily lives.

Continuation of multicommunal social institutions of interaction, of kinship, gathering, and practicing activities language and ceremony is a vital contribution in today’s day and age, building or enhancing relationship support and help and identity for all involved. The concept of getting to know the land and each other is a long-term practice in health and well-being in all aspects of traditional land management and self-care.

These community focused events help encourage and instill cultural teachings, education and awareness for the Nation and the public, build success in terms of understanding cultural identity through holistic occasions such as the Unity Run, R’Native Voice, and Youth Leadership Gathering. These events give cause to ignite the spark and passion in the journey that youth, women, men, and elders transition through.

Upcoming Events

First Speakers Language Gathering POSTPONED - March 2024

Lifting up the voices of our elders The First Speakers Language Gathering is a space for fluent language speakers to gather and discuss planning around sqilxʷ education, culture, and well-being. Honoraria and travel support will be provided to first speakers only. Other sqilxʷ are welcome to join and listen! Day 1: 5 pm – 8 […]

kʷu əc ̕ ulluʔs: Frontline Wellness March 15-17, 2024

Gathering and Supporting Frontline Workers This event will have training to support capacity, team building exercises, cultural healing, and a focus on personal wellness in a field of providing support to Syilx Nation members in crisis. Our Syilx culture and traditions have been handed down to us for generations, and it’s critical to use a […]

Syilx Nation Data Governance Plan Presentations April 11, 2024

nłk̓ʷsalqʷm: ackum iʔ sck̓łpaʔx̌tət The Syilx Data Plan has been guided by the collective knowledge and wisdom of our ancestors, elders, knowledge keepers, and Nation members of today to plan and prepare for the people-to-be. Good quality wellness data helps with community planning and monitoring of programs. ONA data team would like to invite you […]

Honouring styíłc̓aʔ Ceremony March 16, 2024

The Syilx Nation would like to invite you to join us for a ceremony to honour and pray for styíłc̓aʔ (caribou). No registration required – see poster for more details!

captikʷɬ: k̓ʷəck̓ʷəcstim iʔ stəɬtaɬtet Session 3: March 28, 2024

Strengthening Our Truth Okanagan Nation Alliance will be hosting captikʷl Forums this year, in partnership with the En’owkin Centre. The captikʷł forums are held for insight and community engagement in examining Syilx captikʷł, how lessons from the captikʷł connect with our modern way of living, and how to integrate Syilx values and principles within captikʷł […]

Syilx Indian Residential School Healing Gathering April 3-4, 2024

puti kʷu‿alaʔ The Syilx Indian Residential School (SIRS) Committee at the ONA holds an annual gathering for Syilx Okanagan residential school survivors, intergenerational survivors, and other family members to share stories, support each other, and participate in healing together. Residential schools were extremely disruptive to Syilx Okanagan relationships. Families were separated and roles were forgotten, […]

Syilx Water Forum March 22, 2024

The Water Forums is a gathering of the community to showcase the work completed through the Natural Resource Department’s Community Water Forum Project. The...

Grandmothers Gathering April 25-26, 2024

Calling Syilx Grandmothers who are passionate about working with children and families to reclaim and restore Syilx family ways of being. This event is an opportunity for Grandmothers within the Syilx Okanagan Nation to gather and focus on familial roles, Nation needs, and traditional models of child-raising in today’s world.  Grandmothers will identify training and […]


Annual Events

Syilx Youth Gathering 2024 Date TBC

kʷu tl təmxʷulaʔxʷ The Syilx Youth Gathering aims to encourage Nation unity, practicing culture and tradition all while building strong connections. Youth will engage in various activities and learning experiences designed to connect them with the land and each other. We will be balancing the aspect of teaching and learning by ensuring there will be plenty […]

Walk for The Children September 30

Healing starts with us Join us for a 2 km Walk for Reconciliation on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation! We will be departing from the Safeway Parking lot and making our way to the SIRS Monument outside the Penticton Hatchery on En’owkin Trail. Please Note: Please attend walk at your own risk, the ONA is […]

xʷəxʷmínaʔ Trout Fishery 2024 Date TBC

The Syilx Nation would like to invite Syilx Nation members to join us for the xʷəxʷmínaʔ Trout Fishery. We will be fishing for rainbow trout and bull trout and reconnecting with the eastern part of our Syilx Territory. Fishery will be hosted at the mouth of the Lardeau River at the Trout Lake Recreation Site […]

Honouring styíłc̓aʔ Ceremony March 16, 2024

The Syilx Nation would like to invite you to join us for a ceremony to honour and pray for styíłc̓aʔ (caribou). No registration required – see poster for more details!

