Author
Author: Kelsie Kilawna, Local Journalism Initiative reporter
‘s Latest Articles
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Feasting after the fire — Okanagan couple welcomes evacuees home with tacos and ribs
“This is just a way of giving back. Some people haven’t had a home-cooked meal in over a month,” says Joan Alexis of Okanagan Indian Band.
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Swapping hockey sticks for hoses — A wildfire history lesson
‘I never seen any quit from our people,’ says Dan Wilson, former firefighter and current councillor with the Okanagan Indian Band.
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B.C. wildfires a ‘wake-up call’ to return to Indigenous-led fire management
‘If you plan, as our people have done — where to burn, when to burn and what to burn — fire actually replenishes the land.’
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syilx family explains how wildfire impacts their ceremonies
Children brought up in the culture put this loss in perspective.
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Communication crucial in wildfire response
Chief Byron Louis says community support must continue even after the fires are put out
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Okanagan Chief inspired by community’s ‘strength and resilience’ in face of wildfire
Chief Byron Louis of the Okanagan Indian Band says with devastating losses comes the chance to reclaim traditional land practices.
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syilx MMA champion Rylie ‘Coyote’ Marchand says her Okanagan community keeps her going
After winning a jiu-jitsu tournament in Texas, Marchand’s come home to keep training and (hopefully) inspire others to pursue their passions.
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Drastic droughts on the horizon, if syilx laws not upheld, says water expert
As devastating wildfires spread through B.C.’s interior, skawilx (Sarah Alexis) says there’s a parallel crisis that demands attention and action — droughts. “The climate change here is dramatic and incredibly scary,” says skawilx, a syilx woman living in nqmaplqs (head of Okanagan Lake). skawilx is a water advocate by birthright, she says. But she’s also enrolled…
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Stickgames, songs and sobriety: a secwepemc mother’s message of hope
‘It was a good time to share in some love, share in some traditional foods, share in our tradition, and share our hearts,’ says Vi Manuel who was uplifted by her community last week
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It’s time to tell the truth
nsyilxcən language keeper says settler folklore will be replaced by truth