Early discussions have started about a quarter-millennium-long plan to protect siw涩kw (water) in the Okanagan-Similkameen region鈥檚 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.
鈥淭he biggest thing will be communicating to our constituents that it鈥檚 about the fish, it鈥檚 about this place, it鈥檚 about us, it鈥檚 about our future,鈥� said Tim Lezard, a councillor with the Penticton Indian Band.
鈥淲ith the 250-year plan, those will be the goals 鈥� Some people don鈥檛 have that worldview.鈥�
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鈥檚 future
It was the group鈥檚 fifth formal meeting since 2023, and their first since signing a memorandum of agreement (MOA) last November, 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鈥檚 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 鈥渞eal鈥� and 鈥渟ignificant.鈥�
鈥淗istory is being made every time we meet,鈥� he said during the April 24 meeting. 鈥淓very time we meet, we鈥檙e discussing the context of collaboration.
鈥淗ow do we protect our watersheds? How do we protect our future? The only way we can do that is to work together.鈥�
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鈥檚 north end 鈥� Inkumupulux (head of the lake) 鈥� that were 鈥減erfectly fine for generations鈥� 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 鈥� however, it can be deadly when released from industrial activities.
It鈥檚 a concern that emerged after the 2021 White Rock Lake wildfire, which impacted the community.
鈥淲e find that really concerning,鈥� Wilson said. 鈥淏ecause if it鈥檚 getting into the groundwater, it鈥檚 certainly getting into the lake as well.鈥�
(According to the World Health Organization, 鈥淐ontaminated water used for drinking, food preparation and irrigation of food crops poses the greatest threat to public health from arsenic.鈥�)
Meanwhile, multiple officials raised concerns about algae blooms threatening drinking water and the region鈥檚 waterways 鈥� 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 鈥� impacting the health of humans, wildlife and aquatic beings, according to Watersheds Canada.
The Okanagan Basin Water Board said increased development and ingredients in products such as fertilizers can contribute to excessive algae growth.
鈥淲ood Lake is really suffering, which flows into Kal Lake, and Kal Lake goes into Okanagan Lake,鈥� said Blair Ireland, the mayor of the District of Lake Country.
He said in ki蕯l谩wna蕯 (麻豆精选), 鈥渢hey鈥檙e already having algae problems there, when they thought that wasn鈥檛 going to happen.鈥�
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, according to a 2016 Foreshore Inventory and Mapping (FIM) update report of the lake.
Continued disturbances to the lake鈥檚 natural shoreline 鈥� caused by an increase in density and land use around the lake 鈥� 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.
鈥淎ll you have to do is look along this foreshore in the Okanagan Valley 鈥� Kal Lake, Wood Lake, or anywhere,鈥� Ireland said. 鈥淲e are not doing a very good job of protecting our environment.鈥�
Citing the example of Okanagan Lake 鈥� the area鈥檚 largest reservoir 鈥� Ireland added that every day, 鈥渟omeone is interfering with that in a way that鈥檚 not good for that lake.鈥�
鈥淚f we really truly want to do something about it,鈥� he added, 鈥渨e gotta protect the foreshores.鈥�
鈥楳ultiple generations of messaging鈥� 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鈥檚 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.
鈥淎ll of the pesticides they put into the ground go into the water,鈥� Lezard said. 鈥淲e have to talk about those things.鈥�
Meeting participants also stressed the need for a specific focus on Youth in the leadership table鈥檚 public messaging 鈥� so there can be opportunities for them to be involved in their educational and advocacy efforts.
鈥淚 think we need to start the educating of our children, and let them know we鈥檙e doing this for them,鈥� Lazard said, 鈥渇or their children, their grandchildren and great-grandchildren.鈥�
Amanda Shatzko, director of the Regional District of North Okanagan, called for 鈥渕ultiple generations of messaging.鈥�
鈥淎s much as we鈥檙e educating ourselves and educating the other adults, we鈥檙e trying to protect this area for future generations,鈥� Shatzko said.
