February Senk'lip

February 2015 EDITION - OKANAGAN INDIAN BAND 12420 WESTSIDE ROAD VERNON, BC V1H 2A4 - FREE SENK’LIP NEWS

SENK’LIP NEWS Editor: Joseph JackPh: 250-542-4328 Fx: 250-542-4990 [email protected]

Chief: Byron LouisCouncillors: Homer Alexis, Lyle Brewer, Barbara (June) Cole, Tim Isaac, Allan Louis, Coola Louis, Diane Louis, Raymond Marchand, Russell Williams and Leland Wilson

View this months Senk’lip in FULL COLOUR on our website www.okib.ca

Community Comes Together ForTraditional Feast

“Let’s break bread together!” Approximately 150 community members attended the Second Annual Traditional Feast hosted by the OKIB Health and Social Development Department. With back to back events resulting in a full Head of the Lake Hall, is it time for a new hall?

CommunityOkanagan Indian Band Important Numbers

CUT AND PLACE ON YOUR FRIDGE!EMERGENCY NUMBERS:Emergency: OKIB Volunteer Fire Dept: Water: Buildings:

Main Band OfficeToll FreeAdministration: Education/TrainingHuman ResourcesMembershipFinance

Health and Social DevelopmentHead of the Lake HallNew HorizonsSnc’c’amalta?tn Daycare and SchoolCultural Immersion SchoolOperations Lands and HousingTerritorial Stewardship/Research

911250-545-4111250-306-1363250-540-1539

250-542-43281-866-542-4328

250-542-5094250-558-1414250-545-2402250-545-3800250-260-3616250-542-3444250-542-7132

Council Meetings Schedule

Regular Scheduled Meetings:

First Tuesday of the Month: 9am - 4pm

Second Tuesday of the Month: 5:30pm - 9:30pm

Third Tuesday of the Month: 9am- 4pm

Changes to the schedule and community meetings/emer-gency meetings will be communicated to the membership via:

www.okib.cawww.facebook.com/OkanaganBand

www.twitter.com/OkanaganBand

All requests to be added to Chief and Council’s agenda must be submitted to the Executive Director by Wednesday at 4:30 the week before the next meeting. Agenda items are reviewed and approved by the Executive Director and Chief on Thursday afternoon. Contact Sherry Louis executive as-sistant to council: 250-542-4328 ext 210 or by [email protected]

Process

Picture it, you’re at a gas station on your reserve, you reach into your wallet to grab your status card. The attendant hands you back your card and says, “Sorry, we can’t accept expired status cards.”

It’s not that difficult to get a CIS, just fol-low these steps.

What is required to get a status card?

One piece of PRIMARY ID:Valid Canadian PasportNew Plastic Certificate of Indian Status Is-sued after April 2002If you do not have the one piece of pri-mary ID, two pieces of secondary ID (one

with digitized photo) will be accepted.- Certificate of Birth- Certificate of Marriage or Divorce- Provincial Health Card- Provincial ID- Employee ID (with digitized photo)- Student ID (with digitized photo)- Firearms licence

Current Certificate of Indian Status (that hasn’t been expired for more than six months.)

When applying for a status card for a minor, only the legal guardian may apply and must present picture ID along with the child’s birth certificate.

You are also required to bring your own

passport sided photo for the card. Fees:OKIB members: FREENon-band members: $25

For registration of birth, death, marriage and amendment:

OKIB members: FreeNon-members: $10

Fees are charged \to cover courier and supply charges.

*Please note* A BC Driver’s Licence with a carecard embedded will only count as ONE piece of ID. Ask for a sep-arate BC Care Card.

Need a status card? Follow these easy steps!

Post Secondary OKIB Funding Application InformationApplications for funding may be picked up at the main band office or may be downloaded from the OKIB website (www.okib.ca.) Completed forms are to be submitted to Lacey Gregoire-Gabriel before the applica-tion deadline. Completed forms may be faxed, emailed, or mailed to the band office.

Application Deadlines:Students starting school in September are required to have their completed application in by April 30th

Students starting in January have a dead-line of September 30th (currently no fund-ing available)

Students starting in May are required to have their completed application form in by January 30th

Eligibility for post secondary funding may be reviewed on the OKIB website under the Policies>Education>Program Policies and Guidelines.While we encourage all students to apply, please note that funding students is based off of funds available. For more information contact Lacey Gregoire-Gabriel (250) 542-4238 [email protected]

Senk’lip -January 2015

Senk’lip January 2015

Community

From the Land to the Plate: Traditional Feast a huge successThe Second Anual OKIB Tradtional Feast was held at

the Head of the Lake Hall on Thursday January 8th. The event, put on by the OKIB Health and Social De-velopment Department used food collect-ed and preserved during the Traditional Gathering and Preserving Project (funded by Interior Health Authority) which took place throughout the Spring, Summer and Fall of 2014.

“I want to thank all of the participants who helped gather and preserve the food,” said Mary (Ramona) Louis, “I also want to thank our volunteers who worked so hard to prepare the food for our community.”

It was standing room only as nearly 150 people packed the Head of the Lake Hall, “We ran out of food!” said

Louis. On the menu was salmon, sia and bitterroot (it’s better

than it sounds!) indian tea, huckleberry glazed cake deer stew, sxwusum, indian ice cream, potatoes and other vegetables.

The team who cooked included: Lucy Louis, Josie Saddleman, Patsy Gregoire, Danielle Saddleman, Kenoa Joe and Tessa Reamsbottom.

Chief Byron Louis spoke and congratu-lated Mary Louis and Danielle Saddleman for their work in the OKIB winning the Get Back To The Land Challenge.

“I’m so very proud of the efforts of our community,” said Chief Louis, “This is a win for us all.”

