A decision by the Colville Confederated Tribes to walk away from a 15-year partnership has put sockeye salmon restoration and a cross border relationship at risk according to the Syilx Okanagan Nation.
鈥淥ne of the internationally known good news environmental stories of recent years, has been the return of record numbers of sockeye salmon to the Okanagan River thanks to the Okanagan Nation Alliance Fisheries鈥� (ONA) salmon restoration efforts,鈥� an ONA media release states.
Approximately 80 per cent of Columbia River salmon originate from the Okanagan, where the majority spawn in Canada. This year, more than 300,000 sockeye returned to the river to spawn.
鈥淯nfortunately, despite this incredible success, the work has been put at risk this year by the unilateral political decision of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation to cancel funding and walk away from joint salmon restoration projects with the Syilx Okanagan Nation,鈥� the release says.
On Aug. 12, Confederated Tribes Chairman Jarred-Michael Erickson sent two letters to ONA Fisheries project staff to cancel his tribes鈥� share of joint funding for salmon restoration projects that had been running for over 15 years.
鈥淭his last-minute cancellation has left our project staff scrambling, and delayed projects,鈥� said Westbank First Nation Chief Robert Louie. 鈥淭he salmon are too important to play politics with, and we will take care of them, but it鈥檚 important to note this cancellation was very disruptive and sharply at odds with Chairman Erickson鈥檚 recent media comments that his tribes want to 鈥榣ive in unity and partnership鈥� with our Nation.鈥�
Annual funding for the project is approximately $400,000 (CDN), and according to the ONA the cancellation, which was made with just 15 days notice and without explanation, has caused significant disruption to ongoing work, risking jobs, and forcing the Syilx Okanagan Nation to make emergency triage decisions on salmon restoration projects that were already underway this fiscal year.
The Syilx Okanagan Nation has chosen to share news of the cancellation because Colville has continued to pursue a unilateral agenda of reaching across the border into Canada, demanding and acting to gain involvement over Syilx Okanagan Nation Territory, the release further states.
鈥淚n retrospect, the cancellation was not only an escalation of Colville鈥檚 move away from our Syilx Unity Declaration,鈥� said Chief Louie. 鈥淏ut it also appears to be a direct play for full control of Upper Columbia fish passage, salmon reintroduction and research - work that we have successfully led in all parts of our Territory.
Chief Louie added that 鈥渢he door will remain open to working together again with our U.S. relatives, as we have always had one language, one land, one culture and one people.鈥�
The ONA statement points out a recent source of friction within the once unified nation has been Colville鈥檚 decision to claim one of their 12 tribes (the Lakes Tribe), what they now call the 鈥淪inixt Confederacy鈥� is a distinct nation deserving separate rights and compensation in the Arrow Lakes area of B.C., which is part of the Eastern Territory of the Syilx Okanagan Nation.
In Canada, the Syilx Okanagan Nation is the successor group for Sinixt descendants because many members of our communities are of Sinixt descent, the Sinixt have always been part of the Syilx Okanagan Nation, and we have continued to hunt, gather, travel and perform our ceremonies throughout our Territory including the Arrow Lakes region, to the present day.
Black Press Media has reached out to Chairman Erickson for comment on this story.
