By Tiffany Goodwein

Okanagan College honors Syilx Okanagan Nation Alliance

Jul 16, 2019 | 1:38 PM

Dozens of people turned up at Okanagan College’s Vernon Campus for a special flag raising ceremony for the Syilx Okanagan Nation Alliance.

The ceremony recognizes the college as being on the traditional and unceded territory of the Syilx Okanagan people.

“The flag itself is not reconciliation,” Okanagan College President Jim Hamilton said. “It is, I believe, a visible declaration of Okanagan College’s committment to working with and learning from indigenous communities,” he said.

Two indigenous students were chosen to participate in the flag raising ceremony.

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“It hasn’t really sunk in but I feel really honored to be chosen,” student Michael Ochoa said. He hopes to enter the human kinetics program in the future.

“It feels good and I feel proud that the flag is there now,” Tallin Gregorie, who is studying to become a care aide, said.

The college currently has roughly 1,800 indigenous students which has grown significantly from past years.

“It’s a good feeling inside,” OKIB Councillor Allan Louis said.

“Back in the day when I was in college there was only one or two brown faces in the hallways back then, so now i go to colleges, even small ones like this, it’s a friendlier time. People are starting to acknowledge us and starting to want to know about our history,” he said.

by Tiffany Goodwein

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