After dinner, those in attendance were entertained by

the Nuturing Our Spirit drummers (A group started by Mary Louis with a grant by the First Nations Health Au-thority,) and then a slideshow featuring photos of OKIB members collecting and gathering food was shown.

A giveaway followed the slideshow and members danced to the sounds of the drums.

Special thanks to Emory Sr, Emory Jr and Bill Robins for their talents and patience in sharing their knowledge with our community members.

“This event was meant to show how food is medicine,” said Mary Louis, “Eating healthy, sharing stories and laughter brings our community together. This program will continue for our community!” Louis added that the Traditional Foods Gathering and Preserving Project will continue this year, using the $10,000 in food securities money won in the “Get Back To The Land Challenge.”

Mary (Ramona) Louis

Senk’lip -January 2015

Community page 4

OKANAGAN INDIAN BAND Notice of Nomination Meeting

Notice is hereby given that a meeting of the electors of the Okanagan Indian Band will be held at the Head of the Lake Hall – 118 Head of the Lake Rd. Okanagan Indian Reserve #1 on the 19th day of February 2015, beginning at 5:00 p.m. and closing at 8:00 p.m., for the purpose of nominating candidates for the positions of

chief and councillors on the Band Council of the said Band, for the next ensuing term. There are 10 councillor

positions and 1 position for chief available. The election will be held at the Head of the Lake Hall on April 2, 2015.

Please note that any voter may nominate candidates by using a mail-in nomination form. You can e-mail, fax or

mail a written nomination and a completed, signed and witnessed voter declaration form to the electoral officer

before the time set for the nomination meeting to be accepted OR you may nominate candidates orally and

with a written nomination form at the nomination meeting. Assistance will be available to complete the

nomination forms. The nomination forms MUST CONTAIN THE PHONE NUMBER AND ADDRESS OF THE NOMINEE to insure contact can be made with the Nominee. Also note that any voter may vote by mail-in

ballot by contacting the Electoral Officer and requesting a mail in ballot package. All notices and forms will be

on the Web Site listed below, access code OKIB616 and may be downloaded for your convenience.

Given under my hand at Prince George, BC this 20th day of January, 2015.

Loreen Suhr Electoral Officer Po Box 2638 Phone: 1-250-964-1016 Prince George, BC V2N 4T5 Toll Free: 1-855-964-1016 Fax: 1-250-964-1018 [email protected] www.loreensuhrelections.ca ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ If you agree to have your name and address released to any candidate at this election for the purpose of sending you campaign literature, please check the statement below, print and sign your name, detach this form at the perforated line and return the bottom portion to the Electoral Officer.

❑ I authorize my name and address be released to any candidate at this election. Name:__________________________________________________________________ Address_________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________

Election Information Available OnlineThe Okanagan Indian Band will head to the polls on Thursday April 2, 2015 at the Head of the Lake Hall. The OKIB has hired Loreen Suhr and Associates to oversee the election process.

The instructions to nominate a candidate are listed above and nomination forms may be downloaded via the OKIB website. The website address for nomination forms is:

www.okib.ca/election

Members have had a difficult time finding our website using search engines and we are working with web pro-fessionals to fix the problem so in the mean time enter the website address into your URL bar (not search engine)

When I was 21 years old a Kamloops grocery store denied my ability to purchase mouthwash.

“Some people drink it,” said the young lady, as she avoided eye contact.

Naturally, I lost it and received a written apology from the manager of the store and the corporate office for what happened to me.

I get that many Okanagan people are subject to this example and far worse examples of racism from the wider society and after reading an article in the February MacLean’s magazine outlining just how racist our society is towards First Nations peo-ple, I agree that something must be done about it.

Another issue relating to racism and First Nations people is the issue of “brown on brown” racism or lateral violence amongst our own people.

What purpose does it serve to put down your fellow First Nations person for not being “indian enough?” Sure, some of us don’t hunt or fish regu-larily, but that doesn’t mean we don’t know how.

Perhaps some of us are just as comfortable in the non-First Nations world as we are within it. What’s wrong with that?

What makes a person Okanagan? Is it being able to speak the language? Is it being able to recount the stories of our ancestors?

When I was a boy, I asked my mom what it meant to be First Nations and she didn’t even pause for a moment when she said, “Proud.”

That was good enough for me.

So I guess I’m throwing a lifeline to all of the folks reading this who have felt they have been judged by other First Nations people. Things can and will get better for First Nations people when we figure out that we have common goals and the only way to reach those goals are to work together and not keep attacking each other.

It’s strange to say, but I can almost accept

ignorant comments when they come from non-First Nations people. I know that the education system doesn’t serve them well when it comes to our issues.

What I find increasingly hard to do is to accept the racism from my fellow First Nations people. We should know better. Sure, I have a white grandma and I love her with all my heart. The lessons about love and reconciliation she has taught me will go with me to my grave.

I’m going to make a promise to be as accepting and open to the lives and viewpoints of my fellow humans, First Nations and Okanagans.

I challenge anyone who is reading this to do the same.

How can we demand honour and respect from the non-Okanagan world when we have a difficult time showing honour and respect for each other? Editor Joseph Jack

discusses a subject close to home.

From the Editor


Public Works and Housing

Senk’lip Submissions: If you would like to submit a news story to Senk’lip, please email the text in .doc format and all photos must be of high resolution (no Facebook photos) and the

deadline for applications is the 15th of each [email protected]

page 5

NEW STAFFHappy New Year from the Housing Department.

We’ve had a few changes since our last Sen’klip submission.

We are very happy to welcome the new Director of Public Works & Housing, Eddy Davis, who is very knowledgeable, and excited to help our De-partment succeed; he has been a huge relief to our department!