Children First Forum 2023 Date TBC

The Children First Forum is an annual ONA event held to bring together syilx Okanagan leadership, staff, and community members working with children and families to equip them with tools for care of our children.  This includes building relationships, gaining new ideas and perspectives, preparing to lobby for legal jurisdiction, and addressing any gaps. Open […]

captikʷɬ: k̓ʷəck̓ʷəcstim iʔ stəɬtaɬtet Session 3: March 28, 2024

Strengthening Our Truth Okanagan Nation Alliance will be hosting captikʷl Forums this year, in partnership with the En’owkin Centre. The captikʷł forums are held for insight and community engagement in examining Syilx captikʷł, how lessons from the captikʷł connect with our modern way of living, and how to integrate Syilx values and principles within captikʷł […]

Four Food Chiefs Gathering 2024

ɬə txətʼntiməlx mnimɬcəlx kʷu ks txətʼntimʼ The Four Food Chiefs Gathering is an annual gathering of Syilx Nation members. This event focuses on information sharing, utilizing the enowkinwixw model through our Four Food Chiefs. Each year, the event consists of workshops, discussions, presentations, keynotes and activities that focus on connecting to the land and water, […]

Syilx Indian Residential School Healing Gathering April 3-4, 2024

puti kʷu‿alaʔ The Syilx Indian Residential School (SIRS) Committee at the ONA holds an annual gathering for Syilx Okanagan residential school survivors, intergenerational survivors, and other family members to share stories, support each other, and participate in healing together. Residential schools were extremely disruptive to Syilx Okanagan relationships. Families were separated and roles were forgotten, […]

Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, & Two Spirit Gathering October 2023

The Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLBTQQIA+ (MMIWG2S) has been a National tragedy over many decades, and has affected the Syilx Nation directly through the loss of our loved ones within our communities. The 4th annual MMIWG2S Gathering will feature Keynote speakers and presentations on some of the current issues so the Syilx […]

Syilx Water Forum March 22, 2024

The Water Forums is a gathering of the community to showcase the work completed through the Natural Resource Department’s Community Water Forum Project. The...

Spirit of Syilx Unity Run May 31 - June 2, 2024

The Unity Run kicks off on the Thursday with a ceremony. Between 140 and 200 participants will come together over the 4 day...

Fry Releases May 2024

This ceremonial release of 10,000 Okanagan Sockeye fry takes place by members of the Okanagan Nation and over 430 students from local schools so that kł cp̓əlk̓ stim̓ (cause to come back) will...

Salmon Calling Ceremonies June 2024

We honour our ancestors with this annual ceremony in which we gather in five separate locations along the Columbia River to help pray for the return of the salmon.

Annual General Assembly & Syilx Elder’s Luncheon 2024 TBC

More than 200 people from across the Nation participate in this celebration that focused on the Nations accomplishments and provided an opportunity for community members to ...

Salmon Feast September 20-22, 2024

It is one of the goals of the Syilx Okanagan Nation to carry on the work of the people's ancestors and Elders who taught the importance of preserving and revitalizing...

Early Years Gathering 2024 Date TBC

I? scmala?tet The Early Years Gathering provides opportunity for Aboriginal Early Childhood professionals to engage in a manner that can contribute to capacity building and resource...

Grandmothers Gathering April 25-26, 2024

Calling Syilx Grandmothers who are passionate about working with children and families to reclaim and restore Syilx family ways of being. This event is an opportunity for Grandmothers within the Syilx Okanagan Nation to gather and focus on familial roles, Nation needs, and traditional models of child-raising in today’s world.  Grandmothers will identify training and […]

Syilx Nation Drug & Human Trafficking Forum 2024 Date TBC

Responding to the opioid drug crisis The Syilx Nation Drug Forum is an annual event to create space for sharing of information, resources, tools, stories and personal experiences related to drug and alcohol use. It began in response to the opioid drug crisis and focuses on bringing awareness to overdose. This will be a space […]


Workshops and Training

River Restoration Workshop

The Okanagan Nation Alliance in collaboration with many project partners have been successfully restoring spawning and rearing habitat for salmon in the Okanagan Basin for over 20 years. Traditional Ecological Knowledge, best management practices, measured stream geometry and natural habitat features have guided these restoration works. This workshop will teach the math behind the stream […]


Tours

Broodstock Tours

As part of the kł cp̓əlk̓ stim̓ initiative, ONA has been beach seining and collecting eggs and milt from adult Sockeye in the Okanagan River for rearing and release into Skaha Lake. Since...

Hatchery Tours

The kł cp̓əlk̓ stim̓ Hatchery is a testament to the perseverance of the Syilx/Okanagan people to realize their dream of restoring the n’titxw (Chief Salmon) – one of our Four...


Programs in Community

RNative Voice

R’Native Voice is a youth mental health program for ages 12-18 and is a prevention program to reduce drug use, incidence of suicide, depression and community violence...

kwu x̌ast

Kwu x̌ast is a pilot prevention program that creates a space for children to safely express and explore their creativity through a variety of art forms and settings. Participants will at times work in one large...

Fish in Schools (FinS)

ONA’s Fish in Schools program is one of the key fish education programs for youth in the region, particularly the Sockeye salmon, so that students may become future advocates for both salmon...