Early discussions have started about a quarter-millennium-long plan to protect siw涩kw (water) in the Okanagan-Similkameen region乌鸦传媒檚 watersheds.

The early steps to creating a 250-year, multigenerational roadmap comes months after syilx Okanagan leaders and local government officials formally pledged to increase their water protection advocacy.

乌鸦传媒淭he biggest thing will be communicating to our constituents that it乌鸦传媒檚 about the fish, it乌鸦传媒檚 about this place, it乌鸦传媒檚 about us, it乌鸦传媒檚 about our future,乌鸦传媒� said Tim Lezard, a councillor with the Penticton Indian Band.

乌鸦传媒淲ith the 250-year plan, those will be the goals 乌鸦传媒� Some people don乌鸦传媒檛 have that worldview.乌鸦传媒�

More than 20 members of the Okanagan Similkameen Collaborative Leadership Table gathered for a meeting in the District of Lake Country on April 24.

The meeting brought together elected leaders from the syilx Okanagan Nation, municipal governments, and regional districts.

Protecting watersheds, protecting everyone乌鸦传媒檚 future

It was the group乌鸦传媒檚 fifth formal meeting since 2023, and their first since , which solidified their commitment to protecting the regional watersheds.

While the meeting aimed its sights seven generations into the future, leaders with leadership table also discussed immediate actions they could take as a collective to address ongoing water issues across their jurisdictions.

They hope a collaborative approach will lead to policies and legal structures towards the group乌鸦传媒檚 long-term vision: to restore and conserve both regional waterways and the ecosystems that depend on them.

y虛ilmix史m (Chief) simo Robert Louie, of Westbank First Nation, described the ambitious 250-year vision as 乌鸦传媒渞eal乌鸦传媒� and 乌鸦传媒渟ignificant.乌鸦传媒�

乌鸦传媒淗istory is being made every time we meet,乌鸦传媒� he said during the April 24 meeting. 乌鸦传媒淓very time we meet, we乌鸦传媒檙e discussing the context of collaboration.

乌鸦传媒淗ow do we protect our watersheds? How do we protect our future? The only way we can do that is to work together.乌鸦传媒�

Various concerns about threats to siw涩kw in the region were raised during the meeting.

Okanagan Indian Band Chief Dan Wilson spoke about drinking water wells on reserve at Okanagan Lake乌鸦传媒檚 north end 乌鸦传媒� Inkumupulux (head of the lake) 乌鸦传媒� that were 乌鸦传媒減erfectly fine for generations乌鸦传媒� but are failing due to arsenic contamination.

The source of the highly toxic heavy metal in the contaminated wells remains unknown.

Arsenic, which can cause cancer in people and wildlife, can be naturally occurring in groundwater, but normally in trace amounts 乌鸦传媒� however, it can be deadly when released from industrial activities.

It乌鸦传媒檚 a concern that emerged after the 2021 White Rock Lake wildfire, which impacted the community.

乌鸦传媒淲e find that really concerning,乌鸦传媒� Wilson said. 乌鸦传媒淏ecause if it乌鸦传媒檚 getting into the groundwater, it乌鸦传媒檚 certainly getting into the lake as well.乌鸦传媒�

(According to the , 乌鸦传媒淐ontaminated water used for drinking, food preparation and irrigation of food crops poses the greatest threat to public health from arsenic.乌鸦传媒�)

Meanwhile, multiple officials raised concerns about algae blooms threatening drinking water and the region乌鸦传媒檚 waterways 乌鸦传媒� from Kalamalka to Okanagan lakes.

Blooms of blue-green algae, known as cyanobacteria, can produce harmful toxins that disrupt aquatic ecosystems and pose a risk to water quality 乌鸦传媒� impacting the health of humans, wildlife and aquatic beings, according to .

 increased development and ingredients in products such as fertilizers can contribute to excessive algae growth.

乌鸦传媒淲ood Lake is really suffering, which flows into Kal Lake, and Kal Lake goes into Okanagan Lake,乌鸦传媒� said Blair Ireland, the mayor of the District of Lake Country.

He said in ki蕯l谩wna蕯 (Kelowna), 乌鸦传媒渢hey乌鸦传媒檙e already having algae problems there, when they thought that wasn乌鸦传媒檛 going to happen.乌鸦传媒�

Hopes for improved farming practices

Other concerns officials raised in the meeting included harmful agricultural practices such as over-irrigation and the use of toxic chemicals.

The degradation of both waterways and fish habitats, as well as the loss of lake foreshore and stream ecosystems due to development, were also identified as regional issues.

Fifty-nine per cent of natural shoreline along Okanagan Lake has been lost,.

