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 to Syilx Okanagan Nation members and community members.

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, connecting to each other, our well-being and learning useful tools to thrive!

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, connections were lost, and sharing of culture between generations was disrupted. This event will be 2 days of working on our relationships with each other and with ourselves.  Through various workshops, ceremony, and food, this event will bring survivors and Nation members together to heal and work towards a stronger, healthier Nation.

Open to Syilx Okanagan Nation Members & Community Members

Calling Syilx Grandmother’s who are passionate about working with children and families

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 capacity needs within the Nation, define and reclaim family roles and responsibilities, and connect with one another.

Syilx Grandmothers have an inherent role and responsibility to strengthen/teach the practice of Syilx traditions, culture and language. Following Phase II, and Phase IV of the Grandmothers Group Strategy, this event includes Nation and community relationship development and initial steps to the development of a Grandmothers Group Work Plan.

Open to all Syilx Nation Grandmothers | Spaces are limited

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 for meaningful discussion around what is needed for the Nation going forward; capacity building as well as healing – these are integral elements to overall Syilx well-being which is the main objective of the ONA wellness program. We want to explore the personal experiences of people, families, and communities in the Nation and focus on what the needs are in moving toward wider opportunities for healing. Addiction and overdose is a complex issue that requires complex attention. We want to bring together Nation members, workers, and partners to continue meaningful conversations around addressing needs and creating healing.

This event is for Syilx Nation members, community members, and community member staff.

Join our Celebration and Honour the Sacredness of the River

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 the traditions, customs, and language of the Syilx people. The Salmon Feast honours the sacredness of the river at sx̌ʷəx̌ʷnitkʷ (Okanagan Falls), which is a culturally significant site for the Syilx Okanagan People, and an important traditional fishing camp, gathering place and trading site. The Salmon Feast is a three-day event that involves multiple activities including: ceremonies, a canoe paddle, and on Sunday a salmon feast and ceremony for snx̌aʔiwləm  (to honour the sacredness of the river).

The Annual  Salmon Feast is an essential practice in the continued organized efforts of the Okanagan Nation Alliance and member communities to raise the importance of the habitat protection and rehabilitation of local ecosystems, watersheds, and renew connections and relationships between all residents of the Region with water and fish. It is vitally important that we honour the salmon so they will always come back to feed the people.

ONA Salmon Feast Artwork Gallery

We run for our people and our land

The Unity Run emerged in June 2009, as a response to youth requesting to come together and find a way to raise awareness about suicide and violence in their communities. This event allows the ONA to engage with the youth in the community, provides a significant opportunity to reach the ever-growing number of youth among the eight member communities and hearing what issues are important to them. Between 140 and 200 Okanagan Nation members will come together over the multi-day event, with a minimum of 100 partakers joining for the entire event. Based on the previous years, the average age of runners will be in between the ages of 14 and 18, with the youngest runner being 5 and the oldest in their 60’s.

The majority of the runners will be members of Okanagan Nation communities who are chaperoned by designated community members. If you have youth that would like to participate, please contact your local member community youth worker or Wellness/Health department. If you would like to bring your own youth or yourselves please register directly with the ONA.

This event occurs annually on the first weekend in June!

Donations:

If you are interested in donating to the Spirit of Syilx Unity Run for Suicide and Violence Awareness, please see payment options below:

• E-transfer to etransfertd@syilx.org (we are registered as auto-deposit – no password required)
  • Please include a note for your e-transfer in the message box stating “Unity Run 2022”
• Cheques payable to “Okanagan Nation Alliance” (please see mailing address below)
  • Please include a note of your cheque in the memo box stating “Unity Run 2022”
• Cash donations can be dropped off at our main office

Mailing Address: 101-3535 Old Okanagan Hwy, Westbank BC V4T 3L7