By Kelsie Kilwana, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

skawilx, also known as Sarah Alexis, recalls having a vivid dream as a teenager that led her to understand her true responsibility to the siw涩k史 (water), and specifically k涩usx虒nitk史 (Okanagan Lake).

In the dream, she was visited by nx虒ax虒aitk史, briefly known by settler folks as 鈥淥gopogo.鈥� To have a dream of nx虒ax虒aitk史 is very significant, and often, for sqilx鈥檞, dreams carry information about the work you are being called to do.

鈥淚 remember telling my sister, and my sister was like, `Oh, my goodness, you have to remember this moment in your life and think about why you had that dream and why you鈥檙e seeing him,鈥濃�� she says.

Having grown up intimately close to k涩usx虒nitk史 (Okanagan Lake), she says it was her first call to her responsibility to do what she could to caretake the siw涩k史 (water).

And ever since then, skawilx has dedicated her life to the siw涩k史 and has furthered her understanding of sqilx鈥檞 roles and responsibilities to the water through nsqilx史cen.

As an academic and expert, the Okanagan Indian Band member has contributed knowledge towards developing the syilx siw涩k史 Strategy (Okanagan Water Strategy) with Okanagan Nation Alliance.

鈥淎 lot more sama7 (visitor) people, a lot more Western people, are wanting to base work on Indigenous knowledge, syilx knowledge, localized knowledge,鈥� she shares. 鈥淎nd that knowledge is really an extension of all of the places that we live in. It鈥檚 an extension of the natural world, the mimicry of the natural world, because that鈥檚 really what and who we are.鈥�

Grasslands, deserts, forests, mountains, rivers, and lakes all each have a name 鈥� just like any person. And skawilx shares that it鈥檚 important for non-sqilx鈥檞 folks to learn about language, place names, and personal accountability in the natural world order 鈥� for this will begin to shift how people see themselves as part of place.

She says people can start by learning about the more accurate name for one of the major water landmarks in her nation鈥檚 territory, colonially known as Okanagan Lake 鈥� but historically known as k涩usx虒nitk史.

鈥淐ontemporarily, it鈥檚 really important that we recognize and talk about the places that we鈥檙e all from,鈥� she says.

k涩usx虒nitk史 is 鈥渁 place or a body of water that has two long sides,鈥� skawilx explains.

鈥淭wo long sides in the sense of like when you look at your body, and you鈥檙e talking about `my right side鈥� and `my left side.鈥� And if we were to visually look at Okanagan Lake, that鈥檚 exactly it, this long body of water.鈥�

The tie-in to human autonomy in k涩usx虒nitk史 is important to recognize, skawilx says, and is something that is common in other place names.

鈥淩ecently, I was reminded that a lot of the words that we have in nsqilx史cen, or in nsyilxcen, often reflect the words we have for ourselves and vice versa,鈥� she shares.

鈥淲e are based off of the land. And so, of course, words that are associated with our body, our physical body are also reflected out there on the land on the tmx史ulax史 (the land) in the natural world order.鈥�

To build on this, skawilx shares, a lot of the place names in sqilx鈥檞 homelands share unique sounds that mimic the natural habitat and give the listener knowledge about the essence of each place 鈥� mimicking sounds of the rushing water or other attributes.

鈥淲e can look at them and listen to them and figure out what they鈥檙e really trying to tell us because a lot of place names often mimic the natural world order that鈥檚 around there,鈥� she says.

鈥淪o when we speak in nsqilx史cen, when we understand nsqilx史cen, we鈥檙e just an extension of the timx鈥檞 (everything alive) and the tmx史ulax史 (the land) and syilx. So, thinking about the importance of recognizing place names and learning them is very fundamental in this contemporary context.鈥�

skawilx says she has witnessed many changes to k涩usx虒nitk史 just within her lifetime.

鈥淚n the Okanagan, it has this aesthetic that it鈥檚 so beautiful, you can come here, and you can go boating and swimming and fishing, and in the winter, you can come skiing, and you can explore all these places,鈥� she says.

鈥淲e have wineries, vineyards and this playground that you can come in and enjoy, but all of those things take away from the actual ecosystems that are out there. We have a lot of red-listed and blue-listed species here in the Okanagan, and so anytime you buy into all of these like recreational things 鈥� think about the impacts it鈥檚 having.鈥�

She also encourages sama7 (visitor) folks to get curious about their water use, asking themselves questions such as: Do you know where it comes from? Do you know which tributaries are responsible for providing you with water? Have you visited those places?

She says it鈥檚 also important for settlers to do their own research, since sqilx鈥檞 people already have a lot of responsibilities to shoulder.

鈥淵ou know, growing up sqilx鈥檞, we were going to high school and beyond that, to live and learn, to be educated about knowledge systems and knowledge beliefs that aren鈥檛 ours, and now we鈥檙e very familiar with those,鈥� she says.

鈥淪o now those tables need to be flipped in a way. I think the big thing non-syilx people can do in terms of k涩usx虒nitk史, is to be curious about how water plays a role in their own life.鈥�

For sqilx鈥檞 people, many feel a heavy responsibility to the timx鈥檞 and siw涩k史 that can feel overwhelming because of colonial interference. syilx Peoples are commanded to caretake the land as intended by Creation.

skawilx shares a good way to start that connection with the timx鈥檞, for syilx people, is by learning a traditional introduction in the language.

鈥淲hen you learn how to introduce yourself, you鈥檙e not only talking about yourself and your own job, or your responsibilities or the pieces that you hold, but also you鈥檙e bringing in your extended kinship,鈥� she says.

鈥淲e all have roots that stem from different places. And I think recognizing those places is important and fundamental in terms of each of us stepping into our own roles, each of us stepping into our responsibilities of being sqilx鈥檞, being syilx.鈥�

Knowing that nsyilxcen introduction will show sqilx鈥檞 how interconnected life is in terms of water 鈥� there will be water-based words found in names that enact responsibilities, life work, place names, and family names. It鈥檚 embedded deeply into sqilx鈥檞 existence.

鈥淵ou know, whether that鈥檚 in people鈥檚 jobs, or whether that鈥檚 in their families, or whether that鈥檚 in community work, volunteer work, or whether it鈥檚 in more abstract thinking, it鈥檚 always there. You鈥檒l see it鈥檚 the basis and foundation of everything, and I know, it鈥檚 really cliche to say, but water is life,鈥� she says.

鈥淚 think if we were to step forward into the future, recognizing that water is in every single thing that we do, I think that鈥檚 a very strong step forward.鈥�

READ MORE: Indigenous contractor won鈥檛 represent 鈥榯oken Indians鈥� in B.C. hospital dispute

Like us on and follow us on .