The Okanagan Culture, Beauty, and traditions

1. The Okanagan Culture, Beauty, and traditions

2. Pow wow Pow wow’s weren’t created by the Okanagan people but they were introduced to them. A traditional powwow is a very beautiful event. It’s where tribes come together, to dance under the moon, around a fire, to sing songs, laugh, talk, eat, and fall into the music while the lights above hold the tribe as one. The women, children, and the men all dress up for the event of a powwow, they all wear the traditional clothes, and their finest jewelry. At the powwow the kids light the sky up with their laughter and their smiles, they play till they fall to sleep, but the colors that the kids put into the sky sparkles off their mothers faces while they dance. The men play the drums, get the beat of the music into everyone’s souls while they dance, some men dance too. A powwow is an event that everyone should experience. They also have some competitions, at the competitions you can win prizes and you can become a princess, but they are awards like the Miss Kamloopa is a pagent for a princess that does the best dance for their age in the pow wow. If you haven’t been to a pow wow you should definitely go to one because you’re missing out.

3. Okanagan Indian Band • The Okanagan Indian Band is the largest band in Canada with a population of 1,708 people. Its main reserve is over 25, 000 acres on the North part of the Okanagan Lake. The Okanagan is a very popular tourist destination, especially in the summer because of the lake and the beachfront cottages. This is a hard working community and they try their best to promote their language, history and culture. OKIB initiatives includes media on, Employment, Recreation, Health, Education, Social services, they have facilities such as a Health center, a basketball court, komasket park, a volunteer fire department and the New Horizons community hall.

4. Transportation • Dina and Bernie Brown: “The Okanagan people walked and used horses (when travel to other Indian bands, hunting etc.)” Not all Okanagan people had horses but the ones that did, had to take very good care of them. Horses were very valuable like cars are now a days. If you were on foot and you want to get to the other side of the country, it would take months, especially if you had women, children, cattle, and lots of supplies. But when on horse the journey would go a lot faster, and it would be a lot easier on the humans. If you wanted to go on a journey like this you would have to be able to read the horses mind, know when it’s is hungry, when it needs rest, and when it’s been overworked.

5. Language • Dina Brown and Bernie Brown : “The Syilx (Okanagan) Language - Our people have spoken our language from the beginning of our existence. The impact of residential schools and the new modern ways has affected us by decreasing the amount of our fluent speakers, causing it to be nearly extinct today. The fluent speakers range from the age 40+.Many Okanagan's under that age today are trying to learn their language to the best of their abilities considering the lack of language resources. Also, many of the native communities in the Okanagan Valley have Okanagan immersion schools for children in preschool to grade four in order to try and bring our language back.” • Nsyilxcen (the Okanagan language). Nsyilxcen isOkanagan language that is slowly disappearing, in fact, it’s nearly gone. Nsyilxcen is a language that distinguishes the Syilx if a Nations tribe, it shows character, difference its give the definition of the people in an aboriginal tribe. This language is a common language that is spoken in all the districts of the Syilx Peoples territory commonly known as the Okanagan territory. It’s a Salish language that is spoken by the Salish neighbors such as, Spokan, the Nlkamux, and the Shuswap. Most people that use Syilx are situated on the Okanagan River, east of the Selkirk range, west of the Cascades summit, south into Washington by the Columbia River, Lake Chelan and North up to the Salmon River. But the Okanagan’s mostly use two languages to express themselves, Okanagan and English. Okanagan was mostly an unwritten language. The Okanagan language was spoken traditionally, but unconsciously it blended in with the English, right into a person’s voice who tells a story, sings a song, or says a prayer. Most believed that there was a mystical power hidden in the Okanagan language; their spoken word even translated into English as it has for decades. The echo of the tribal voice, in Okanagan or English, never disappears or fades from your ears, not even the longest silence of the people showed absence from them.