Continued disturbances to the lake乌鸦传媒檚 natural shoreline 乌鸦传媒� caused by an increase in density and land use around the lake 乌鸦传媒� could result in the direct loss of fish habitats, wildlife, ecosystem functions, and even risks to clean drinking water, the report concludes.

And since natural shorelines help filter runoff into the ground, losing more of them could increase both peak water flow and the likelihood of flooding.

乌鸦传媒淎ll you have to do is look along this foreshore in the Okanagan Valley 乌鸦传媒� Kal Lake, Wood Lake, or anywhere,乌鸦传媒� Ireland said. 乌鸦传媒淲e are not doing a very good job of protecting our environment.乌鸦传媒�

Citing the example of Okanagan Lake 乌鸦传媒� the area乌鸦传媒檚 largest reservoir 乌鸦传媒� Ireland added that every day, 乌鸦传媒渟omeone is interfering with that in a way that乌鸦传媒檚 not good for that lake.乌鸦传媒�

乌鸦传媒淚f we really truly want to do something about it,乌鸦传媒� he added, 乌鸦传媒渨e gotta protect the foreshores.乌鸦传媒�

乌鸦传媒楳ultiple generations of messaging乌鸦传媒� needed for plan to work

All members of the leadership table agreed there must be a public education campaign on the purpose of the group.

Such a campaign, they agreed, needs to include awareness-raising messages explaining why protecting and conserving water is more important than ever, given the threats.

And it乌鸦传媒檚 even more urgent because of more frequent droughts linked to climate change.

Officials agreed there must be ongoing educational discussions, relationship building, and policy changes within the agricultural sector to promote environmentally-friendly farming practices including water conservation.

乌鸦传媒淎ll of the pesticides they put into the ground go into the water,乌鸦传媒� Lezard said. 乌鸦传媒淲e have to talk about those things.乌鸦传媒�

Meeting participants also stressed the need for a specific focus on Youth in the leadership table乌鸦传媒檚 public messaging 乌鸦传媒� so there can be opportunities for them to be involved in their educational and advocacy efforts.

乌鸦传媒淚 think we need to start the educating of our children, and let them know we乌鸦传媒檙e doing this for them,乌鸦传媒� Lazard said, 乌鸦传媒渇or their children, their grandchildren and great-grandchildren.乌鸦传媒�

Amanda Shatzko, director of the Regional District of North Okanagan, called for 乌鸦传媒渕ultiple generations of messaging.乌鸦传媒�

乌鸦传媒淎s much as we乌鸦传媒檙e educating ourselves and educating the other adults, we乌鸦传媒檙e trying to protect this area for future generations,乌鸦传媒� Shatzko said.

乌鸦传媒淚f you want people to buy in, you often need to get children involved 乌鸦传媒� you need them to understand, because they乌鸦传媒檙e really good influences to their parents and families.乌鸦传媒�

乌鸦传媒楾raditional knowledge can help all of our ways of being乌鸦传媒�

During the meeting, members split off into smaller groups based on their regions 乌鸦传媒� North Okanagan, Central Okanagan and South Okanagan-Similkameen 乌鸦传媒� to brainstorm different collaborative strategies each would work on.

In addition to more public education about the importance of clean water, other action items from the meeting included: collecting water samples and developing a water quality database; inviting graduate students to participate in water data research; restoring creeks and fish habitats; and educating based on syilx knowledge and values around water.

, said it乌鸦传媒檚 crucial the leadership table develop relationships and build trust with syilx Knowledge Keepers.

That way, they can come to a place where Knowledge Keepers are more comfortable educating others and helping to 乌鸦传媒渄ispel the reluctance, help dispel the denialism乌鸦传媒� among the public.

乌鸦传媒淯nderstanding that traditional knowledge can help all of our ways of being,乌鸦传媒� Coble said. 乌鸦传媒淚t isn乌鸦传媒檛 just for us as Okanagan people 乌鸦传媒� it乌鸦传媒檚 for everybody to be able to live, breathe, work and play in the same area.乌鸦传媒�

He made his comments after another participant shared an anecdote about a farmer in the Similkameen whose peach trees washed away when a creek flooded in 2018.

The farmer had removed black cottonwood trees and shrubs along the creek 乌鸦传媒� which in the natural ecosystem maintain the integrity of the creek banks and absorb potential flood waters 乌鸦传媒� and instead planted peach trees in the cottonwoods乌鸦传媒� place.

Coble said that, according to syilx traditional knowledge, the cottonwood 乌鸦传媒渋n and of itself can help bring water乌鸦传媒� to dry landscapes 乌鸦传媒� and help retain that water, too.

He cautioned others planting orchards to reconsider removing trees along riverbanks.

