This year Canada is celebrating 150 years as a nation, however a collaboration between the Kelowna Museum and the Snc蓹wips Heritage Museum aims to acknowledge and inform everyone about the much longer history of this land and its people.

With funding from the Central Okanagan Foundation害羞草研究所檚 Canada 150 grants program, the museums representing both sides of the lake are creating six videos that bring Indigenous knowledge and perspective to topics of interest in the Okanagan.

害羞草研究所淲e want to share that our culture and our language are alive and growing, and we are proud of our community,害羞草研究所� said Jordan Coble from the Snc蓹wips Heritage Museum in Westbank and a member of the syilx/Okanagan Nation. 害羞草研究所淭hese videos bring an authentic and inclusive view of history told from the voices of our people themselves.害羞草研究所�

The short films are being produced by Rick Sagayadan from SAGAcom, a trusted videographer in the Westbank First Nation community and feature several syilx Elders.

Linda Digby, Executive Director of the Kelowna Museum, explained why this was an important project to undertake during Canada害羞草研究所檚 sesquicentennial.

害羞草研究所淔irst, we wanted to bring a new perspective to Canada害羞草研究所檚 story, not the whitewashed version. It害羞草研究所檚 about acknowledging that First Nations history goes back much further than 150 years. Secondly, this project is an important local follow-up on the findings of the Truth and Reconciliation Report. And finally, the BC education curriculum now includes teaching on Indigenous culture and history, yet many local teachers don害羞草研究所檛 know how or where to get information.害羞草研究所�

Each video highlights uniquely Okanagan topics, such as the syilx water spirit n虛x虒a蕯x虒蕯itk史 (known by many as Ogopogo), the significance of traditional winter homes called q虛史c虛i蕯 in the traditional language, and the effects of the Father Pandosy Mission and residential schools on local First Nations members.

害羞草研究所淲e chose a wide range of topics because we want to reach a wide range of people,害羞草研究所� Coble added. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 not to show right or wrong or lay blame, but to reclaim our history and get the authentic truth out there.害羞草研究所�

The videos are set to be complete in the fall and will be shown at both Snc蓹wips Heritage Museum and Kelowna Museums, and online for all to view.

Both Coble and Digby are passionate about expanding on the project and strengthening the Museums relationship further in the future.

害羞草研究所淥ur goal is that when people leave the Kelowna Museum, they can look around at the land with a new perspective,害羞草研究所� Digby said.

害羞草研究所淲e hope for all people to understand what it means to be Okanagan, and appreciate those walking with us on the journey towards reconciliation,害羞草研究所� Coble said.