Madison Terbasket grew up learning about syilx title and rights from her culture鈥檚 worldview as a member of the Lower Similkameen Indian Band (LSIB).

Since childhood, the 25-year-old has been deeply rooted in her homelands of nk史rulaux史 () in sm菨lqm铆x (Similkameen, Eagle Valley) territory.

As she got older, she said she began to realize that the nearby Copper Mountain Mine was violating not just her First Nation鈥檚 ancestral laws governing water, but other syilx laws, too.

Located south of 鈥淧rinceton, B.C.,鈥� in sm蓹qm铆x homelands in syilx Okanagan territory, the site now known as Copper Mountain Mine has seen operations since 1923. While the mine鈥檚 owners , many are concerned about .

Terbasket said the sm菨lqm铆x鈥檚 鈥渆ntire identity comes from that river.鈥�

鈥淲e鈥檙e the valley of the eagles 鈥� how can you feed the eagles if there鈥檚 no river?鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 our identity. It鈥檚 also very much the lifeblood of our land.鈥�

No access to medicines at mine site: knowledge keeper

In an interview, cewel鈥檔a Leon Louis 鈥� a knowledge keeper from LSIB 鈥� explained that sm菨lqm铆x translates to Eagle Valley, from the nsyilxc蓹n language. 

鈥淲e are the eagle people, famous for eagle feathers and ochre,鈥� Louis told IndigiNews. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what we used to paint our faces and paint our rock paintings. That鈥檚 what our people are known for.鈥�

sknir虛mn (Buttercup) Anona Kampe, a syilx Okanagan knowledge keeper,  that the rock paintings found throughout the territory range from hundreds to thousands of years old.

鈥淲hen anthropologists were first making their journey throughout our territory, they came to the false conclusion that this was our first attempt at a written language. And we knew that wasn鈥檛 true,鈥� said Kampe.

An  published by a local settler historian in 1958 details how the Similkameen Valley between 鈥淧rinceton鈥� and Hedley鈥� features 20 sets of red ochre paintings.

鈥淪ome of the paintings have to do with tribal rites and initiation ceremonies, some are guides for hunters and travelers, others are historical records,鈥� says John Goodfellow鈥檚 The Story of Similkameen.

Goodfellow details how Indigenous people in the valley dug for bitterroot, gathered wild potato and wild onions, picked huckleberries, seeds and much more. 

鈥淔ishing in lakes and rivers supplied much of the Indian diet. Basket traps were used, also horsehair lines to which thorns, or cactus hooks were attached,鈥� the account states.

鈥淣ative women made the baskets, and homemade twine. Before they were able to obtain rifles for hunting the natives used bows and arrows, lariats and snares. Even deer were snared. 

鈥淎t other times a whole tribe, with the help of their dogs, would herd deer into a natural corral, where they were quickly killed with bows and arrows.鈥�

This same historical account details how settlement led to a deliberate attempted extinction of syilx ways of knowing in favour of 鈥渢he white men鈥檚 civilization.鈥� This began with the fur trade, then evolved into mining and the search for gold, copper and coal.

Under settler colonialism, the Copper Mountain Mine鈥檚 location saw its first operations a century ago. Several companies have acquired ownership of the project over the last century, as the mine saw intervals of activity and inactivity.

Louis said the mine site itself bars sm菨lqm铆x members from practicing culture and ceremony in that area, as they had done in the past. 

鈥淲e would go hunt, fish. Picking our roots, our berries, gathering our medicines,鈥� he said. 

The mine not only infringes on their title to land and their right to practice culture and conduct ceremonies, Louis said. Both Terbasket and Louis spoke of how the mining operation also interferes with the sm菨lqm铆x鈥檚 responsibilities to uphold their rights in taking care of the tmx史ulax史 (the land), siw涩k史 (water) and tmix史 (all living things) for the next seven generations to come.

鈥淭hese are our laws that take care of the land. Because if we take care of the land, the land takes care of us,鈥� he said.

鈥淲e think about seven generations yet to come. They鈥檙e not yet born. They need to have clean water, clean air, have access to our foods and medicines. That鈥檚 what seven generations before us did so that we would have access to that. Now, it鈥檚 our responsibility.鈥�

The problem with Copper Mountain Mine and all of its owners throughout its history is that they only care about profit and have no connection to the land, Louis said.

鈥淐ontaminating the land, contaminating the water, contaminating our medicines, our foods. All that affects us. When we eat that, it鈥檚 going to make us sick,鈥� he said.

鈥淲e have a prophecy about that. Eventually, we won鈥檛 have any access to any of our foods, our medicines, the water.鈥�

鈥業s a syilx law not being broken every day by that mine?鈥�

In July, staff at Hudbay Minerals, the current co-owners of Copper Mountain Mine, hosted a meeting with the sm菨lqm铆x community. 

The band members-only gathering was for the company to share its plans to extend the mine鈥檚 life by 14 years, by reviving the mine鈥檚 former Ingerbelle Pit. IndigiNews obtained an audio recording of the meeting.

