OKIB celebrate their culture

Jun 21, 2019 | 1:48 PM

The Okanagan Indian Band has been celebrating National Aboriginal Day with a number of events.

As part of the celebrations, a group of about 30 paddlers began a two-hour canoe trip Friday morning from Kin Beach to Komasket Park off Westside Road.

A ceremony took place on the beach just after 8 a.m., followed shortly after by the launch of the canoes.

As the canoes arrived at their destination, OKIB members sang the Okanagan song as drummers kept time.

“The paddlers began singing too,” said one person at the park. “It was quite an emotional event.”

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Komasket Park has been the setting for events that run throughout Friday, including the annual ‘Run for the Drum’ which began at 10 a.m.

OKIB chief Byron Louis and band councillors are expected to be officially sworn-in at 4 p.m.

During the evening, there will be a barbecue and entertainment.

About 30 paddlers took part in journey. (submitted photo/OKIB)

In Victoria, Premier John Horgan released a statement to mark National Aboriginal Day.

“The final report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls brought to the forefront the impacts of colonial violence, disproportionate levels of racialized, sexualized and systemic violence experienced by Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit peoples.

“To their families, friends and communities, we acknowledge your loved ones are cherished and greatly missed.

“Today and every day, our government recognizes our responsibility to advance reconciliation in partnership with Indigenous peoples, and we have taken significant steps forward.

“Together with Indigenous peoples, we are working to build a more prosperous future, with revenue sharing, delivering affordable housing, supporting language revitalization and having the care of children in Indigenous communities where it belongs.

“We are working collaboratively with First Nations on land-use planning and environmental stewardship.

“But we know there is more to do. A key step is legislation that will set the foundation for what comes next in our work together on reconciliation.

“This fall, British Columbia will be the first province to introduce legislation that enshrines the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples into provincial law.

“The declaration articulates the inherent human rights that should be protected for Indigenous peoples, including self-determination, language, culture, education and territory.

“The legislation will form the foundation for the Province’s work on reconciliation, mandating government to bring provincial laws and policies into harmony with the declaration.

“Every person in B.C., and across Canada, has a role to play in reconciliation.

“As we celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day, let’s work together to better understand our shared history, heal the traumas of the past and present, and build a brighter future for generations to come.”

by Kate Bouey

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