Land acknowledgement
The RDCO acknowledges our presence on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded tm̓xʷúlaʔxʷ (land) of the syilx / Okanagan people who have resided here since time immemorial. We recognize, honour, and respect the syilx / Okanagan lands upon which we live, work, and play.
What is tm̓xʷúlaʔxʷ?
tm̓xʷúlaʔxʷ means the land and everything that lives and interacts on it. It is an all encompassing word that expresses the intersectionality of land and nature.
Inclusive regional governance
The Regional Board recognizes that colonial practices exist within our local, provincial and federal government systems. The Board has prioritized redefining our relationships with syilx / Okanagan communities within the Central Okanagan and intends to move forward in the spirit of Reconciliation.
In 2023, the RDCO was provided provincial funding from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs to explore the advancement of First Nation participation on regional district boards. The RDCO and Westbank First Nation (WFN) jointly agreed to engage JWR Business Group to conduct research and then draft the RDCO/WFN Inclusive Regional Governance Initiative - Discussion Paper. The discussion paper was presented to the Regional Board and Westbank First Nation Chief and Council in January 2024. The discussion paper outlined five inclusive governance models for more exploration.
The Ministry of Municipal Affairs has continued to support this initiative with additional funding for 2024/2025. The RDCO and WFN engaged JWR Business Group, supported by Neilson Strategies Inc. in collaboration with Urban Systems, to facilitate a working session on March 13, 2024 and produce an outcome report following the session. The purpose of this meeting was for elected officials and leadership teams from both the RDCO and WFN to further explore the models proposed in the discussion paper and to provide direction on what preferred what preferred models each government would like to further develop as a proposal to the province.
The RDCO/WFN Inclusive Regional Governance - Working Session Summary Report was presented to the Regional Board in June 2024 and Westbank First Nation Chief and Council in July 2024 for endorsement of the proposed decisions-making model and Working Group composition as described in the summary report’s appendices.
RDCO and WFN message on Truth and Reconciliation Day
This path we walk calls on us to acknowledge the truth of what has been done to Indigenous people in the past and continues to this day. The injustices toward syilx / Okanagan people and all Indigenous people across Canada take form through policies that perpetuate racism, hardship, and oppression.
As a non-Indigenous person learning and acknowledging these truths has been uncomfortable and frankly, shameful. Many of us coming from a settler heritage have benefitted from the colonial policies that have led us to where we are today.
This acknowledgement and commitment to educate ourselves is the first step toward Truth and Reconciliation. Often, we want to jump straight to action, but this is a journey we must slow walk to fully understand the ever-present challenges faced by Indigenous people in this place we now call Canada.
Before reconciliation there must be truth.
way̓ limləmt | Thank you
Loyal Wooldridge (he/him)
Chairperson | Regional District of Central Okanagan
Westbank First Nation parks partnership
Visit our syilx / Okanagan partnerships page for more information.