鈥淚f you want people to buy in, you often need to get children involved 鈥� you need them to understand, because they鈥檙e really good influences to their parents and families.鈥�
鈥楾raditional knowledge can help all of our ways of being鈥�
During the meeting, members split off into smaller groups based on their regions 鈥� North Okanagan, Central Okanagan and South Okanagan-Similkameen 鈥� 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.
Jordan Coble, a councillor with Westbank First Nation, said it鈥檚 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 鈥渄ispel the reluctance, help dispel the denialism鈥� among the public.
鈥淯nderstanding that traditional knowledge can help all of our ways of being,鈥� Coble said. 鈥淚t isn鈥檛 just for us as Okanagan people 鈥� it鈥檚 for everybody to be able to live, breathe, work and play in the same area.鈥�
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 鈥� which in the natural ecosystem maintain the integrity of the creek banks and absorb potential flood waters 鈥� and instead planted peach trees in the cottonwoods鈥� place.
Coble said that, according to syilx traditional knowledge, the cottonwood 鈥渋n and of itself can help bring water鈥� to dry landscapes 鈥� and help retain that water, too.
He cautioned others planting orchards to reconsider removing trees along riverbanks.
鈥淚t might be in your best interest 鈥� because water鈥檚 gonna cost a lot of money these days 鈥� to actually keep those trees,鈥� he said, 鈥渢o help maintain that water preservation that you need for food growth.鈥�
Working together to balance economy with ecology
Participants suggested the group use the syilx Nation鈥檚 Four Food Chiefs as a guiding model in their approach to internal consensus-building and decision-making 鈥� 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.
鈥淵ou have to be mindful of the land 鈥� which includes the waters,鈥� Louie explained. 鈥淲e have to be mindful of the economic aspects of it.鈥�
And while it鈥檚 important to have governance processes clearly designated to achieve results, he said, all members of the broader community must also be front of mind.
鈥漌e鈥檝e got to be mindful of the community 鈥� all of the constituents, the people who live in this valley and who we represent.鈥�
One of the challenges, he said, will be striking a balance between the four values, particularly between protecting water and maintaining the economy.
鈥淲e need education, we need acceptance of the need for protecting the water and conservation,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut you have to balance it with the right to survive and make money in some cases with agriculture.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 the mindset that we鈥檝e gotta be respectful of and mindful of 鈥� sometimes, it may simply take education and understanding, and then you鈥檝e got acceptance. Then you work together to find solutions.鈥�
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鈥檚 Environmental Law Centre, shared with participants several examples of long-term planning and collaboration between Indigenous nations and municipalities in 鈥淏.C.鈥�
She encouraged local governments to 鈥渢hink about their existing operations, planning and approvals processes in the context of syilx authority.鈥�
West 麻豆精选 Mayor Gord Milsom attended the meeting as an observer, as the city鈥檚 council has yet to fully commit to the leadership table. He said his council 鈥渘eeds more time to understand鈥� the group鈥檚 terms of reference 鈥渁nd get educated.鈥�
As was the case with the MOA signing, there was no representation from the City of 麻豆精选 at the leadership table鈥檚 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 麻豆精选 to encourage them to join.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not giving up one or the other鈥檚 jurisdiction,鈥� he emphasized. 鈥淲e鈥檙e not treading on issues of the other.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 not the purpose of why we鈥檙e here; we鈥檙e here because we have to be here. It鈥檚 our duty 鈥� it鈥檚 our responsibility to be here.鈥�
Chief Greg Gabriel, of Penticton Indian Band, reminded the leadership table that the group 鈥渃arries a lot of influence,鈥� and that 鈥渢hey can make a change.鈥�
鈥淭hat message needs to go out to the ones that are not here,鈥� said Gabriel.
syilx Nation member q史蓹q史im虛cxn Tessa Terbasket 鈥� one of main leads on the leadership table鈥檚 co-ordination team and watershed responsibility planning process 鈥� 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鈥檒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 鈥渟o much hope鈥� for the leadership table as it moves forward, too.
鈥淲ater really moves 鈥� it鈥檚 interconnected. It鈥檚 ancient,鈥� said Terbasket, head of the Okanagan Nation Alliance鈥檚 Water Strategy. 鈥淚t connects us through the generations, it鈥檚 always moving forward."
