The Okanagan Nation Alliance is a First Nations Tribal Council in the Canadian province of British Columbia, spanning the Nicola, Okanagan and Similkameen Districts of the Canadian province of British Columbia and also the Colville Indian Reservation in Washington state of the United States of America. Their territory covers roughly 69,000 km2 in the Canadian Province of British Columbia and also some area of Washington state in the United States of America. The diverse landscape covers deserts, lakes, forests, and grasslands.[1]
The people of the seven tribes all have ties to the Syilx tribe whose ancestral territory spanned British Columbia as well as Washington state. The Syilx have their own spoken language, nsyilxcən, which is considered to be endangered, due to the small number of fluent speakers living today. It is a Salishan language and its use declined severely after assimilation due to colonization in the 19th century.[1]
The Alliance consists of seven different bands spanning across British Columbia as well as some of Washington. The alliance is tied among the Okanagan Indian Band, the Westbank First Nation, the Lower Similkameen Indian Band, the Upper Similkameen Indian Band, the Osoyoos Indian Band, the Penticton Indian Band, the Upper Nicola Indian Band, and the Colville Confederated Tribes.[1]