Okanagan people
Encyclopedia
The Okanagan people, also spelled Okanogan, are a First Nations
and Native American
people whose traditional territory spans the U.S.
-Canada
boundary in Washington state
and British Columbia
. Known in their own language as the ʔukʷnaʔqínx, they are part of the Interior Salish
ethnological and linguistic groupings, the Okanagan are closely related to the Spokan, Sinixt
, Nez Perce, Pend Oreille
, Shuswap
and Nlaka'pamux
peoples in the same region.
partitioned the Pacific Northwest
in 1846, the portion of the tribe remaining in what became Washington Territory
reorganized under Chief Tonasket as a separate group from the majority of the Okanagans, whose communities remain in Canada. The Okanagan Tribal Alliance, however, also incorporates the American branch of the Okanagans, who are part of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville
, a multi-tribal government in Washington state.
The bounds of Okanagan territory are roughly the basin of Okanagan Lake
and the Okanagan River, plus the basin of the Similkameen River
to the west of the Okanagan valley
, and some of the uppermost valley of the Nicola River
. The various Okanagan communities in British Columbia and Washington form the Okanagan Nation Alliance
, a border-spanning organization which includes American-side Okanogans resident in the Colville Indian Reservation
, where the Okanagan people are sometimes known as Colvilles.
A group of Okanagan people in the Nicola Valley
, which is at the northwestern perimeter of Okanagan territory, are known in their dialect as the Spaxomin, and are joint members in a historic alliance with neighbouring communities of the Nlaka'pamux
in the region known as the Nicola Country
, which is named after the 19th Century chief who founded the alliance, Nicola
. This alliance today is manifested in the Nicola Tribal Association
.
Legends and traditional stories
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
and Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
people whose traditional territory spans the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
-Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
boundary in Washington state
Washington State
Washington State may refer to:* Washington , often referred to as "Washington state" to differentiate it from Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States* Washington State University, a land-grant college in that state- See also :...
and British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. Known in their own language as the ʔukʷnaʔqínx, they are part of the Interior Salish
Interior Salish
The Interior Salish languages are one of the two main subgroups of the Salishan language family, the other being Coast Salish. It can be further subdivided into Northern and Southern Interior Salish...
ethnological and linguistic groupings, the Okanagan are closely related to the Spokan, Sinixt
Sinixt
The Sinixt are a First Nations People...
, Nez Perce, Pend Oreille
Pend d'Oreilles (tribe)
The Pend d'Oreilles, also known as the Kalispel, are a tribe of Native Americans who lived around Lake Pend Oreille, as well as the Pend Oreille River, and Priest Lake although some of them live spread throughout Montana and eastern Washington...
, Shuswap
Shuswap
Shuswap *Secwepemc - an indigenous people in British Columbia, Canada, also known in English as the Shuswap*Shuswap language - a language spoken by the Secwepemc...
and Nlaka'pamux
Nlaka'pamux
The Nlaka'pamux , commonly called "the Thompson", and also Thompson River Salish, Thompson Salish, Thompson River Indians or Thompson River people) are an indigenous First Nations/Native American people of the Interior Salish language group in southern British Columbia...
peoples in the same region.
History
When the Oregon TreatyOregon Treaty
The Oregon Treaty is a treaty between the United Kingdom and the United States that was signed on June 15, 1846, in Washington, D.C. The treaty brought an end to the Oregon boundary dispute by settling competing American and British claims to the Oregon Country, which had been jointly occupied by...
partitioned the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
in 1846, the portion of the tribe remaining in what became Washington Territory
Washington Territory
The Territory of Washington was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 8, 1853, until November 11, 1889, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Washington....
reorganized under Chief Tonasket as a separate group from the majority of the Okanagans, whose communities remain in Canada. The Okanagan Tribal Alliance, however, also incorporates the American branch of the Okanagans, who are part of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville
Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation
The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation is the federally recognized tribe that controls the Colville Indian Reservation, which is located in Washington, United States....
, a multi-tribal government in Washington state.
The bounds of Okanagan territory are roughly the basin of Okanagan Lake
Okanagan Lake
Okanagan Lake is a large, deep lake in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia. The lake is 135 km long, between 4 and 5 km wide, and has a surface area of 351 km². The lake's maximum depth is 232 meters near Grant Island...
and the Okanagan River, plus the basin of the Similkameen River
Similkameen River
The Similkameen River runs through southern British Columbia, eventually discharging into the Okanogan River near Oroville, Washington in the United States. The river is approximately long, and its drainage basin is in area...
to the west of the Okanagan valley
Okanagan
The Okanagan , also known as the Okanagan Valley and sometimes as Okanagan Country is a region located in the Canadian province of British Columbia defined by the basin of Okanagan Lake and the Canadian portion of the Okanagan River. As of 2009, the region's population is approximately 350,927. The...
, and some of the uppermost valley of the Nicola River
Nicola River
The Nicola River, originally French Rivière de Nicholas or Rivière de Nicolas, adapted to Nicolas River, Nicola's River in English, , is one of the major tributaries of the Thompson River in the Canadian province of British Columbia, entering the latter at the town of Spences Bridge...
