As a settler, it is not for me to define who is Indigenous or not, through any kind of system of blood quantum, therefore I defer to Indigenous communities themselves in defining their own identities. This is particularly important to understand, as there is controversy between the Autonomous Sinixt leader Marilyn James, author of Not Extinct – Keeping the Sinixt Way(2021) and the Sn̓ ʕaýckstx (Sinixt) members of the Colville Confederated Tribes who are represented in the book Geography of Memory (2022).  James who considers herself the direct lineage of the precolonial matriarchal Sinixt leaders through her mother Alvina Lum and Elder Eva Orr, operating outside of the Indian Act in Canada, critiques the Colville Confederated Tribes (CCT) governance as a colonial construct which she discusses in her book. Conversely, members of the Sn̓ʕay̓čkstx of the CCT have criticized James and her “Blood of Life Collective” as “culturally appropriating” (Metcalfe, 2022) Sn̓ ʕaýckstx traditions, calling her a member of the Okanagan Nation infringing on their territory (Rigden, 2022).   To further complicate the issue, the Syilx (Okanagan Nation Alliance) indicate on their website that they represent the interests of the Sinixt (Colville Confederated Tribes) in their Canadian territories. 

 As educators, it might seem that we are in an uneasy position of wondering which group we should support.  Marilyn James and her family, members of the Syilx Okanagan Nation,  claim Sinixt ancestry through James' mother's lineage and Sinixt matriarchal Smum'iem tradition passed on by Sinixt Elder Eva Orr.  They have lived in the Slocan Valley for over 30 years caretaking the Vallican archeological site, and have worked with local schools developing valuable resources for educators, such as the book Not Extinct – Keeping the Sinixt Way(2021).   However, the Sn̓ʕay̓čkstx of the CCT recently won a Supreme Court case which clearly validates that this is their traditional territory.  Their lineage and very clearly researched history is described in Geography of Memory (2022).  They own a house in the Slocan Valley near the Slocan Narrows archeological site, and recently opened an office in Nelson, BC to establish a caretaking presence in the region.  Both groups are working to revitalize Sinixt language and dialects and wish to welcome displaced Sinixt relatives to join their organizations, offering different models of governance and advocacy.        

This conflict seems to be the tragic legacy of colonialism and attempted genocide in this region, which has pitted relatives against each other on the long journey home towards Reconciliation.  As well, as with any groups of people there are always different ideas of what is the best way forward.   In this website, I seek to highlight the groups speaking for themselves. While referring to these different groups of Sinixt descendants, I will use the term Autonomous Sinixt when referring to James' group, and Sn̓ ʕaýckstx/Sinixt when discussing Sinixt descendants connected with the Colville Confederated Tribes, as these are how they refer to themselves. At this point in my understanding, I consider the Syilx (Okanagan) Alliance as a separate, yet related Nation which includes many descendants of the original Sinixt Peoples of this area. As the literature reveals, Reconciliation takes patience, time and listening to Indigenous voices.

For more information:

• James, M. and Alexis, T. (2021) NOT EXTINCT (Second Edition) Keeping the Sinixt Way. Maa Press, New Denver, BC.

• Pearkes, E.D. (2022) The Geography of Memory: Reclaiming the Cultural, Natural and Spiritual History of the Sn̓ ʕaýckstx (Sinixt) First People. Rocky Mountain Books.

• Stovel, L. (2019) Swift River: Stories of the First People and First Travelers in the Columbia River around Revelstoke. Oregon Grape Press.

• A brief summary of my current understandings of the tragic Sinixt experiences of colonization.

•  My Blog Post from July 2022 on Who Is Indigenous? 

References:

Acker, K. (nd.) coyote in tall grass.[image] NPS. https://www.nps.gov/caha/learn/nature/images/DSC_6240361_2_1.jpeg

Chrona, J. (2022) Wayi Wah! Indigenous Pedagogies – An Act for Reconciliation and Anti-Racist Education. Portage & Main Press.

Folini, F. (2012) Jumping coyote [image] CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Coyote_(Canis_latrans)_(7147080735).jpg 

FNESC (nd.) First People’s Principals of Learning. https://www.fnesc.ca/first-peoples-principles-of-learning/

James, M. and Alexis, T. (2021) NOT EXTINCT (Second Edition) Keeping the Sinixt Way. Maa Press, New Denver, BC.

Pearkes, E.D. (2022) The Geography of Memory: Reclaiming the Cultural, Natural and Spiritual History of the Sn̓ ʕaýckstx (Sinixt) First People. Rocky \

      Mountain Books.

Metcalfe, B. (2022) Sinixt Woman Occupies Vallican Heritage Site After Province Revokes her Caretaker Role. Nelson Star.    

     https://www.nelsonstar.com/news/sinixt-woman-occupies-vallican-heritage-site-after-province-revokes-her-caretaker-role/

Mobbs, M. (2023) Nature Images.

Rigden, M. (2022) The Fight Back from Extinction. APTN News.  

Stovel, L. (2019) Swift River: Stories of the First People and First Travelers in the Columbia River around Revelstoke. Oregon Grape Press.