I’d also like to thank Amber Louis, our Housing Intern & Tara Joe for all of their help in the last few months to help get things on track with our filing system, and everything else that they do.SIX MILE SUBDIVISION HOUSES-PEBBLE PARK LANE

As of today, 3 houses have been sold in the Six Mile Subdivision, and all 3 families were moved into their house in time for Christmas.

A huge congratulation goes out to all 3 families that are beginning this new chapter in their lives!

If you are an OKIB Band member that would like to purchase a house, you can contact Tetku Coutlee anytime at 250-542-3444, ext.406, or email at [email protected] to start the process.CMHC

Every 5 years CMHC performs a Physical Con-dition Review of randomly chosen houses picked by CMHC. This year 6 houses were chosen, and we passed with minimal repairs to be done.

Every 3 years a Client Visit is also completed, ours was on December 15th & 16th. The Client Visit is to identify areas where practices do not meet the terms of the Operating Agreement; to provide recommendations for improvements and to advise of procedures to be implemented to ensure compliance with the Operating Agreements; and to recommend improvements to the overall management of the On-Reserve Non Profit Housing Program.

CMHC was very happy with the management of

our Housing Program, including the files, the financ-es, and our maintenance performed on the physical conditions.

As long as we remain compliant we will be able to apply for more houses to be built this year!!SOCIAL HOUSING/RENTALS

Our Social Housing/Rental application waitlist is now sitting at over 100 applications. As I had said in the Fall, many of them are quite outdated.

For all applications, applicants need to phone or come into the office to update their application by the first week of January annually. In saying this, we will be taking out all applications that are over a year old, and have not been updated by FEBRU-ARY 16th, 2015.

If there are any immediate changes to your application, our office can be called or emailed at any time. If applicants choose not to update their application it shall be deemed inactive.

It is the applicant’s responsibility to apply each year in order to keep their application active and considered for social housing as it becomes avail-able.

In early 2015, all applicants will receive a letter with a number (ex: 2015-0001). With this number applicants will be able to go online, on our band website, www.okib.ca, and see where they are on the waitlist for housing.RENOVATIONS/HOUSE SUBSIDIES

2014 was a nice year for renovations and house subsidy applications.

The Housing Department applied for, and re-ceived approximately a quarter of a million dollars in funding! We are in the process of finishing these houses, and renovations, and will be able to move on to more subsidies in 2015.

If you would like an application sent to you, or need help with an application you can call our office at 250-542-3444, or email myself anytime at tetku.

[email protected]. Just keep in mind that the renovation wait list is

quite long so please don’t expect immediate renova-tions after applying.

In the New Year all applicants will be receiving an application number, and all applicants will be able to see where they are on the wait list at any time on our Band website, www.okib.ca.ARREARS

Arrears are still going down. Thank you to ev-eryone that keeps up with their rent and repayment agreements, you are making a difference!!

When I started last July, the arrears were at $331,781.83, as of December 19th they are at $235,041.61; which means arrears are down $96,740.22!

All payments have to be made by the 1st of every month, if payment is not made the tenant will receive an eviction letter by the 2nd of every month, and this process will continue indefinitely. YEARLY INSPECTIONS

It’s almost that time again!!Our maintenance team has worked hard all year

to complete most of the work orders from the 2014 yearly inspections.

This year we will be able to compile what is needed for our multi-year maintenance plan. This will be able to keep our costs down by purchasing items in bulk, especially for those high-cost items.ECAP

We still need all tenants to sign their ECAP forms, so that BC Hydro can come into your home to try and make your Hydro Bills lower, and could possibly replace appliances.

If you are not an OKIB tenant you can also apply for this program through our office. Please contact Amber Louis for more information at 250-542-3444, or by email at [email protected].

Public Works and Housing Deparment Provides Updates to Membership

For Sale For Sale For Sale

This beautiful home is 2872 Sq ft with three bedrooms up stairs, ensuite, covered deck, two bathrooms with laundry space.

$244,120

This large family home is 3042 Sq ft with three bedrooms up and down, ensuite, covered deck, two bathrooms with laundry space.

$258,570

This beautiful home is 2546 Sq ft with master bedroom with walk in closet, covered deck, two bathrooms with laundry space.

$216,410

Senk’lip - January 2015

Health and Social Development page 6

FNHA Seeks Community Input Regading TobaccoThe First Nations Health Author-ity is developing a Respecting Tobacco Framework to support Aboriginal people to improve health, reduce non-traditional tobac-co use and increasing awareness of tradition-al tobacco use in com-munities. In honor of this work, the FNHA and the FNHDA are working together to develop a training session for community Health Directors and Health Care pro-fessionals around tobacco ces-

sation. The First Nations Health Directors Association is assisting with the coordination of the six

regional sessions that will be held during the months of February and March 2015.Okanagan area work-shop takes place in Kelowna on Wednes-day, February 24-25.visit

www.RegOnline.com/Re-spectingTobaccoInterior to regis-ter for this free sessionVisit FNHA.CA for more info

