By Kelsie Kilwana, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

skawilx, also known as Sarah Alexis, recalls having a vivid dream as a teenager that led her to understand her true responsibility to the siw涩k史 (water), and specifically k涩usx虒nitk史 (Okanagan Lake).

In the dream, she was visited by nx虒ax虒aitk史, briefly known by settler folks as 乌鸦传媒淥gopogo.乌鸦传媒� To have a dream of nx虒ax虒aitk史 is very significant, and often, for sqilx乌鸦传媒檞, dreams carry information about the work you are being called to do.

乌鸦传媒淚 remember telling my sister, and my sister was like, `Oh, my goodness, you have to remember this moment in your life and think about why you had that dream and why you乌鸦传媒檙e seeing him,乌鸦传媒澪谘淮�媒� she says.

Having grown up intimately close to k涩usx虒nitk史 (Okanagan Lake), she says it was her first call to her responsibility to do what she could to caretake the siw涩k史 (water).

And ever since then, skawilx has dedicated her life to the siw涩k史 and has furthered her understanding of sqilx乌鸦传媒檞 roles and responsibilities to the water through nsqilx史cen.

As an academic and expert, the Okanagan Indian Band member has contributed knowledge towards developing the syilx siw涩k史 Strategy (Okanagan Water Strategy) with Okanagan Nation Alliance.

乌鸦传媒淎 lot more sama7 (visitor) people, a lot more Western people, are wanting to base work on Indigenous knowledge, syilx knowledge, localized knowledge,乌鸦传媒� she shares. 乌鸦传媒淎nd that knowledge is really an extension of all of the places that we live in. It乌鸦传媒檚 an extension of the natural world, the mimicry of the natural world, because that乌鸦传媒檚 really what and who we are.乌鸦传媒�

Grasslands, deserts, forests, mountains, rivers, and lakes all each have a name 乌鸦传媒� just like any person. And skawilx shares that it乌鸦传媒檚 important for non-sqilx乌鸦传媒檞 folks to learn about language, place names, and personal accountability in the natural world order 乌鸦传媒� for this will begin to shift how people see themselves as part of place.

She says people can start by learning about the more accurate name for one of the major water landmarks in her nation乌鸦传媒檚 territory, colonially known as Okanagan Lake 乌鸦传媒� but historically known as k涩usx虒nitk史.

乌鸦传媒淐ontemporarily, it乌鸦传媒檚 really important that we recognize and talk about the places that we乌鸦传媒檙e all from,乌鸦传媒� she says.

k涩usx虒nitk史 is 乌鸦传媒渁 place or a body of water that has two long sides,乌鸦传媒� skawilx explains.

乌鸦传媒淭wo long sides in the sense of like when you look at your body, and you乌鸦传媒檙e talking about `my right side乌鸦传媒� and `my left side.乌鸦传媒� And if we were to visually look at Okanagan Lake, that乌鸦传媒檚 exactly it, this long body of water.乌鸦传媒�

The tie-in to human autonomy in k涩usx虒nitk史 is important to recognize, skawilx says, and is something that is common in other place names.

乌鸦传媒淩ecently, I was reminded that a lot of the words that we have in nsqilx史cen, or in nsyilxcen, often reflect the words we have for ourselves and vice versa,乌鸦传媒� she shares.

乌鸦传媒淲e are based off of the land. And so, of course, words that are associated with our body, our physical body are also reflected out there on the land on the tmx史ulax史 (the land) in the natural world order.乌鸦传媒�

To build on this, skawilx shares, a lot of the place names in sqilx乌鸦传媒檞 homelands share unique sounds that mimic the natural habitat and give the listener knowledge about the essence of each place 乌鸦传媒� mimicking sounds of the rushing water or other attributes.

乌鸦传媒淲e can look at them and listen to them and figure out what they乌鸦传媒檙e really trying to tell us because a lot of place names often mimic the natural world order that乌鸦传媒檚 around there,乌鸦传媒� she says.

乌鸦传媒淪o when we speak in nsqilx史cen, when we understand nsqilx史cen, we乌鸦传媒檙e just an extension of the timx乌鸦传媒檞 (everything alive) and the tmx史ulax史 (the land) and syilx. So, thinking about the importance of recognizing place names and learning them is very fundamental in this contemporary context.乌鸦传媒�

skawilx says she has witnessed many changes to k涩usx虒nitk史 just within her lifetime.

乌鸦传媒淚n the Okanagan, it has this aesthetic that it乌鸦传媒檚 so beautiful, you can come here, and you can go boating and swimming and fishing, and in the winter, you can come skiing, and you can explore all these places,乌鸦传媒� she says.

乌鸦传媒淲e have wineries, vineyards and this playground that you can come in and enjoy, but all of those things take away from the actual ecosystems that are out there. We have a lot of red-listed and blue-listed species here in the Okanagan, and so anytime you buy into all of these like recreational things 乌鸦传媒� think about the impacts it乌鸦传媒檚 having.乌鸦传媒�

She also encourages sama7 (visitor) folks to get curious about their water use, asking themselves questions such as: Do you know where it comes from? Do you know which tributaries are responsible for providing you with water? Have you visited those places?

She says it乌鸦传媒檚 also important for settlers to do their own research, since sqilx乌鸦传媒檞 people already have a lot of responsibilities to shoulder.

乌鸦传媒淵ou know, growing up sqilx乌鸦传媒檞, we were going to high school and beyond that, to live and learn, to be educated about knowledge systems and knowledge beliefs that aren乌鸦传媒檛 ours, and now we乌鸦传媒檙e very familiar with those,乌鸦传媒� she says.

乌鸦传媒淪o now those tables need to be flipped in a way. I think the big thing non-syilx people can do in terms of k涩usx虒nitk史, is to be curious about how water plays a role in their own life.乌鸦传媒�

For sqilx乌鸦传媒檞 people, many feel a heavy responsibility to the timx乌鸦传媒檞 and siw涩k史 that can feel overwhelming because of colonial interference. syilx Peoples are commanded to caretake the land as intended by Creation.

skawilx shares a good way to start that connection with the timx乌鸦传媒檞, for syilx people, is by learning a traditional introduction in the language.

乌鸦传媒淲hen you learn how to introduce yourself, you乌鸦传媒檙e not only talking about yourself and your own job, or your responsibilities or the pieces that you hold, but also you乌鸦传媒檙e bringing in your extended kinship,乌鸦传媒� she says.

乌鸦传媒淲e all have roots that stem from different places. And I think recognizing those places is important and fundamental in terms of each of us stepping into our own roles, each of us stepping into our responsibilities of being sqilx乌鸦传媒檞, being syilx.乌鸦传媒�

Knowing that nsyilxcen introduction will show sqilx乌鸦传媒檞 how interconnected life is in terms of water 乌鸦传媒� there will be water-based words found in names that enact responsibilities, life work, place names, and family names. It乌鸦传媒檚 embedded deeply into sqilx乌鸦传媒檞 existence.

乌鸦传媒淵ou know, whether that乌鸦传媒檚 in people乌鸦传媒檚 jobs, or whether that乌鸦传媒檚 in their families, or whether that乌鸦传媒檚 in community work, volunteer work, or whether it乌鸦传媒檚 in more abstract thinking, it乌鸦传媒檚 always there. You乌鸦传媒檒l see it乌鸦传媒檚 the basis and foundation of everything, and I know, it乌鸦传媒檚 really cliche to say, but water is life,乌鸦传媒� she says.

乌鸦传媒淚 think if we were to step forward into the future, recognizing that water is in every single thing that we do, I think that乌鸦传媒檚 a very strong step forward.乌鸦传媒�

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