Co-Curricular Making: Honouring Indigenous Connections
to Land, Culture and the Relational Self | June 2023

Way' SSHRC Project Educators, Community Partners, Research Partners, and Research Assistants,

On May 25, the Okanagan Nation Alliance held a ceremonial event at Mission Creek to note this year's record release of 2 million sockeye salmon fry, an effort over 20 years in the making. This kind of hard work, which also invites local schools' involvement is an extraordinary example of positive human involvement to support tmixw regeneration following decades of interference and destruction by humans.

On the Syilx Okanagan Moon Calendar, May 30 - June 27 is the time of miktutən | Okanagan sunflower seeds. We remind you that the Co-curricular Making Resources page emphasizes Syilx Okanagan Knowledge. As you are empowered in protocol-abiding ways through your learning, you may take local action with your students to use the creativity and collective imagination of the group—in the Syilx way—as Dr. Bill Cohen continuously encourages.

Dates for the upcoming phase in the SSHRC partnership are found below. Please remember to fill out the year two reflection survey by June 15. 

Westbank First Nation member and research assistant, Morgan Rashke is introduced in this newsletter. Scroll down to see Morgan's bio, and to see a rich collection of what is offered in our inter-connected community, including a few highlights of recent and future happenings. 

Sincerely,
SSHRC Facilitation Team

Upcoming Opportunities

2023-24 SSHRC Partnership for your calendar

Syilx Water Ceremony and Immersive Exercises |Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2023 4:30-7pm Bertram Creek Regional Park. Led by Kelly Terbasket foregrounding the vulnerable terrain of all learning.

Unlearning/Learning: Needed Modes of Being in support of vulnerable learning terrain (online). Led by Kelly Terbasket.

1. Wenesday, Oct. 18, 2023  4 - 5pm  
2. Wenesday, Nov. 15, 2023  4 - 5pm 
3. Wenesday, Jan. 17, 2024  4 - 5pm 
4. Wenesday, Feb. 14, 2024  4 - 5pm

Working the Ideas Forum | Wednesday, May 1, 2024 10am-3pm Kelowna Museums, Laurel Packing House.

kinSHIFT in the Classroom  Any school relation can participate in kinSHIFT in the Classroom—teachers, Indigenous advocates,classroom and education assistants, leadership, parent council members, university educators—all are welcome!

Email enquiries@kinSHIFT.ca to register by September 29, 2023 

Wondering if kinSHIFT in the Classroom is right for you? Schedule a discovery Zoom with us to ask questions and learn more about the program.

Syilx Language 

miktutən | Okanagan Sunflower seeds ~ from the arrowleaf balsamroot

See the ta’tupa Spirit Bear Moon Calendar on the Okanagan Nation Alliance Resource Page

Food for Thought and Action

Central Okanagan Public Schools Instructional Leadership Team (ILT) Land-based learning and nsyilxcən Language Lessons with Jasmine Peone | Last land-based session this school year Thursday, June 8 4-5pm (starting at Hollywood Rd Education Centre), and language lessons with Jasmine from 5-6pm at Hollywood Road. Dinner and babysitting services provided. 

Nature Network Zoom Session with the ILT | last session this school year Monday, June 19 3:30-4:45pm, where we will be expanding our thinking about learning on the land. Zoom link here. 

captikwl Lunch Group Zoom Session with the ILT | last session Tuesday, June 13 11:10am-11:45am Zoom link here.

Kelowna Museums Indigenous Partnership and Programs | Hosted by Kelowna Museums. Learn about Syilx knowledge and living culture.

Learning a Language: Nsyilxcən for Everyone Level 2 | Hosted by Kelowna Museums. June 13, 20, 27, July 4 6 - 7pm | A 4-week language course led by Knowledge Keepers and Elders of the Syilx nation (see photo below with instructor Jasmine Peone).

ONA Events 2023 | June-Oct | Hosted by Okanagan Nation Alliance. 

Kelowna Art Gallery (KAG) | Upcoming exhibitions include the art of Sheldon Pierre Louis, and Wolves: the art of Dempsey Bob.

UBC Okanagan School of Education Biodiversity | Locally, Dr. Sumer Seiki and UBC Okanagan teacher candidates have undertaken a massive PROSPERS (Preserving and Restoring Okanagan Syilx Plants and Endangered Regional Seeds) project on campus to transform an unused field area into a rich biodiverse space for native plants.

Exhibition | UBC Okanagan Gallery | Invisible Forces | You are on Syilx Territory | Public Opening Reception Wednesday, June 7, 5 - 7pm | Exhibition Dates: June 7 - August 24 | FINA Gallery, FCCS, 1148 Research Road, Kelowna (UBC Okanagan Campus) | Curated by: Stacey Koosel. Two exciting exhibitions of contemporary Indigenous art, Invisible Forces with new works by Krystle Silverfox and Tiffany Shaw, and You are on Syilx Territory with new acquisitions from UBC Okanagan's Public Art Collection by Sheldon Louis, Coralee Miller, David Wilson and Manuel Axel Strain.

Bringing the Salmon Home Documentary | May 2023 | This documentary c. 2023 Bringing the Salmon Home: The Columbia River Salmon Reintroduction Initiative. All rights reserved. This documentary was produced with the Syilx Okanagan, Secwépemc and Ktunaxa Nations, Canada and British Columbia.

For more information about our community partners please visit their sites: Okanagan Nation Alliance, IndigenEYEZ, Kelowna Art Gallery, and Kelowna Museums. Do you have an event that you would like to share? Please email the SSHRC PG facilitation team.

Co-Curricular Making Resources

The purpose of these curricular resources is to deepen local understanding of all who visit, and to enhance educators’ knowledge and capacities toward curricular unlearning (decolonization) and Indigenization. All materials and resources included on this site are publicly available.

Co-Curricular Resource Site

You are receiving this email because of your participation with the Co-Curricular Making: Honouring Indigenous Connections to Land, Culture and the Relational Self Project.

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