1. Add fresh fruit. Citrus fruits, such as lemons, limes, and oranges, are classic wa-ter enhancers, but other fruit flavors might also tempt your taste buds. Try crush-ing fresh raspberries or watermelon into your water, or adding strawberry slices. Cucumber and fresh mint are refreshing flavors as well — especially in summer.2. Use juice. Any fruit juice can be a good base flavor for water, but tart juices, like cranberry, pomegranate, grape, and apple, are especially delicious. Go for juices that are all natural, with no added sugars. And remember: Fruits and their juices don’t just taste good — they contain vitamins and antioxidants that can benefit your health too.3. Make it bubbly. Many people prefer sparkling to still water. If plain old water isn’t inspiring to you, try a naturally effervescent mineral water — which will give you the added benefit of minerals. Or try bubbly seltzer, a carbonated wa-ter. You can add fresh fruit or natural juice flavors to your seltzer, as suggested above, or look for naturally flavored seltzers at your local market. If you become a seltzer devotee, you might want to consider getting a seltzer maker for your

home.4. Get creative with ice. Some say that ice water tastes better than water served at room temperature. If that’s so, flavored ice cubes may make an even better drink. Use some of the flavoring suggestions above and start experimenting with fresh fruit, mint, or cucumber ice cubes. Simply chop your additive of choice, add it to your ice cube tray along with water, then freeze. You may also consider juice, tea, or coffee cubes. If you want to be more creative, use ice cube trays that come in fun shapes, like stars, circles, or even fish.5. Drink tea. Herbal, fruit, green, white, and red teas are generally considered to be better for you than black teas (or coffee, for that matter) because they con-tain little to no caffeine. And there are countless flavors of these teas to choose from. Start with the selection at your local market or health food store. If you’re interested in pursuing more exotic flavors and sophisticated teas, start research-ing the vast array of specialty teas that come from all parts of the globe.

Not a fan of water? Try one of these five methods to add a little zip!


Health and Social Development

In last month’s Issue you will have noticed an article with the title of: “You Are Invited”. The article was designed to provide information about health services at the Health Centre and how referrals to the “mainstream” health system are made. It was in response to questions often heard in the community – “I wonder what programs and services are provided at the Health Centre?”; “I wonder how I access them?” “How do I find out if I am eligible for services?”; “Who are the staff and what do they do?”

The article also offered an invitation to find out the answers to these and any other questions you may have or in which you are interested. The invitation included joining our community meeting every two (2) weeks.

Amendment: The Group meets the 2nd and

4th Tuesday of every month from 10 to noon at the Health Centre – not on Wednesdays as reported in the article.

Just to repeat a little of the infor-mation on the role and function of the Group from the article in the last Senk’lip. The discussions are informative, fun, identify commu-

nity health and wellness education topics and create an opportunity for community input. By attending you will learn all about “navigat-ing” the health system and how you can help yourself and others on the path to wellness. And – you get to share a nutritious healthy lunch at the end of each meeting.

Our community Group origi-nated from ONA and IHA spon-sored health promotion workshops called “Navigating Health Care”. The workshops were designed to increase the capacity of com-munity members to access health services in the Interior Health Region and Specialist services within and outside the Region. The health promotion workshops also included how to increase skills to self-advocate and to maintain the Syilx identity, beliefs and practices related to health and wellness.

If you want to find out more about health and social develop-ment programs and services and self-care why not consider drop-ping in to a meeting and joining the Group.

For more information please contact Rosalie at 542-5094

Navigating Mainstream Health

Community Health Meetings

page 7

Join the Staff of the Health and Social Development Department at Community Meetings designed to:

- Provide information about programs and services delivered at the OKIB Health Centre.

- Hear updates regarding the status of the Community Health and Social Development Department.

Upcoming Meetings: February (Head of the Lake)March: Round Lake/Salmon River

Call 250-542-5094 for more info

The Okanagan Nation Alliance (ONA) Chiefs Executive Council has declared Grizzly Bear, known as kiʔlawnaʔ in the nsyilxcen language, as At-Risk and in need of protection.

The Okanagan Nation Alliance has received some funds to support the protection of this at-risk species and to assist in recovery efforts. Fed-eral Minister of Environment, Leona Aglukkaq, has granted a $39,000 project to the Okanagan Nation under Canada’s National Conservation Plan, which works to advance conservation ef-forts across the country. This funding will assist the Syilx Nation to gather important informa-tion and work to build the supportive relation-ships, partnerships and projects needed to help kiʔlawnaʔ survive.

The Syilx (Okanagan) territory was once home to thriving populations of grizzly bears but today few remain. Without prompt recovery efforts, three remnant grizzly populations, the North Cas-cades, the Kettle-Granby, and the South Selkirks will soon disappear. It is critical that we ensure

that kiʔlawnaʔ is protected and recovered in ways consistent with our culture, traditional knowledge, values, laws and customs.

“Kiʔlawnaʔ has been an integral and critical part of Syilx culture since time immemorial” said Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, “its presence in Syilx Territory is an indicator of the health of Syilx land and people. We will work to build the supportive relationships needed ensure that kiʔlawnaʔ will remain and thrive in its natural environment.”

The Chiefs Executive Council also announced it will work with Conservation Northwest and the Coast to Cascades Grizzly Bear Initiative to fur-ther population recovery in southwest BC. Grand Chief Phillip continued, “We call upon govern-ment agencies, our neighbouring nations, and others to also act promptly to save kiʔlawnaʔ”.

Thanks to funding from Environment Cana-da, the Federal Government’s support will help position the ONA and its member communities as leaders in wildlife conservation.

ONA Declares the Grizzly as “At Risk.”

Unhealthy relationships happen in all walks of life, are you or some-one you love in an abusive relationship? Here are some warning signs to watch out for.

