ITEN

About Upper Nicola Band

A strong, flourishing community in harmony with our tmixʷ.

Upper Nicola is the only Syilx (Okanagan) community in the Nicola Valley. In the 18th century, ancestors of Upper Nicola permanently inhabited the Upper Nicola and Salmon River watersheds as a result of the Fish Lake Accord with the Kamloops Shuswap tribe. The agreement was made in the late 1700s between the Chiefs of the T’kemlups Secwepemc and the Syilx to end wars between these two communities, where the Syilx were granted the former Secwepemc territory in the vicinity of Douglas Lake.

Around the Community

Within the two communities of spaxmn (Douglas Lake) and n̓łq̓iłəml̓x (Quilchena), there are 138 residential homes. Approximately 363 (37%) of our members live on-reserve . The UNB Housing Society is working on developing more housing to allow UNB members to move home. We are working to develop economic development opportunities to diversify our economy.

The kwU StemtimA/ are working to reassert and assume our full inherent Indigenous jurisdiction as an Aboriginal (S. 35) right in Canada, over our relations, defined as all children, families and community members living on and off reserve.

Chief and Council are working to have deeper understanding of our Inherent rights and aboriginal title, and will be working to support UNB citizens, the rights holders, in building a vision for effective self-governance.

We are a proud, inclusive Syilx community working together to promote suxʷtxtəm, teach our captíkʷł and committed to building foundations through Enowkinwíxʷ.