The Okanagan Indian Band ( oka, N̓k̓maplqs) is a

First Nations First Nations or first peoples may refer to: * Indigenous peoples, for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area. Indigenous groups *First Nations is commonly used to describe some Indigenous groups including: **First Natio ...

government in the

Canadian province Within the geographical areas of Canada, the ten provinces and three territories are sub-national administrative divisions under the jurisdiction of the Canadian Constitution. In the 1867 Canadian Confederation, three provinces of British North ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

, located in the city of Vernon in the northern

Okanagan The Okanagan ( ), also known as the Okanagan Valley and sometimes as the Okanagan Country, is a region in the Canadian province of British Columbia defined by the basin of Okanagan Lake and the Canadian portion of the Okanagan River. It is part ...

Valley. The band is a member government of the

Okanagan Nation Alliance The Okanagan Nation Alliance is a First Nations Tribal Council in the Canadian province of British Columbia, spanning the Nicola, Okanagan and Similkameen Districts of the Canadian province of British Columbia and also the Colville Indian Reserv ...

. Current chief and council: Chief- Byron Louis Governors-in-council: Allan Louis, Daniel Anthony Wilson, Garett Johnny Lawrence, Leland Wilson, Shawna Whitney, Sheldon Louis, Dean Louis, Valerie Chiba, Cindy Brewer, Tim Issac,

Population

As of October 2010, 809 of the Okanagan Band's population live on one of the band's own reserves, 430 men and 379 women, with 86 people living on reserves governed by other bands (36 men, 50 women). 900 people are living off-reserve. The band's total population is 1,795.

Indian Reserves

Indian Reserves In Canada, an Indian reserve (french: réserve indienne) is specified by the '' Indian Act'' as a "tract of land, the legal title to which is vested in Her Majesty, that has been set apart by Her Majesty for the use and benefit of a band." Ind ...

under the administration of the band are: * Duck Lake Indian Reserve No. 7, on the north shore of

Ellison Lake Ellison is a surname and given name. It may derive from "Son of Elias" in Norwegian. Ellison can also be spelled Ellisson, Elison, Elisson, Ellyson, Ellysson, Elyson, and Elysson. People with the surname * Andy Ellison, British musician * A ...

and on the banks of Vernon Creek, 179.10 ha. * Harris Indian Reserve No. 3, two miles southeast of Otter Lake, 64.80 ha. * Okanagan Indian Reserve No. 1, in the

Valley between

Okanagan Lake Okanagan Lake ( oka, kɬúsx̌nítkw) is a lake in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, Canada. The lake is long, between wide, and has a surface area of 348 km2 (135 sq. mi.). Hydrography Okanagan Lake is called a fjord lake as i ...

and the Salmon River, 10302 ha. * Otter Lake Indian Reserve No. 2, at the south end of Otter Lake, nine miles north of Vernon, 25 ha. * Priest's Valley Indian Reserve No. 6, on Vernon Creek at its mouth on the east side of Okanagan Lake, southwest of Vernon, 33.60 ha. * Swan Lake Indian Reserve No. 4, on the north shore of

Swan Lake ''Swan Lake'' ( rus, Лебеди́ное о́зеро, r=Lebedínoye ózero, p=lʲɪbʲɪˈdʲinəjə ˈozʲɪrə, link=no ), Op. 20, is a ballet composed by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1875–76. Despite its initial failur ...

, 32.20 ha.

Environmental problems

Unexploded ordnance (UXO) has littered OKIB land at Madeline Lake and Goose Lake since the Boer War in 1906. Canadian soldiers were trained to fire "live mortars, grenades and other munitions, including white phosphorus". In 2014, over 70 years old live mortars were found; a clean up agreement specifies that beginning in 2015 ten band members will be trained to become UXO technicians.

Recent history

On February 22, 2010 the Okanagan Indian Band began blockading Tolko Industries Ltd.'s access to the Browns Creek watershed to protest logging. The blockade is supported by the

Union of BC Indian Chiefs The Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) is a First Nations political organization founded in 1969 in response to Jean Chrétien's White Paper proposal to assimilate Status Indians and disband the Department of Indian Affairs. Since ...

. In 2014 OKIB requested that the defunct Kelowna Pacific Railway be returned to the band.

References

External links