An abuser is typically:

1. CHARMING. This person quickly smothers the other with gifts and praise. He/she immediately pushes for an exclusive relationship using phrases such as “I can’t live without you” or “I’ll kill myself if you leave.” A clear indication something is wrong.2. JEALOUS. He/she views others as a threat to the relationship and relentlessly accuses you of flirting. “I know you are having an affair.” The irony is that the abuser is usually the cheater.3. MANIPULATIVE. Abuse and manipulation go hand-in-hand. This person easily detects vulnerability in others and uses it as a weapon to control, belittle and demean the victim. “You are weak and ugly; no wonder you were abused as a kid.” 4. CONTROLLING. Constant checking on the whereabouts of the victim is a common trait for the abuser. “I check the mileage on your car. So don’t lie to me.” A male controller often refuses to let his girlfriend have a job, she might “meet someone.”5. A Victim. An abuser doesn’t take any responsibility for his/ her poor choices. They are never at fault. When she loses her job, or he gets into a fight, someone else is to blame. “You make me hit you” or “I drink because you stress me out.” 6. Narcissistic. The whole world revolves around the abuser and his/her needs. This person is invigorated by the fact that the victims “walks on eggshells” and live in fear of the next outburst.7. Inconsistent. Mood swings are a common trait for an abuser. One minute he/she is happy and sweet, the next they are pounding a fist or throwing a tantrum.8. Critical. Verbally assaulting others is a way of life for the abuser. “You are a stupid, fat, disgusting tramp. You can’t ever leave me; no other man would have you” or “Ha! You call yourself a man. You are nothing but a mama’s boy.”9. Disconnected. Isolation from family and friends is a key goal for the abuser because it forces the victim into total submission. “Your family causes too much trouble for us. I don’t want you seeing them anymore.”10. Hypersensitive. The slightest offense sends the abuser ranting. Everyone is out to “get him/her.” “My boss had it in for me; I bend over backwards on my job but I still got fired.”11. Vicious and cruel. A significant number of abusers harm children and animals as well as a partner. Intimidation and inflicting pain fu-els his/her power. “If I can’t have you, no one will” or “I just pretend-ed to love you so that you would sleep with me.”12. Insincerely repentant. He/she will swear to never “behave like that again.” But unless an abuser receives professional help and solid accountability it’s unlikely the abuse will disappear.

12 Signs of An Abusive Relationship


Miscellaneous page 8

Council seeks community input regarding Syilx Decision Making ProtocolThe Chief and Council of the Okanagan

Indian Band are asking for the membership’s feedback regarding a Sylix Decision Making Protocol to be implemented throughout the Okanagan Nation Alliance member nations.

In a meeting of the Chiefs Executive Council

of the ONA held on December 17th, the CEC made revisions and accepted the document in principle.

The protocol is meant to identify mechanisms for the Syilx people to work cooperatively with respect to land and resource decision making

within the territory. Members are invites to visit our website by

entering www.okib.ca/protocol to download the document or visit the band office for a copy.

Members are able to provide comments via the comments section of the page.

Red Seal Journeyman CarpenterWe are looking to fill this role within our Public Works and Housing Divi-sion. As a Red Seal Journeyman Carpenter, you will be responsible for the mainte-nance, repair and renovation projects for the OKIB.

Your knowledge of carpentry, building maintenance, safety, strong work ethic and possession of a Carpenter Red Seal Certificate will be an asset to the organization. You will be required to follow instructions and work collaboratively in a team setting.The OKIB offers a welcoming team environment and a rewarding job expe-rience as you join us assisting with the maintenance and renovation needs of the community!Hours of work: Monday to Friday (37.5 hours per week)Term: Three-month contract with the possibility of renewalStart date: ImmediatelyDeadline for Applications: Position will remain open until filledInterviews will begin in JanuaryPlease send resume, cover letter and references in any one of three ways:Email: [email protected]: (250) 542-4990Mail: 12420 Westside Road, Vernon, BC V1H 2A4

A Criminal Record Check and 3 References are required.View Job Description via our website under job postings!

ONLY THE APPLICANTS WHO ARE SELECTED FOR AN INTERVIEW WILL BE CONTACTED

Okanagan Indian Band

We are looking to fill this role within our Public Works and Housing Di-vision. As a Carpenter Apprentice, you will be responsible for the mainte-nance, repair and renovation projects for the OKIB. Your knowledge of carpentry, building maintenance, safety and strong work ethic will be an asset to the organization. You will be required to follow instructions and work collaboratively in a team setting. The OKIB offers a welcoming team environment and a rewarding job experience as you join us assisting with the maintenance and renovation needs of the community!

Hours of work: Monday to Friday (37.5 hours per week)Term: Three-month contract with the possibility of renewalStart date: ImmediatelyDeadline for Applications: Position will remain open until filledInterviews will begin in JanuaryPlease send resume, cover letter and references in any one of three ways:Email: [email protected]: (250) 542-4990Mail: 12420 Westside Road, Vernon, BC V1H 2A4

A Criminal Record Check and 3 References are required.View Job Description via our website under job postings!

ONLY THE APPLICANTS WHO ARE SELECTED FOR AN INTERVIEW WILL BE CONTACTED


Carpenter Apprentice


YouthDo you have a valentine to call your own this year? Did you tell your valentine

that you loved them?

Fun indoor games to play with your kidsPicture it, the kids are glued to the TV and you want them to get active. Try these activities with your children! Safety first!Animal Charades: Write the names of various animals on slips of paper and drop them into a bowl. Take turns choosing a slip and acting out the animal (try it with no sounds for a real challenge) until someone guesses cor-rectly.Catch with a catch: Have each play-er toss a beach ball into the air and try to touch his nose or high-five the other players before the balls drop. Make the challenges harder as you go along.