Terbasket, one of the youngest members to speak at the community gathering, shared her concerns about the proposed Ingerbelle Pit expansion, and the mine as a whole. 

She told the meeting鈥檚 participants that the mine has repeatedly violated syilx laws, and has a history of harming the water. 

This year, the provincial Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy issued six fines to Copper Mountain Mine totalling $105,348, with all of the offences related to the pollution of nearby waters. In 2021, the mine at one point exceeded the legal limit of copper waste discharged from its tailings pond into Wolfe Creek by more than 

鈥淒oes that mine treat our water with respect that we have been taught? How much have they abused that water? And if that is true, then is a syilx law not being broken every day by that mine?鈥� Terbasket said during the meeting. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really terrifying.鈥�

She acknowledged that in today鈥檚 world, corporate profits often 鈥渙utweigh the impact鈥� of resource extraction.

鈥淏ut right now as it stands, I see this as a clear attack on our title and rights,鈥� she said, 鈥渁nd threatening our water 鈥� the lifeblood of our land.鈥�

A syilx Elder and knowledge keeper also spoke up during the meeting, saying they are worried for future generations. IndigiNews did not receive permission to publish their name.

鈥淚 sit in this room and see a few of the young ones, the kids. I worry about them 鈥� what鈥檚 going to be their future? By the time that child is grown up, some of you that鈥檚 making a deal (on the Ingerbelle pit) will be in a bone yard,鈥� the Elder said.

鈥淚鈥檓 worried about my valley here, where I grew up. Too much damage 鈥� I don鈥檛 want to see any more of it.鈥�

At one point during the meeting, a child from the community approached the mic and said she has something to say about the Similkameen River.

鈥淚 just like the river, and you all like the river, do you?鈥� she asked, to which many in the community enthusiastically responded, 鈥淵eah! We love the river.鈥�

syilx Okanagan laws about water 鈥榓ll intertwined鈥�

In their , the Okanagan Nation Alliance (ONA) recognized water as a 鈥渞elation鈥� of people 鈥� a sacred entity to be treated with reverence and respect.

鈥淎ny use of water should be an act of reverence and a commitment to our responsibilities,鈥� the declaration states.

As well, the ONA鈥檚  outlines that the laws related to their territory, lands, water and resources are held in their nsyilxc蓹n language.

鈥淭he Creator has stood us, the nsyilxc蓹n-speaking people, up here as keepers of our territory, lands, water and resources for the good of all time,鈥� the declaration states in its first clause. 

Meanwhile, the ONA鈥檚  states that Creator gave syilx people 鈥渢he responsibility to be keepers of their waters, territory, lands, foods, and resources,鈥� its seventh article says, 鈥渁nd we continue to do so.鈥�

Terbasket, who works for Penticton Indian Band鈥檚 natural resources department, told IndigiNews her nation鈥檚 numerous official documents governing water are interconnected.

鈥淭hey鈥檙e all intertwined,鈥� she explained. 鈥淓ven though you鈥檙e breaking the water declaration, you鈥檙e still going to break the family [and] still breaking the language declarations.

In 2022, LSIB y虛ilmix史m (Chief) kal蕯l霉pa蓩使n Keith Crow told  by a number of factors, including mining contamination, forestry, and climate change. 

鈥淚f we lose the Similkameen, which is the lifeblood of our valley 鈥� we lose our identity,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e lose who we are.鈥�

In November, Crow and Upper Similkameen Indian Band (USIB) Chief Bonnie Jacobsen were among the  vowing with other regional leaders to work together to protect the Okanagan and Similkameen watersheds.

Both Jacobsen and Crow declined IndigiNews鈥� requests to speak about the mine, the proposed Ingerbelle pit expansion, and the contents of the community meeting from July.

In 2019, LSIB and USIB entered 鈥減articipation agreements鈥� with then mine-owners Copper Mountain Mining Corporation. That same year, the application for the New Ingerbelle project had been applied for. 

sm蓹qm铆x leadership has not yet made a decision on the New Ingerbelle Expansion project. It鈥檚 unclear how much revenue the two bands themselves generate from the mining operations.

A  from LSIB and USIB released in 2023 said both First Nations 鈥渉ave been frustrated with the mine for years and the relationship has become increasingly strained.鈥� 

鈥淔irst Nations governments are joint decision makers, and we expect companies on our land to treat us with fairness and respect as the caretakers of our lands and waters since time immemorial,鈥� said a statement from Jacobsen at the time. 

鈥淥ur lands have never been ceded, surrendered, or sold.鈥�

IndigiNews also reached out to Hudbay Minerals but did not receive a response. 

Louis said that even in the face of environmental injustice and corporate greed, the community should never lose their hope and their strength in pushing back against the mine鈥檚 expansion.

鈥淲e should always try. Never give up. It鈥檚 like trying to push a big boulder up a hill,鈥� he said.

鈥淵ou can鈥檛 lose hope. You always gotta keep going. Everything I do is to help my people. I cannot get discouraged.鈥