Okanagan languageOkanagan, Colville-Okanagan, or Nsyilxcən (n̓səl̓xcin̓ or n̓syilxčn̓) is a Salish language that originated among the Indigenous peoples of the southern Interior Plateau. It was primarily spoken in the Okanagan and Columbia River basins of present-day Canada and the United States in the precolonial era.
SyilxThe Syilx (Salishan pronunciation:) people, also known as the Okanagan, Suknaqinx, Swknaqínx, or Okinagan people, are a First Nations and Native American people whose traditional territory spans the Canada–US boundary in Washington state and unceded British Columbia in the Okanagan Country region. They are part of the Interior Salish ethnological and linguistic grouping.
Okanagan Indian BandThe Okanagan Indian Band (Okanagan: N̓k̓maplqs) is a First Nations government in the Canadian province of British Columbia, located in the city of Vernon in the northern Okanagan Valley. The band is a member government of the Okanagan Nation Alliance. Chief and Council (2023–2025) Chief: Byron Louis.Okanagan Nation AllianceThe 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 Reservation in Washington state of the United States of America. Their territory covers roughly 69,000 km2 in the Canadian Province of British Columbia and also some area of Washington state in the United States of America.
Robert LouieRobert Louie is a Canadian First Nations leader and business person. He is known especially for his role in negotiating the Westbank Self-Government Agreement, which granted his band control over land management, language, and culture. Early life and educationBorn in 1959, he received a diploma in Business Administration, Management, and Operations from Okanagan College in 1975 and his LL.B. from the University of Victoria in 1982.
Band governmentA band (French: bande; also known as a First Nation) is an administrative entity and basic unit of government for First Nations in Canada, created by the Indian Act of 1876. It includes members of a First Nation group "for whom lands have been set apart, and for whom money is held by the Crown". As of 2024, there were 619 bands in Canada, representing over 50 First Nation groups.
West KelownaWest Kelowna, formerly known as Westside and colloquially known as Westbank, is a city in British Columbia's Okanagan Valley on the west shore of Okanagan Lake. The city encompasses several neighbourhoods, including Casa Loma, Gellatly, Glenrosa, Lakeview Heights, Shannon Lake, Smith Creek, Rose Valley, Westbank, and West Kelowna Estates. As of 2021, West Kelowna had an estimated population of 36,078.
OkanaganThe Okanagan ( OH-kə-NAH-gən), also called the Okanagan Valley and sometimes 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 of the Okanagan Country, extending into the United States as Okanogan County in north-central Washington. According to the 2016 Canadian census, the region's population is 362,258.
British ColumbiaProvince of CanadaProvince in CanadaBritish Columbia is the westernmost province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, forests, lakes, mountains, inland deserts, and grassy plains.
Tsinstikeptum Indian Reserve No. 9Tsinstikeptum 9, usually referred to as Tsinstikeptum Indian Reserve No. 9, is one of two Indian Reserves of the Westbank First Nation located adjacent to West Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. It and Tsinstikeptum Indian Reserve No. 10 are jointly normally referred to as the Westbank Indian Reserve. Tsinstikeptum Indian Reserve No. 9 is located six miles southwest of Kelowna proper, adjacent to McDougall Creek. The reserve is 641.80 ha in area.Tsinstikeptum Indian Reserve No. 10Tsinstikeptum 10, usually referred to as Tsinstikeptum Indian Reserve No. 10, is one of two Indian Reserves of the Westbank First Nation located in West Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. It and Tsinstikeptum Indian Reserve No. 9 are jointly normally referred to as the Westbank Indian Reserve. Tsinstikeptum Indian Reserve No. 10, which is 339 ha. in area, is located opposite the City of Kelowna proper, across Okanagan Lake.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.