Communities Celebrate Multi-Million Dollar Wastewater Recovery Project
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OKANAGAN INDIAN BAND 12420 Westside Road Vernon BC V1H 2A4 SENK’LIP NEWS October 2019 Communities Celebrate Multi-Million Dollar Wastewater Recovery Project Cheers from the crowd of over 100 people rang out The project partners (RDNO, Township of after Mayor Christine Fraser from the Township of Spallumcheen and the Okanagan Indian Band) had Spallumcheen exclaimed “we were awarded $24.3 been clear with the public and stakeholders from the million dollars!” beginning – without this grant money, the project would not be able to move forward. In fact, there The Wastewater Recovery Project has been four years were many ways for the project to have come to a in the making and has faced multiple hurdles due permanent halt before a shovel ever hit the ground. to the complex Had the petition undertaking not been successful, of creating an the project could infrastructure asset not move forward. that will benefit Had the Township three jurisdictions of Spallumcheen in different ways for not been able to generations to come. obtain the necessary On September 12, land, the project the community could not move came together to forward. And, had celebrate one of the the $24.3 million most significant grant application not milestones achieved been successful, the to date for the project could not project – the Elected officials celebrate the announcement of $24 million in funding. L-R, move forward. Still, awarding of $24.3 Bob Fleming, RDNO Area B director, Amanda Shatzko, RDNO Area C the team plugged million dollars from director, Christine Fraser, Mayor of Spallumcheen and Chief Byron Louis. along to purchase the the federal and needed land, run a provincial governments. necessary petition process in the electoral areas, and The event brought together the partner jurisdictions applied for the grant and lobbied the provincial and that have worked to get the project to where it is federal government for years. today alongside the staff and consultants that have These realities have been at the forefront of the assisted along the way, and the community that partners’ tireless efforts, each having to navigate has enthusiastically supported the concept of the Wastewater Recovery Project. Continued on page 2 Connect with OKIB today! Visit our website & register Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram to access member-only and YouTube. Search /okanaganband content at www.okib.ca Communities Celebrate Wastewater Recovery Project Continued from page 1 their jurisdiction’s unique requirements. These “It’s believed that about 50 businesses have been realities and challenges are also why the positive turned away over the last 15 years because of a energy was so high at the community celebration lack of sewer,” said Bob Fleming, Electoral Area event. B Director, RDNO. “The benefits will drive our economy for years to come.” “Money like this doesn’t normally come here. It goes to the Lower Mainland, it goes to the Central “I always ask people, what’s the actual value of and South Okanagan but it often doesn’t come your property without water? It isn’t much. When to the North Okanagan,” said Amanda Shatzko, you start looking at water through that lens, it’s Electoral Area C Director, RDNO. worth every effort to protect our water through holding ourselves to the highest standards,” said In speaking to the importance of reclaiming Byron Louis, Chief of the Okanagan Indian Band. water for agricultural use, Mayor Fraser told the “Investing in water is investing in this community.” crowd about one year in Spallumcheen that saw “over 1000 acres lose all of their forage crops due With the grant secured, the project team will to a shortage of water. With the new Wastewater begin the planning and engineering work to make Recovery Project, over 600 acres of irrigation water the wastewater recovery project a reality. More for farming will be provided which is an enormous information can be found at benefit to our farmers.” www.rdno.ca/wastewater. Canoe Building Gets New Flooring & Logos New flooring and two OKIB logos, one is 12 feet in diameter and the smaller one is 8 feet in diameter, were recently installed in the canoe building. The flooring is composed of recycled tires, and it is both soft and extremely durable. Plans are for the smaller circle to become a smudging place. If the material works and wears well, there are plans to use the recycled tire product in other areas. 