Be a part of returning sockeye salmon to the Okanagan river system.
Join members of the Syilx/Okanagan Nation and over 430 students from local schools for the ceremonial release of 10,000 Okanagan Sockeye Salmon fry. The ceremonial release takes place annual so that kł cp̓əlk̓ stim̓ (cause to come back) will continue.
The Sockeye Fry Release this year, takes place on May 2, 2019 from 9:30 am - 2:00 pm at the Penticton Channel and En'owkin Centre in Penticton. The event is open to the whole community, everyone is welcome to attend and participate.
The morning kicks off with prayers and songs for the fry’s release. Local schools have been raising sockeye salmon and will have the opportunity to release the fry they have raised. Members of the public will also have the opportunity to participate, releasing fry that has been raised at The kł cp̓əlk̓ stim̓ Hatchery.
"These ceremonies with our language, songs and prayers are an integral part of the work that we continue, to ensure our efforts to revitalize our culture. For thousands of years these ceremonies and customs have been brought forward for our children." - Okanagan Nation Alliance
Following the release, there will be activities for children and families in the baseball fields across from the En'owkin Centre. Lunch will also be provided at 11:45 am and giveaways will be drawn throughout the day.
The sockeye salmon fry have been raised as part of the Okanagan Nation Alliance’s (ONA) 'Fish in Schools (FinS)' Program along with fry from The kł cp̓əlk̓ stim̓ Hatchery. ONA’s FinS is a comprehensive fish education program for school students, with a focus on sc’win (sockeye salmon), their lifecycle, and the importance of their ecosystems. By creating greater awareness of fish species, the intent is for students to become educated and aware of salmon, their habitat, and surrounding ecosystem.
"ntyitix (salmon) is central to the Syilx/Okanagan peoples creation stories and through our captikwl (oral history), passed down through generations; it is our responsibility to be stewards of our lands and waters." - Okanagan Nation Alliance
For more details visit the Okanagan Nation Alliance website.