Stand togetherHave two kids sit on the floor, back to back, with arms linked at the elbows. See if they can work together to get themselves into a standing position. They’ll need to push against each other in order to get to their feet. Then see if they can stay linked while walk-ing around and trying to pick up items from the floor.Potato drop:Got some competitive kids? Set up a race: Place two widemouthed jars (or small bowls) at a finish line. Mark a starting point about 15 feet away, and give each child a potato. They’ll race, carrying the potato between

their knees, to see who can drop it into the jar first, no hands allowed. If rac-ers (walking, hopping, running, falling down laughing) drop the potato, they must go back to the starting line.DIY balance beam While you have your masking tape out, why not make your own balance beam? We all know how much kids love walking in straight lines every chance they get. Put on some music, and one at a time the kids can take their turn walking one-foot-over-the-other across the straight line of tape. Make the game more challenging by having the kids walk backwards or balance with one foot on the line.

page 9


Snc’c’amala?tnSENKLIP February 2015From the ManagerLorraine Ladan

ClosuresAll childcare and school programs

will be closed on:Monday, February 9 – Family DayFriday, February 20 – Staff PD DayMonday, February 23 – Staff PD

DayJust an early reminder, that the

school, including Preschool and Kindergarten will be closed for one week at Spring Break, from March 23 to 27. The daycare will be open during Spring Break.

School AssessmentThe next meeting of the Steer-

ing Committee will be on Thurs-day, January 29 at 3:15 pm at Snc’c’amala?tn.

Our Mentor, Brenda Humchitt, will be visiting our school on Monday, February 23. She will be review-ing the work we have done to date and providing feedback about the Summary Statements that we have developed. We will then be starting to develop a School Growth Plan for improving our school.

The First Nations schools assess-ment process is intended to enable First Nations schools to

undertake a meaningful review of their operations, including challeng-es and successes, in order to contin-ually work toward school improve-ment.

We will continue to keep you updated.

If you have any questions, you may contact Mark Flinsky at 250-260-3616 or me at 250-545-3800.

Infant/ToddlerHappy Birthday to our friend

Taneesha Happy Birthdays from January to

our friend Violet, and Nancy, and a very happy birthday to our Tupa

Here in the Baby room we have been enjoying all the snow. We have been able to build snowmen, make trails, sled, and even get to color the snow. With this a quick reminder to please send snow pants, coat, mittens, and warm hat every day, as we will be going out every morning unless weather permits otherwise.

Adrian likes looking at picture books and naming objects

Delissa is getting ready to move over to the 3-5 room

Isabelle likes being a puppyGunner likes drumming and sing-

ing Leanna likes to look after the baby

dolls Sophia likes to make people laugh

Reese likes to play with farm ani-mals and read farm books

Both Luna and Taneesha are walk-ing almost running

Elizabeth likes to act and play pretend

Shihiya likes to be a baby jaguar Camilla likes to help others Violet just started with us and she

likes to be outdoors Limlimpt Mary Marchand, Au-

tumn Marchand and Theresa Clark3 to 5 Year Old Daycare / Head

StartWe would like to welcome Jack-

son, Aurora, and Delissa to our Headstart program, wow we now have 18 children enrolled in our class. We are going to busy, but fun!

Happy Birthday to our Tupa (Vir-gina) Neveah, Mikahm Jackson, Aurora, and Lorraine.

There is family day in February. Could you send pictures of your family with your child so we can put them up for the class to see. I will send out a reminder.

Our Parent Activity Night for Feb-ruary is scrapbooking. Come out for a visit and have a snack from 5-7pm.

LimlimptDenise Alexis, Jordyn Alexis,

Mona Tronson and Our Tupa (Vir-ginia)

PreschoolWay! From the speplina Room. Happy Birthday to Liam March-

and on January 15, 2015 he turned “chilxs.”

In January we had winter fun day. The Children really enjoyed the huge dump of snow. Donna and I packed the sled hill for the children to go sledding. Later we sprayed the snow with colored water. The children said “it looked cool!” Kindergarten and Preschool had a tug-o-war! Preschool was victorious,

way to go Preschool!Preschool will also be going on a

field trip to the Vernon library. Read-ing to your child is very important for early literacy.

Our class has been working on writing their names, upper case and lower case letters from the alphabet.

I hope that everyone had a good time during the holiday’s and the 2 snow days. Wishing you all the best in the New Year.

Limlimpt: Karla Louis Donna LewisKindergartenHappy New Year from the P’qel

qin room,It’s good to be back. We hope

everyone had a good holiday. We started off January learning about the winter season and about pen-guins. Soon we are starting our author study on Robert Munch. The class really enjoys listening to his stories and choosing their favorite one. On January 9th we had a Winter Fun Day. There was lots of snow and we had a fun time getting out and sledding, playing and having a tug of war with the preschool class.

In Math we have been counting by 1’s and 10’s to 90 and learning about comparing sets of objects using the terms ‘more’, ‘fewer’ and ‘as many as’. The students are continuing to learn new letters, identify and pro-duce rhyming words and are learn-ing how to blend sounds together to read simple words in our new reading program.

LimlimptMrs. Alexis and Trish JohnsonKindergarten Teacher and Certified

Education Assistant

page 10

Snc’c’amalatn Kindergarten class 2014-2015 went on their 14th annual field trip to sing songs in the Okanagan language to the New Horizons Elders group. We presented the elders with gifts the children made with our help. I started this program to teach the children to make gifts for others. “ THE GIFT OF GIVING ” in turn, the elders give the children a gift each. In this way we teach the children that it is a good thing to give.

Childhood Delicacy Still Delicious!

A fun snack to make with the kids! (Makes 10 logs)Ingredients: 5 stalks celery1/4 cup raisins1/2 cup peanut butter, cheeze whiz or cream cheese.Directions: Cut the celery stalks in half. Spread with peanut butter. Sprinkle with raisins.