2 Senk’lip Indian Day School Class Action Settlement This Settlement is applicable to all students who Former Day School students are collectively attended and suffered abuse or harm at a Federal identified as Survivor Class Members. Indian Day School or Federal Day School operated by the Government of Canada. If you believe you are a Member of the Class, please go to the website at http://www.indiandayschools. Starting in 1920, Indigenous students were com and complete the Claim Form to the best of required to attend school. Some Indigenous your ability. students attended a Federal Indian Day School or Federal Day School (“Day School”) that was Part 1 Your name, contact details and p. 3 funded, managed and controlled by the Federal date of birth Government of Canada (“Canada”). Part 2 Day School(s) and the years you p. 4 attended The Federal Indian Day School Class Action Part 3 Consent and Signature Page p. 5 Settlement Agreement (“Settlement”) provides Part 4 IF claiming Level 1 Verbal / p. 6 compensation to any former day student who Physical Harm attended a Day School and who suffered abuse or Part 5 IF claiming Level 2, 3, 4, or 5 p. 7-11 harm when attending the school. Sexual / Physical Harm A list of the eligible Day Schools, along with Part 6 Complete only if you are a legal p. 12 relevant dates of their management and control by representative of a Claimant Canada, is available at www.indiandayschools.com Before sending, please review the Retention Policy (Schedule K of the Settlement). and Submission Process on pages 14-15 of the Class Counsel and available legal advice: legal Claim Form. advice with respect to eligibility and harms Please make sure to keep a copy of your Claim experienced is available at no cost to you from Form and any attached documents for your Class Counsel, Gowling WLG, by contacting personal records. [email protected] or 1-844-539-3815. Original photographs or records are not required. The Settlement provides for compensation to Clear copies will be accepted. former Day School students who both: a) attended Federal Indian Day School(s) and If you have questions, contact Veronica Wilson, Federal Day School(s) funded, managed and Indian Registry Administrator, at 236-600-0162 ext controlled by Canada 2007 or email [email protected]. AND Additional information is available at b) suffered abuse or harm from teaching staff, www.indiandayschools.com. officials, students and other third parties at the school. To be eligible for compensation, students must not have not already received a settlement from Canada for the same or related incident(s) at a Federal Indian Day School or Federal Day School as identified in this Claim Form. October 2019 3 A Senk’lip Profile w Sqilx Artist David Wilson By Nick Nilsen David Wilson considers himself to be fortunate to The emergence of Sqilxw art continues to grow, have been raised at Six Mile near many family and due in no small part to local OKIB artists like lifelong friends. He has a daughter from Spaxomin David Wilson. In our first ever Senk’lip profile, we (Douglas Lake) and four grandchildren, who he hope to shed some light on one of OKIB’s most visits regularly. accomplished artists. David attended day school for one year at Six I first encountered the art of David Wilson in Spirit Mile—the same school his mother went to—and Square, next to Vernon City Hall. I recall thinking the following year he was bussed to Vernon where that the paintings had elements that I expected he attended Bearisto Elementary School. to see in First Nations art including the use of “I remember singing the Canadian centennial song primary colours, simple yet complex pictographs, [in 1967],” he said, “I remember looking through combined with environmental cues, such as turtles. all the art books in the library and asking myself I can recall feeling that the art was definitely ‘Where is our art?’ Most books of Indigenous art unique and regional, and yet I knew it was First were anthropological by nature with old pictures of Nations art. I was intrigued about the man who North West coast totem pole and Inuit soapstone created the art. carvings and tapestries.” Fortunately, David later found a book on pictographs in the museum’s archives and was also influenced by the art of Noel Derrickson, who designed the OKIB porcupine logo. “I was looking for cultural identity through art,” David said. I asked David about his preferred medium and what he considered to be his finest work, and why: “I usually do canvas paintings or painted drums, but perhaps my favourite is a 26-foot cottonwood canoe that I painted for Fulton High School. It was featured in a recent paddle from Kin Beach to Komasket on Sqilxw Day. I could see great pride on the faces of people who were paddling such a grand painted ceremonial canoe.” He hopes to mentor young Sqilxw artists on developing their own styles, or even Senk’lip. the Coyote, is on display at Bearisto Emementary imitating his style as an initial starting point. School, where David attended as a child.