Okanagan Indian Band members paddled from Kin Beach to Komasket Park in celebration of National Indigenous Day Friday morning.

This canoe journey was one of several activities throughout the day in celebration of Sqilxw Day, the OKIB celebration of National Indigenous Day.

鈥淲e鈥檝e talked about this for years and its actually going to happen today,鈥� said Allan Louis, Deputy Chair of the First Nations Health Council and member of the Okanagan Indian Band.

Louis took a couple minutes to describe the significance and history behind the activity.

鈥淲e鈥檙e starting at one of the beaches that we always used to beach at (Kin Beach), because this used to be our main community here in Vernon and the Westside used to be a secondary hunting ground.鈥�

He noted how common it used to be for their ancestors to travel that very route.

鈥淥ne of the things we wanted to do was tie our history to today by following the path that we used to take years ago. So today, on Aboriginal Day, we get the chance to take that journey from (Kin) beach to the community we actually live in now,鈥� said Louis.

Separated into three canoes, about 30 paddlers took part in the event. It kicked off at 8:15 a.m. with an opening ceremony and prayer led by Elder Madeline Gregorie. Drumming could be heard throughout the ceremony and continued as paddlers then took to the water and began their journey to Komasket Park beach, which is located near the 11 km mark on Westside Road.

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