An interpretive sign that details First Nations history in the North Okanagan was unveiled by regional officials on Thursday.
Four years in the making, the sign is located at Canoe Bay, along Okanagan Lake in Vernon, B.C., and explains Syilx history.
The sign, developed with help from the Okanagan Indian Band, tells the story of how Canoe Bay was used traditionally by the Syilx people.
“I am pleased to see the interpretive sign erected at Canoe Bay because this area has always held great importance to the Syilx people,” said Byron Louis, Chief of the Okanagan Indian Band.
“The Syilx presence in the area goes back centuries and our people used this beach and the area for trading, ceremonies, celebrations, fishing, hunting and for gathering food.”
The unveiling happened on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, with a crowd on hand to see it.
Among the officials on hand was Allan Louis, council member for the Okanagan Indian Band (OKIB).
When asked what the public should be thinking about on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Louis replied, “I want them to ask questions.”
“Think about history, think about how we got here, do research,” said Louis. “It’s a great way to find out information at your own speed and under conditions that make you feel safe.”
He continued, saying, “We want people to remember what happened to those kids at the residential school. No parent should ever send their kid to school and not have them come home, and maybe be buried far, far from their home.”
Louis said he wants people to appreciate children, stating he appreciated it when his children came home from school every day.
“That’s the biggest difference between what happened generations before me, where they went to school and didn’t come home until Christmas or the end of the school year.
“I got to send my kids to school every day and got to watch them come home every day. Big difference.”
Asked the same question, OKIB chief Byron Louis said, “What I’d really be hoping what the public thinks about is: What was the process that led to residential schools? How does that fit in with the formation of Canada?”
Louis said residential schools are a part of colonialism, stating, “Colonialism is a process of control, where you move in to take over not only lands and resources, but also to ensure that there will never be a rising of the local population to take back what was taken from them.”
The chief also said he doesn’t view those who attended residential schools as survivors or victims, and instead called them veterans.
“They’re veterans of a war against children. There’s no other way to explain it,” he said.
Also involved in the sign were the City of Vernon and the Regional District of the North Okanagan (RDNO).
According to officials, the project was started when “it became clear that developing a shared understanding of history and of Syilx presence in the area before settlement was key to developing a more honest relationship.”
“Recognizing and understanding the history of the Syilx people is a fundamental part of our journey together,” said Vernon mayor Victor Cumming.
The mayor noted that the city will be installing a similar sign at Kin Beach.
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