Diabetic Friendly Dessert Ideas

Peanut Butter Swirl Chocolate Brownies

Makes: 20 servings Carb Grams Per Serving: 17

Ingredients:Nonstick cooking spray 1/4 cup butter 3/4 cup granulat-ed sugar or sugar substitute blend* equivalent to 3/4 cup sugar 1/3 cup cold water 3/4 cup refrigerated or frozen egg product, thawed, or 3 eggs, lightly beaten 1/4 cup canola oil 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour** 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa pow-der 1/4 cup miniature semisweet choco-late piecesDirections:- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x9x2-inch baking pan with foil, extending foil up over the edges of the pan. Lightly coat foil with nonstick spray. Set aside.- In a medium saucepan, melt butter over low heat; remove from heat. Whisk in sugar and the water. Whisk in egg, oil, and vanilla until com-bined. Stir in 1 cup of the flour and the baking powder until combined. (Batter will be thin at this point.) Place peanut butter in a small bowl; gradu-ally whisk in 1/2 cup of the batter until smooth. Set aside. In another small bowl, combine the remaining 1/4 cup flour and the cocoa powder. Stir into the plain batter; stir in chocolate pieces. Pour chocolate batter into prepared pan. - Drop peanut butter batter in small mounds over chocolate batter in pan. Using a thin metal spatula, swirl batters together. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes* or until top springs back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.


Youthpage 11

Snc’c’amala?tn News continued

Snc’c’amala?tn preschool -Top left photo Adrian ventures out into the deep snow after the Snowkanagan Storm of 2015 occured in early January. Right: Leanna and Delissa enjoying the snow!

Background: Agreements are developed locally by each school district and the local Aboriginal communities. The goals focus on students success, and agreements are designed to highlight the importance of student achieve-ment performance as well as other areas of success important to Aboriginal communities. The enhancement agreement (EA) will articulate realistic goals, strategies, and assessments, which will facilitate continued improve-ments in education for all Aboriginal students in School District 22. Elements of the agreement: - Are intended to continually improve the quality of edu-cation achieved by all Aboriginal students;- Support strong cooperative, collaborative relationships between Aboriginal communities and school districts;- Provide Aboriginal communities and districts greater autonomy to find solutions that work for Aboriginal stu-dents, the schools and the communities; and- Require a high level of respect and trust to function.Collaborative Engagement: Consensus is reached with community engagement that respects the voice of all Aboriginal participants and SD 22 employees. Through continuous dialogue, all communities develop a shared ownership of the agreement. The goals of the EA are de-veloped jointly between the school district and the local Aboriginal communities. Chair and Vice-chair:We, Jami Tonasket/Chair and Colleen Larson/Vice-chair, have followed a Qualitative research approach which means collecting narratives in a personal respectful man-ner that honors the participants’ experiences and voices. We have asked Aboriginal Students, Parents, Elders, Aboriginal Leaders, and SD Employees etc. to identify “What success looks like for Aboriginal students”? To date opportunities for parents and community mem-bers to contribute have included meetings at schools, email contacts on the school district website, and at community events and meetings, while respecting ‘their choice’ to contribute at this time. Aboriginal Enhancement Working Group:We extended an invitation to participate in the School District 22 Aboriginal Education Enhancement Working Committee in early May 2014. Representatives from the School District and local Aboriginal communities are a part of the working group. This includes representatives from the Okanagan Indian Band, the Vernon & District Metis Association, and the First Nations Friendship Centre. The role of the members of the working group is to par-ticipate in the process of creating an Aboriginal Educa-tion Enhancement Agreement between School District 22 and the local Aboriginal communities. The group will usually meet monthly, however it may be necessary to meet more often as we are nearer to completion. The Aboriginal Enhancement Working group has collabo-rated to define goals of the ‘Work Group’:- To create an awareness of the importance and need for

an AEEA in SD 22.- To be inclusive of everyone’s voice to promote sense of belonging. - To respectfully gather community voice to determine what success looks like for their children.- To identify programs & services, for example mentor-ship for all students, to be properly prepared for post-sec-ondary secondary education with a positive personal and cultural identity. - To clearly communicate the successful completion of an AEEA.Progress update May to August 2014 has been focused on:- Developing relationships amongst: Aboriginal Enhance-ment Working Group and local Aboriginal Communities. Relationship building is ongoing throughout the develop-ment of the EA - Background information on Enhancement agreements that included meeting with neighboring School Districts to seek ‘best practices’, sharing of assessment tools and overall advice - Providing Working Group and Aboriginal leadership with up-to-date reports e.g. Socio-Economic conditions within the Okanagan, FNESC reports etc. - Partnerships with: local Education institutions (Okana-gan College, UBC –Okanagan & Indigenous Adult and Higher Learning Association), Literacy Junction, First Nations Employment etc. - Meetings with Aboriginal Leadership, Elders, SD Ad-ministrators & employees, CUPE, and Vernon & District Teachers Association to provide: background informa-tion, seek collaborative support, and provide them with a ‘voice’ in the building of the EA - Support and Guidance: Ongoing support is provided by Colleen Hannah, Ministry of Education, Aboriginal Enhancement - Communication and Community Engagement is a priority throughout the development of the Aboriginal Education Enhancement Agreement:- Researched best practices for community engagement (acknowledging community challenges and developing solution oriented strategies) - Confirmed community ‘voice’ is needed for EA- Identified templates for communicationsProgress updates September to December 2014:Community Engagement and Communication:- To gain insight directly from community on how to communicate more effectively to get the word out- Developed with individual schools and Aboriginal com-munities date/time/location of community engagements e.g. student, parents, principals, staff etc. This includes how the community will participate e.g. in person, email, phone, hand written input etc. - Targeted major sectors for community engagement e.g. Family of schools/individual schools, OKIB, FNFC, Metis Society, First Nation Employment Centre, Vernon Native Housing, Vernon & District Teachers Association,

