OKIB welcomes some of its members home after wildfires swept through the community

The OKIB purchases two temporary homes that will be installed next week

By

●

, , ,

●

OKIB

Trigger Warning: This article contains content about loss from wildfires that may be triggering. Kelsie Kilawna is a syilx reporter who’s covering wildfires that have spread through her community and homelands. Kelsie is committed to syilx storytelling protocol and trauma-informed reporting.

In August 2021 syilx People from all over the nation and territory came together to pray for the people, the land, and the animals, as wildfires grew closer and closer to the community of the Okanagan Indian Band (OKIB).

Unfortunately, the community faced the loss of nine permanent residences, one dwelling, and two businesses. With those losses came great community mourning and grief. It has only been six months since the White Rock Lake Wildfire, as it became known, moved its way through the syilx territory. Because it has not been a full year, some of the community are still in their mourning ceremonies. For that reason IndigiNews has chosen to refrain from reaching out to those directly affected. 

When Pine Ridge Modular homes, a small business based in Burns Lake, heard of the distressing news that OKIB was in need of temporary housing, in an industry that is facing significant wait times, the company reached out to the community to offer two homes for immediate purchase. 

Chief Byron Louis of the OKIB says in a press release on Tuesday that he and the rest of the community leadership are happy to welcome their people home as they continue to rebuild.

The homes are fully insulated and ready for all four seasons. They are being installed next week and with great excitement from the OKIB.

“On behalf of OKIB members and Council, I would like to welcome our Band members back to the reserve,” he says,“The return of the first of our Band members to their homes is a step towards a new beginning.”

“OKIB would like to remind people that a GoFundMe fundraiser is underway for any Band members or members of the public who wish to donate to the recovery effort. While OKIB is accessing funding from available sources, there are countless expenses not covered and the Go Fund Me donations will assist the people who lost their homes,” shares the press release.

If you would like to support the wildfire recovery project, check out the GoFundMe. Alternatively you can contact Jenelle Brewer, recovery manager at recoverymanager@okanagan.org to offer your donation or receive a tax receipt.

If you are a member of the nation and continue to be impacted by the loss or struggling with survivors guilt please know help is available. The OKIB Mental Health and Wellness team is available to support you at (250) 540-7416. 

Author

Kelsie Kilawna, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

We live in a media ecosystem that thrives on misinformation. Big Tech and AI companies are consuming the work of real human beings and Canadian news has been banned on Facebook and Instagram.

Eden Fineday

And yet, I have hope for journalism because of the work we’re doing at IndigiNews.

At IndigiNews, we embody tâpwêwin — the Cree value of integrity and responsibility in truth-telling. We are committed to our independent, Indigenous-led newsroom rooted in community, accountability, and relationality. We believe storytelling is a sacred fire that connects our pasts, presents, and futures through the storytellers in our Storytelling Lodge. IndigiNews creates space for Indigenous journalists, storytellers, Knowledge Keepers, and communities to gather, learn, and share stories that matter.

As a registered charity, we are building a fire that allows our work not just to ignite but to thrive. Rather than relying on advertising or corporate acquisition, IndigiNews is sustained by people like you who believe Indigenous stories are important for the future of our communities.

Your support is making a real difference.

Our community of supporters, our Firekeepers, make it possible to grow our newsroom, publish award-winning journalism, train emerging Indigenous journalists through initiatives like the ReFocus Photojournalism Fellowship, and publish trustworthy stories that serve our communities across the country. Every story we publish helps fill in gaps left by mainstream media and ensures Indigenous perspectives are represented with care, accuracy and respect.

But there is still more work to do.

As the media landscape becomes more and more uncertain, community support is as necessary and essential as it’s ever been. Every new Firekeeper helps protect the independence of our newsroom and strengthens journalism that is accountable to our many and varied communities over corporations.

That’s why we’re inviting you to become a Firekeeper.

Firekeepers tend to and protect the sacred fire. Your monthly contributions directly support IndigiNews’s Storytelling Lodge, helps sustain our independent, Indigenous-led newsroom, and ensures future generations of Indigenous storytellers have the resources they need to do the work.

As a registered Canadian charity, all eligible donations receive a charitable tax receipt.

If you believe Indigenous stories matter, if you value independent journalism, and if you want to help build a strong future for Indigenous media, we invite you to join our circle of Firekeepers today.

Together, we can keep the fire burning.

— Eden Fineday, Publisher, IndigiNews

Support us now

Latest Stories