Homeland and territories of many nations
Revelstoke is the homeland of the Sinixt and within the territories of the Secwépemc, the Syilx, and the Ktunaxa.
Sinixt Nation
Sinixt Nation is the collective group of indigenous human beings who are the sovereign indigenous caretakers of Sinixt tum-ula7xw (mother-earth), located in the area now known as the interior plateau of BC, Canada. Sinixt territory extends north of Revelstoke, crosses international boundaries to Kettle Falls, Washington in the south, to the Monashee Ridge in the west, and in the east, and is traditionally from the Rocky Mountain Ridge encompassing the entirety of the headwaters of the "shwan-etk-qwa" (Columbia River). Sinixt Nation are the traditional gatekeepers to the lands that lead to the grease trails to Blackfoot territory to the east.
Secwépemc Nation
The Secwépemc People, known by non-natives as the Shuswap, are a Nation of 17 bands occupying the south-central part of the Province of British Columbia, Canada. The ancestors of the Secwepemc people have lived in the interior of BC for at least 10,000 years. This territory stretches from the Columbia River valley along the Rocky Mountains, west to the Fraser River, and south to the Arrow Lakes. Most Secwépemc people live in the river valleys.
Syilx People of the Okanagan Nation
The Syilx People are a transboundary tribe separated at the 49th parallel by the border between Canada and the United States. The Nation is comprised of seven member communities in the Southern Interior of British Columbia: Okanagan Indian Band, Osoyoos Indian Band, Penticton Indian Band, Upper Nicola Band, Upper, and Lower Similkameen Indian Bands, and Westbank First Nation; and in Northern Washington State, the Colville Confederated Tribes. Their members share the same land, nsyilxcən language, culture, and customs. They are a distinct and sovereign Nation.
Ktunaxa nation
Ktunaxa (pronounced ‘k-too-nah-ha’) people have occupied the lands adjacent to the Kootenay and Columbia Rivers and the Arrow Lakes of British Columbia, Canada for more than 10,000 years. The Traditional Territory of the Ktunaxa Nation covers approximately 70,000 square kilometers within the Kootenay region of south-eastern British Columbia and historically included parts of Alberta, Montana, Washington, and Idaho.
Support authentic indigenous businesses, experiences, artists, and events.
The following organizations in Revelstoke display, promote, and support authentic Indigenous businesses, artists, events, and/or tools for learning about the Sinixt, the Secwépemc, the Syilx, and the Ktunaxa, along with other North American indigenous peoples.
Stories about the land & its peoples
Beyond Begbie Short Film
Beyond Begbie is a short film that explores the history of the land and its shared significance to Indigenous groups and mountain sports enthusiasts.
Standing tall over the Revelstoke valley Mount Begbie has inspired an entire community. It is iconicized in the logos and names of local businesses, featured heavily in artists’ works, is photographed by every visiting tourist, and most importantly of all, is explored by the outdoor enthusiast - no matter the season. Climbing Mt Begbie is a “right of passage” for every hiker, climber, sledder, and skier who chooses to make Revelstoke their home.
While this peak has created an entire contemporary culture in Revelstoke, its name and story only represent colonial history, with no reference to the Indigenous heritage of this land.
Upper Columbia River Tribes
For more than a hundred years, the Tribal communities of the Upper Columbia river have had to live with the abuse and negligence of the smelting industry. Who, at one point, dumped millions of tons of toxic waste into their most vital resource.
Now, after a century of inaction by their trustees in the local and federal government, the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, Upper Columbia United Tribes, and allies fight for the healing of the river and the return of the wild salmon to a healthy, functioning ecosystem.
The displacement of the Sinixt Peoples
The film shares stories of displacement on the Columbia River, beginning with the displacement of the Sinixt people due to colonization and settlement, and their erasure from the Canadian landscape. Approximately 2000 settlers were displaced from the Columbia River valley between Castlegar, B.C. and Revelstoke, B.C. when the Hugh Keenleyside Dam was completed at Castlegar in 1969. This created a huge loss of farmland and the destruction of a rural lifestyle that many families had sustained for generations.
Directed by Agathe Bernard and Cathy English, Curator of Revelstoke Museum and Archives.
The Extinction & Return of the Sinixt People
Revelstoke Museum and Archives presents a talk by Cathy English, curator of Revelstoke Museum and Archives, and Laura Stovel, author of Swift River.
Learn the Languages of This Land
Fourteen words that open doors.
Art Revelstoke has put together short videos from educators of the Sinixt, Secwepemc, Suknaquin (Okanagan)/Syilx, and Ktunaxa Nations. Learn the words for ‘hello’ and ‘thank you’ and how to pronounce the names of their nations properly.
Visit Arts Revelstoke's YouTube channel for more or check out this interactive map that explores BC's First Nation's languages.
The Naming of Mountains
What does the Sinixt Nation call Mount Begbie?
Marilyn James, a spokesperson for the Sinixt nation, spoke with other elders who said the mountain shared the name of a former nearby Indigenous village in Revelstoke called Skixik-n. She noted that this was probably only one of the mountain's names, as each nation had its own.
“The water is red on the Sinixt map of the təmxʷúlaʔxʷ because water is the blood of all life. Thank the water, spend time with the water, think about the importance of water in sustaining all life and what you can do to protect it for future generations.”
Properly acknowledge the land we occupy.
We acknowledge and honour the four nations on whose land we live, work, and adventure: the Sinixt, the Secwépemc, the Syilx and the Ktunaxa.
The Aboriginal Friendship Society of Revelstoke offers guidance on the importance of land acknowledgments:
Why do we acknowledge the nations on whose territory we live & how do we keep the acknowledgment meaningful?
When we acknowledge territory we recognize that in fact people did live here, that those peoples still have stories about this land and feel strong connections to this area. We resist making those first peoples invisible. We are also making a gesture of reconciliation for past wrongs; this is not to shame people who are living here now, it is merely recognizing the historical fact that other people lost their homes, sometimes violently, and we now live where they once did.
Land acknowledgment is merely a starting point. Ask yourself: how do I plan to take action to support Indigenous communities?