Splatsin First Nation

Splatsin First Nation launches lawsuit against B.C. government

ENDERBY - A local First Nation has filed a lawsuit against the B.C. government accusing it of ignoring the band's jurisdiction over the welfare of its children.  The Splatsin First Nation in Enderby served the province a notice of claim during a rally outside Premier Christy Clark’s constituency office in Kelowna Tuesday, Oct. 13. The...

State of the art Splatsin Community Centre to open next month

ENDERBY - A new landmark on the Splatsin First Nation reserve in Enderby is set to open its doors next month. The Splatsin Community Centre on Highway 97A will have a grand opening Dec. 5. The circular building is modelled after the Splatsin’s traditional winter pit houses and features a green roof. With a full-sized...

Okanagan and Splatsin band financial records revealed

VERNON - The Okanagan Indian Band’s chief and council were paid double what City of Vernon elected officials received in remuneration and expenses last year. This is the first year First Nations are required to disclose their financial information as part of the new First Nations Financial Transparency Act. It’s resulted in some eye opening...

New Splatsin Community Centre is ‘awesome’ chief says

ENDERBY - As far as community centres go, this one looks a little different. The brand new, state of the art Splatsin Community Centre in Enderby is well on its way to completion and is worth stopping by to take a look at, if only from the outside. Splatsin chief Kukpi7 Wayne Christian describes it...

Regional districts, Splatsin band join forces to acquire abandoned railroad

ENDERBY - Local governments and First Nations will work together to acquire a discontinued rail corridor stretching from Armstrong to Sicamous. The North Okanagan Regional District, Columbia Shuswap Regional District and Splatsin Band have formalized their partnership with a Memorandum of Understanding, an important step in pursuing the land deal. “It brings us together as...

$1.4 million to train Okanagan Aboriginal workers for “in-demand” jobs

VERNON – The province is spending nearly $1.4 million dollars to train 50 Aboriginal workers to be heavy equipment operators it says are in-demand. The program will be run in partnership with the Southern Interior Construction Association with workers from the Splatsin First Nation, the Okanagan Indian Band and the Westbank First Nation will take...

Preschoolers tackle racial tensions using locally-designed dolls

ENDERBY - A troop of handmade, multicultural dolls called the Backpack Kids have been deployed to local childcare centres where they are bringing a message of diversity and acceptance to young children. The life-sized puppets, each representing a Canadian kid with a different cultural background, are part of a newly launched teaching curriculum designed to...

Splatsin First Nation takes lead role acquiring rail corridor

ENDERBY - The Splatsin First Nation is taking a lead role shaping the future of the abandoned Canadian Pacific Rail line between Armstrong and Sicamous. The band is hoping to bring all stakeholders together in the coming weeks to develop a plan to preserve the line in its entirety, and come up with a use...

Splatsin First Nation acquires portion of rail corridor

ENDERBY - There’s been a significant advancement on the discontinued rail corridor between Armstrong and Sicamous. Following lengthy negotiations with Canadian Pacific Rail and the federal government, the Splatsin First Nation has acquired 29.25 acres of land along the old rail corridor, which was shut down in 2009. Splatsin Chief Wayne ‘Wunuxtin’ Christian says the...

New Enderby gas station infused with Splatsin culture

VERNON - Next time you fill up at the Super Save gas station in Enderby, follow the bear prints inside the new building. You’ll find intricately carved wooden pillars and doorways, glass etching on the windows and countless other cultural details infused into the brand new gas station store designed by Kevin Halchuk and Grahame...