乌鸦传媒淚t might be in your best interest 乌鸦传媒� because water乌鸦传媒檚 gonna cost a lot of money these days 乌鸦传媒� to actually keep those trees,乌鸦传媒� he said, 乌鸦传媒渢o help maintain that water preservation that you need for food growth.乌鸦传媒�

Working together to balance economy with ecology

Participants suggested the group use the syilx Nation乌鸦传媒檚 Four Food Chiefs as a guiding model in their approach to internal consensus-building and decision-making 乌鸦传媒� a model Westbank First Nation already uses across their governance structures, Louie said.

He said Chief sk蓹mixst (Black Bear) represents governance; Chief ntyxtix (Spring Salmon) represents the economy; Chief sp始i茮虝蓹m (Bitter Root) represents the land; and Chief siya蕯 (Saskatoon Berry) represents the community.

乌鸦传媒淵ou have to be mindful of the land 乌鸦传媒� which includes the waters,乌鸦传媒� Louie explained. 乌鸦传媒淲e have to be mindful of the economic aspects of it.乌鸦传媒�

And while it乌鸦传媒檚 important to have governance processes clearly designated to achieve results, he said, all members of the broader community must also be front of mind.

乌鸦传媒漌e乌鸦传媒檝e got to be mindful of the community 乌鸦传媒� all of the constituents, the people who live in this valley and who we represent.乌鸦传媒�

One of the challenges, he said, will be striking a balance between the four values, particularly between protecting water and maintaining the economy.

乌鸦传媒淲e need education, we need acceptance of the need for protecting the water and conservation,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淏ut you have to balance it with the right to survive and make money in some cases with agriculture.

乌鸦传媒淭hat乌鸦传媒檚 the mindset that we乌鸦传媒檝e gotta be respectful of and mindful of 乌鸦传媒� sometimes, it may simply take education and understanding, and then you乌鸦传媒檝e got acceptance. Then you work together to find solutions.乌鸦传媒�

A duty and responsibility to plan ahead

Meeting attendees agreed to gather three times a year, with the next meeting scheduled for November in the Similkameen Valley.

Deborah Curran, of the University of Victoria乌鸦传媒檚 Environmental Law Centre, shared with participants several examples of long-term planning and collaboration between Indigenous nations and municipalities in 乌鸦传媒淏.C.乌鸦传媒�

She encouraged local governments to 乌鸦传媒渢hink about their existing operations, planning and approvals processes in the context of syilx authority.乌鸦传媒�

West Kelowna Mayor Gord Milsom attended the meeting as an observer, as the city乌鸦传媒檚 council has yet to fully commit to the leadership table. He said his council 乌鸦传媒渘eeds more time to understand乌鸦传媒� the group乌鸦传媒檚 terms of reference 乌鸦传媒渁nd get educated.乌鸦传媒�

As was the case with the MOA signing, there was no representation from the City of Kelowna at the leadership table乌鸦传媒檚 latest meeting, despite the municipality being the largest in the Okanagan-Similkameen.

Louie said the leadership table has more work to do in providing support and information to municipalities like Kelowna to encourage them to join.

乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檙e not giving up one or the other乌鸦传媒檚 jurisdiction,乌鸦传媒� he emphasized. 乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檙e not treading on issues of the other.

乌鸦传媒淭hat乌鸦传媒檚 not the purpose of why we乌鸦传媒檙e here; we乌鸦传媒檙e here because we have to be here. It乌鸦传媒檚 our duty 乌鸦传媒� it乌鸦传媒檚 our responsibility to be here.乌鸦传媒�

Chief Greg Gabriel, of Penticton Indian Band, reminded the leadership table that the group 乌鸦传媒渃arries a lot of influence,乌鸦传媒� and that 乌鸦传媒渢hey can make a change.乌鸦传媒�

乌鸦传媒淭hat message needs to go out to the ones that are not here,乌鸦传媒� said Gabriel.

syilx Nation member q史蓹q史im虛cxn Tessa Terbasket 乌鸦传媒� one of main leads on the leadership table乌鸦传媒檚 co-ordination team and watershed responsibility planning process 乌鸦传媒� said from now until November, they will focus on community-engagement, relationship-building, educating, and getting more Youth involved.

Along with co-lead Scott Boswell, of Okanagan Collaborative Conservation program, Terbasket said they乌鸦传媒檒l be preparing an outline for the 250-year watershed responsibility plan to be shared with the rest of the leadership table in November.

She said she has 乌鸦传媒渟o much hope乌鸦传媒� for the leadership table as it moves forward, too.

乌鸦传媒淲ater really moves 乌鸦传媒� it乌鸦传媒檚 interconnected. It乌鸦传媒檚 ancient,乌鸦传媒� said Terbasket, head of the Okanagan Nation Alliance乌鸦传媒檚 Water Strategy. 乌鸦传媒淚t connects us through the generations, it乌鸦传媒檚 always moving forward."