Our People

The Syilx Okanagan Nation is made up of eight communities in the interior of British Columbia and Washington. In the Osoyoos Indian Band Community, there are over 600 band members, with over 400 members living and working on the Osoyoos Indian Reserve which stretches from Oliver to Osoyoos. 

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The Osoyoos Indian Band (OIB) acknowledges the ancestors and elders who have carried on our traditions and kept our language, history and culture alive so that we can share it with our guests and visitors. 

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Okanagan people traditionally travelled throughout our vast territory to fish, gather, and hunt for the traditional foods that were in season. Each year, the first harvests of roots, berries, fish and game were celebrated with ceremonies honoring the Food Chiefs who provided for the people. During the winter season, people returned to permanent winter villages. The names of many of the settlements in the Okanagan Valley - Osoyoos, Keremeos, Penticton and Kelowna - are derived from the traditional place name words for these settled areas and attest to the long history of the Syilx people on this land.

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"OIB culture is not just our traditional culture. We are Business People, we have always been business people." Says Chief Clarence Louie, "Archeological evidence proves that we traded with tribes from thousands of miles away. Today we're probably the only band in Canada that has the number of businesses and joint ventures that we have on a per capita basis."

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