CUPE etc. - Communication notices sent out via: SD 22 website, OKIB website & Facebook, postings at FNFC and Metis Society and Morning Star advertisement of ‘Community Meetings’. - All SD 22 and Aboriginal community engagements are complete by Chair and Vice-chair. This includes invit-ed: Aboriginal students, teachers/staff, parents, Elders, Aboriginal Leadership representatives etc. - We have communicated to everyone that they may contact us to re-visit (and some schools have) to provide more input. We do understand that community may need time to process and we are open to this. We have provid-ed our contact information with each respective school and Aboriginal community. - The Working Group reviewed transcripts from school and community meetings to identify emerging themes. Key themes from participants are being sorted and cate-gorized in preparation for drafting goals for the enhance-ment agreement.- Aboriginal Enhancement Working Group members discussed ‘Community Engagement’ and it is decided that the Chair & Vice-chair will meet with the Aboriginal Support Workers (first week of January 2015) to provide guidance in facilitating one more opportunity for Aborigi-nal Students to provide input into the EA at their respec-tive schools. Next steps January to April 2015:- Community Engagement is ongoing. Parents/guardians may contact their child’s school for information, updates and input. -‘Themes’ identified by SD 22 schools and Aboriginal community will be sorted by the Working Group- The Working Group will review themes from commu-nity input and begin developing realistic goals and a draft Aboriginal Education Enhancement Agreement.- Progress will be continuously shared with all partners: Okanagan Indian Band, Vernon District Metis Associ-ation, First Nation Friendship Centre, Administrators, Vernon Teachers Association and CUPE The agreements are ‘living documents’ and developed for a five-year period. Strategies will be assessed frequent-ly during the term of the agreement to determine their effectiveness. As the end of the agreement approaches, districts and Aboriginal communities develop a new EA by re-engaging and undertaking a full review of goals and student needs. Jami Tonasket, Chair, Aboriginal Education Enhancement AgreementContact: [email protected] Phone: 250-540-9037Colleen Larson, Vice-chair, Aboriginal Education En-hancement Agreement Contact: [email protected], Phone: 250-260-0132

Aboriginal Education Enhancement Agreement Progress Report

Senk’lip - December 2014

Miscellaneous Jokes to tell your kids

1. Why did the chicken cross the playground? -To get to the other slide.

2. What do you call a pig that knows karate? - A pork chop!

3. Why do bees have sticky hair? -Because they use honeycombs.

4. Why was the man running around his bed? -He wanted to catch up on his sleep.

5. What does a robot frog say? -Rib-bot. (Said in your best robot voice)

6. Why is 6 afraid of 7? -Because 7 8 9!

7. What’s black and white, black and white, black and white? -A penguin rolling down a hill!

8. Why do cows wear bells? -Because their horns don’t work!

9. What does a snail say when it’s riding on a turtle’s back? -Weeeee!!

10. How did the barber win the race? -He knew a short cut.

I wrote this poem after observing my cousin’s wife, because it would not take much to bring her close to tears when things did not go as planned.Fragile mindFragile mindMeek and tender soulFeelings are easily spun into turmoilThrough delicate hands, patience and understandingYou can learn to flex your assertivenessLet your voice be heardYou will be overflowing with pride and satisfactionNot having to fear the unknownBut embrace in your freedom of choiceHaving control over your thoughts, mind, body and soul

Gail Hickman ©August 30, 2010

Announcements

Word Search

“Ensuring the Future Through Cultural, Social and Economic Development”

12420 Westside Road Vernon, BC, V1H 2A4 Telephone: 250-542-4328 Facsimile 250-542-4990 Email: [email protected]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 23, 2015 Please be advised that Okanagan Indian Band (OKIB) has been made aware that there has been a person/persons impersonating the Okanagan Indian Band Volunteer Fire Department via door-to-door knocking requesting money for the Fire Department. Please be advised that the OKIB Volunteer Fire Department IS NOT door-to-door fundraising nor are they contacting anyone by phone asking for money. This also is a reminder that if you are contacted by telephone to NEVER give out credit card information or any other personal information. Home owners should also NOT give money to people soliciting door-to-door. In the event you are contacted by someone claiming to be from the OKIB Volunteer Fire Department – Please contact our Fire Chief, Dave Lawrence at 250-542-1243.

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Congratulations Lindsey

We wish to congratulate our daughter Lindsay Mae Louis!

We are so proud of her for graduating from Western Uni-

versity in London, Ontario with a Masters in Library and Information Science!

Congratulations Lindsey!Love Mom (Jami Tonasket,)

Dad (Byron Louis,) and family

Special Thanks &Happy Birthday!

Special thanks for Walline and family for arranging a surprise birthday party for Rosie Williams on

Saturday January 17th.

From Russell

Get into winter fun with silver star mountain resort

Okanagan Indian Band Chief and Council are pleased to announce that Silver Star Mountain Resort have agreed to a trial offer for reduced rates on Season Passes, rent-als, lessons and complimentary support for OKIB members and groups. To learn more about this opportunity, please log into www.okib.ca/silverstar Members must contact Rosalie at 250-542-5094 BEFORE hitting the mountain to receive discounted pass.

OKIB Language NestOkanagan Indian Band Language Nest program is named E hee-a-thinaugh che-

kwook”tl”ap il skwook”tl”eelt I’ll ghugh “tl”a hap which translates into English as “the sun rising over the hill on the fawn and the older people.”

The purpose or vision of the Nest is to provide an opportunity for children, ages 1- 4 years, to be immersed in the Okanagan language and connect to fluent elder lan-guage speakers and teachers. Children learn more of the language through interact-ing with the elders during playtime, cultural activities, stories and songs. The Nest is being developed to restore relationships within community, between generations

of speakers and with the land.

The nest is open Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday from 12-4Family Nights on Monday’s from 5-8pm

Nest Located on Victoria Road (across from the Six Mile Firehall)Contact Cathy or Marnie at 250-503-5593 for more information

[email protected]


February Senk'lip

Documents

Transcript of February Senk'lip