Chopaka ( oka, C̓up̓áq̓)Upper Nicola Band. “Syilx Place Names.” Facebook, October 5, 2020
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1057161971367609
is an unincorporated settlement near the US border on the west bank of the

Similkameen River The Similkameen River runs through southern British Columbia, Canada, eventually discharging into the Okanagan River near Oroville, Washington, in the United States. Through the Okanagan River, it drains to the Columbia River. The river is said ...

in the Southern

Interior of British Columbia , settlement_type = Region of British Columbia , image_skyline = , nickname = "The Interior" , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = , subdivision_type1 = Province , subd ...

, Canada. Largely comprising two Indian Reserves, 'Chopaka IR No. 7 and Chopaka IR No. 8, the location was formerly listed as a railway station on the Great Northern Railroad (now

BNSF BNSF Railway is one of the largest freight railroads in North America. One of seven North American Class I railroads, BNSF has 35,000 employees, of track in 28 states, and nearly 8,000 locomotives. It has three transcontinental routes that ...

). There is a border crossing at Chopaka, open daily 9 AM to 5 PM. The name "Chopaka" is that of a legendary hunter of the

Okanagan people The ''Syilx'' () people, also known as the Okanagan, Okanogan or Okinagan people, are a First Nations and Native American people whose traditional territory spans the Canada–US boundary in Washington state and British Columbia in the Okanagan ...

who was turned to stone as

Chopaka Mountain Chopaka Mountain, also known as Mount Chopaka, is a summit in the leeward flank of the North Cascades. Its summit area is a Natural Area Preserve comprising , and features a mountain goat population and various rare plants. The last survivin ...

by Coyote. The Chopaka Indian Reserves are under the governance of the

Lower Similkameen Indian Band The Lower Similkameen Indian Band or Lower Smelqmix, is a First Nations band government in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Their office is located in the village of Keremeos in the Similkameen region. They are a member of the Okanagan ...

, based in

Keremeos Keremeos () is a village in the Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada. The name originated from the Similkameen dialect of the Okanagan language word "Keremeyeus" meaning "creek which cuts its way through the flats" referring to Keremeos ...

References

External links

* Unincorporated settlements in British Columbia Populated places in the Similkameen Syilx {{cariboo-geo-stub

See also

References

External links