6. Housing and shelter • Dina and Bernie Brown: “Okanagan's lived in Tipis and Kekulis. Tipis are large poles that are leaned against each other and tied together at the top that are wrapped in a large piece of canvas. These were used mainly in the 1800's. Today they are still used, though only as a temporary shelter while camping or for ceremonies. Kekulis, also known as pithouses, were used for as long as Okanagan's can remember. Kekulis are a large pit in the ground that is sheltered by large poles made from trees that are covered with tree branches etc. for a roof. These were what were used during the winter.” • Housing that was portable was a very good source for them because they had to move a lot. They moved because of winter, landslides, rain, food, the essentials of life.

7. Groups and Family structure • Dina and Bernie Brown: “The Okanagan people are divided into Indian Bands. Every band has a chief and council, along with a reservation. In every band, there are several families, who are all fairly close to one another.The Family: Traditionally, the men were the ones to go out and hunt and fight when needed. The women would stay home, look after the children, collect smaller food items and take care of their home.When a young male or female reaches puberty, they go through what is called the rite of passage. This is when they have to do various things in order to become a young man or young women. Depending on their families' beliefs and so on, they have to do things such as jogging, bathing in medicines, preying and they're expected to participate in sweats and other various ceremonies.”

8. Ceremonies • Dina and Bernie Brown: “Okanagan people performed several different ceremonies. The more frequent and common ones they performed were potlatches, naming ceremonies, sweat lodging and fasting. Today, these ceremonies are still performed.Arts and Crafts: Okanagan people sing, dance, drum, create pictographs, weave baskets and create numerous objects from quills (quillwork). More recently, from other natives, we have learnt how to bead and dance at Pow Wows. -Powwows: Powwows are a weekend event where natives go to sing, dance, gamble and spend time with friends and family from far distances. Today powwows hold dancing competitions with dancers in categories, varying on their age, gender and style of dance. These were introduced in the mid 1900's.”

9. Religion and Culture • Dina and Bernie Brown: “Okanagan’s didn't partake in any religions until the residential school era. Today, most Okanagan’s don't have a specific religion due to the fact that we believe in our spirituality and respect for all living things. Though, because of the impact of residential schools, many Okanagan’s are Catholic.-Okanagan’s respect all living things on Mother Earth. We believe that what we take, we need to give back in some way. When animals sacrifice themselves for us, we give the earth an offering and we will use as much of them that we can. If we aren't able to, we give whatever we weren't able to use back to the earth. “ • The Okanagan people had believed in animal powers. They believed that each animal had a power, and that if the respected its power, they would in fact learn how to use it. Kids grew up with a favorite animal and as they grew older they would learn more about the animal and how to be like it. The two most powerful and popular animals were the Wolves and the Eagles. They had the greatest power but they were also wise with it. When these kids went to the pow wow’s they danced for their favorite animal, they did the animals dance.

10. Schools • 1866-1996 Residential schools were when the United, Anglican and Catholic churches captured young Native children, from the ages 5-16, in order to force them to follow their ways. When they took them from their families, they'd cut their hair very short because most Natives always have long hair and they'd put them into uniforms. After they did this, most of the native children all looked alike. While in residential school, they were forced to live with them in large schools and to learn English. If they spoke Okanagan, they suffered cruel consequences. Also, a lot of the time, the ones old enough were put to work. Due to this, they became education deprived and the highest education level they'd reach was grade eight, if they were lucky.

11. Conclusion • The Okanagan is a very beautiful place with very beautiful people. The land and weather is something you have to see. If you want to go somewhere for a vacation, you should come to the Okanagan, and make sure you talk to the Native locals and hear their story. It will be an experience you will never forget if you let yourself go and you are ready to learn.

12. Bibliography • Primary Recourses: • http://www.okanaganfirstpeoples.ca/bands.cfm • Q’sapi by Shirley Lewis 2002. • Voices under one sky by Trish Fox Roman 1994. • Bernie Brown and Dina Brown. • Secondary Resources: • http://www.okanaganfirstpeoples.ca/language.cfm • http://www.bclocalnews.com/okanagan_similkameen/kelownacapitalnews/lifestyles/33713064.html