. The various Okanagan communities in British Columbia and Washington form the Okanagan Nation Alliance
Okanagan Nation Alliance
The Okanagan Nation Alliance is a First Nations Tribal Council in the Canadian province of British Columbia, spanning the Nicola, Okanagan and Similkameen Districts of the Canadian province of British Columbia and also the Colville Indian Reservation in Washington state.-Member...
, a border-spanning organization which includes American-side Okanogans resident in the Colville Indian Reservation
Colville Indian Reservation
The Colville Indian Reservation is an Indian reservation in the north-central part of the U.S. state of Washington, inhabited and managed by the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, which is recognized by the United States of America as an American Indian Tribe...
, where the Okanagan people are sometimes known as Colvilles.
A group of Okanagan people in the Nicola Valley
Nicola Country
The Nicola Country, also known as the Nicola Valley and often referred to simply as The Nicola, and originally Nicolas' Country or Nicholas' Country, adapted to Nicola's Country and simplified since, is a region in the Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada...
, which is at the northwestern perimeter of Okanagan territory, are known in their dialect as the Spaxomin, and are joint members in a historic alliance with neighbouring communities of the Nlaka'pamux
Nlaka'pamux
The Nlaka'pamux , commonly called "the Thompson", and also Thompson River Salish, Thompson Salish, Thompson River Indians or Thompson River people) are an indigenous First Nations/Native American people of the Interior Salish language group in southern British Columbia...
in the region known as the Nicola Country
Nicola River
The Nicola River, originally French Rivière de Nicholas or Rivière de Nicolas, adapted to Nicolas River, Nicola's River in English, , is one of the major tributaries of the Thompson River in the Canadian province of British Columbia, entering the latter at the town of Spences Bridge...
, which is named after the 19th Century chief who founded the alliance, Nicola
Nicola (chief)
Nicola , also Nkwala or N'kwala, was an important First Nations political figure in the fur trade era of the British Columbia Interior as well as into the colonial period...
. This alliance today is manifested in the Nicola Tribal Association
Nicola Tribal Association
The Nicola Tribal Association is the official name of what is also known as the Nicola Tribal Council and the Nicola Valley Tribal Council, is a First Nations Tribal Council composed of bands in the Nicola Valley, Thompson Canyon and Fraser Canyon areas of the Canadian province of British Columbia...
.
Governments
- Okanagan Nation AllianceOkanagan Nation AllianceThe Okanagan Nation Alliance is a First Nations Tribal Council in the Canadian province of British Columbia, spanning the Nicola, Okanagan and Similkameen Districts of the Canadian province of British Columbia and also the Colville Indian Reservation in Washington state.-Member...
- Westbank First NationWestbank First NationThe Westbank First Nation is a First Nations government in the Okanagan region of the Canadian province of British Columbia, located with the District of West Kelowna. They are a member of the Okanagan Nation Alliance...
(Westbank) - Lower Similkameen Indian BandLower Similkameen Indian BandThe Lower Similkameen Indian Band is a First Nations government in the Canadian province of British Columbia, located in the town of Keremeos in the Similkameen District. They are a member of the Okanagan Nation Alliance....
(Keremeos) - Upper Similkameen Indian BandUpper Similkameen Indian BandThe Upper Similkameen Indian Band is a First Nations government in the Canadian province of British Columbia, located in town of Princeton in the Similkameen District. They are a member of the Okanagan Nation Alliance....
(Keremeos) - Osoyoos Indian BandOsoyoos Indian BandThe Osoyoos Indian Band is a First Nations government in the Canadian province of British Columbia, located in the town of Osoyoos in the Okanagan valley, about four kilometres north of the International Border. They are a member of the Okanagan Nation Alliance...
- Penticton Indian BandPenticton Indian BandThe Penticton Indian Band is a First Nations government in the Canadian province of British Columbia, located next to the city of Penticton in the Okanagan Valley. They are a member of the Okanagan Nation Alliance.-Indian Reserves:...
- Okanagan Indian BandOkanagan Indian BandThe Okanagan Indian Band is a First Nations government in the Canadian province of British Columbia, located in the city of Vernon in the northern Okanagan Valley...
(Vernon) - Upper Nicola Indian BandUpper Nicola Indian BandThe Upper Nicola Indian Band is a First Nations government in the Canadian province of British Columbia, located near the town of Merritt in the Nicola Country at Douglas Lake...
(Merritt) - also part of the Nicola Tribal AssociationNicola Tribal AssociationThe Nicola Tribal Association is the official name of what is also known as the Nicola Tribal Council and the Nicola Valley Tribal Council, is a First Nations Tribal Council composed of bands in the Nicola Valley, Thompson Canyon and Fraser Canyon areas of the Canadian province of British Columbia... - Conferated Tribes of the ColvilleConfederated Tribes of the Colville ReservationThe Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation is the federally recognized tribe that controls the Colville Indian Reservation, which is located in Washington, United States....
- Westbank First Nation
Further reading
Available online through the Washington State Library's Classics in Washington History collection Includes: Okanagon tales by James A. Teit and Okanagon tales by Marian K. Gould.- Carstens, Peter. The Queen's People: A Study of Hegemony, Coercion, and Accommodation Among the Okanagan of Canada. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1991. ISBN 0802058930
- Robinson, Harry, and Wendy C. Wickwire. Nature Power: In the Spirit of an Okanagan Storyteller. Vancouver: Douglas & McIntyre, 1992. ISBN 1550540602
External links
Legends and traditional stories