The Okanagan people have been around since time immemorial, long before the arrival of the Europeans.
The original people of the Okanagan are known as the Syilx speaking people – the “Okanagans” and according to their history they have been here since the beginning of people on this land.
Their history was passed on from one person to another and from generation to generation. It is a history of the meaning of being Syilx, rather than a history of dates.
The Okanagans (Syilx) people occupied an area which extended over approximately 69,000 square kilometres. The northern area of this territory stretched from the area of Mica Creek, just north of modern day Revelstoke, BC and east to Kootenay Lake. The southern boundary extended to the vicinity of Wilbur, Washington and the western border extended into the Nicola Valley.
