To celebrate her 95th birthday, q史蕰ayxnmitk史 x史蓹stalk虛iya蕯 (Jane Stelkia) rode through her Osoyoos Indian Band community on horseback with her family.
of the syilx Okanagan Nation. She was honoured by leaders and community members with cake and speeches last week.
As roughly 100 people packed into the community clubhouse to celebrate on April 11 香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播渁 real good turnout,香蕉视频直播� she said 香蕉视频直播� Stelkia used her platform to share a speech of her own.
香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檓 going to give a little talk 香蕉视频直播� a talk from way back, so people can find out what it was like before,香蕉视频直播� she told IndigiNews.
香蕉视频直播淚 thought to myself, 香蕉视频直播榃ell, if I have a good big one, I香蕉视频直播檓 going to bring out my speech about the Indians.香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈
Stelkia asked a community member to read her speech on her behalf.
In it, she urged Indigenous people to assert a unified 香蕉视频直播淚ndian香蕉视频直播� identity, reclaiming the colonial label imposed by Christopher Columbus in 1492.
香蕉视频直播淔or 532 years, we have been called Indians here, in what is now called Canada,香蕉视频直播� she said, in remarks delivered on her behalf. 香蕉视频直播淔ight to put the Indian back.香蕉视频直播�
After dinner and birthday cake at the Nk香蕉视频直播檓ip Campground香蕉视频直播檚 Clubhouse in sw虛iw虛s (Osoyoos), Stelkia香蕉视频直播檚 speech argued that Canada is attempting 香蕉视频直播渢o side-step the hell that the government put all us Indians through香蕉视频直播� by constantly changing the words used to describe sqilx香蕉视频直播檞 (Indigenous) people 香蕉视频直播� whether 香蕉视频直播淎boriginal,香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播淔irst Nations,香蕉视频直播� or 香蕉视频直播淚ndigenous.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淭hey hope that in 50 or 100 years, no one will remember the Indians that went through hell. They want to erase that part of our history, because they couldn香蕉视频直播檛 erase us,香蕉视频直播� said Stelkia.
香蕉视频直播淪ince I was young, all I heard was that we were Indians. Until the past 20 years, I never heard the words First Nations or Aboriginals among us 香蕉视频直播� Just another form of colonization.香蕉视频直播�
Nearly a century of historic changes
Stelkia, who is an , has lived through monumental changes in her nearly a century of life.
When she was born in 1930, the country had just entered the Great Depression. King George V was 香蕉视频直播淐anada香蕉视频直播檚香蕉视频直播� monarch, and William Lyon Mackenzie King its prime minister. At the time, 香蕉视频直播� unless they gave up any treaty rights and Indian status.
The notorious Duncan Campbell Scott still led the Department of Indian Affairs. In 1920 he made residential 香蕉视频直播渟chool香蕉视频直播� attendance compulsory, was 香蕉视频直播渢o get rid of the Indian problem香蕉视频直播� through total assimilation.
Just five decades before Stelkia香蕉视频直播檚 birth, outlined that the term 香蕉视频直播淚ndian香蕉视频直播� means 香蕉视频直播渁ny male person of Indian blood reputed to belong to a particular band,香蕉视频直播� or 香蕉视频直播渁ny child of such person,香蕉视频直播� or 香蕉视频直播渁ny woman who is or was lawfully married to such person.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淲e are Indians 香蕉视频直播� we were called that from day one, so we gotta stick to that,香蕉视频直播� said Stelkia. 香蕉视频直播淔or 95 years, I香蕉视频直播檝e lived this and I know it.香蕉视频直播�
Reclaiming Indian identity also has legal implications. The controversial term was enshrined in 1982 in , which declared that 香蕉视频直播淎boriginal peoples of Canada includes the Indian, Inuit and M茅tis peoples.香蕉视频直播�
She said governments have 香蕉视频直播渁lways tried to get rid of the Indian香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播� and now she said they香蕉视频直播檙e trying to get rid of the term 香蕉视频直播淚ndian香蕉视频直播� too.
香蕉视频直播淭his is just a more indirect genocide of what was left,香蕉视频直播� she argued, 香蕉视频直播渁fter the first genocide didn香蕉视频直播檛 work.香蕉视频直播�
Over the decades, newer labels like 香蕉视频直播淎boriginal,香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播淔irst Nations,香蕉视频直播� or 香蕉视频直播淚ndigenous香蕉视频直播� have instead served to divide different nations once more unified in fighting for their rights, 香蕉视频直播渁nd this is what the government wants,香蕉视频直播� she said.
She warned that if her people keep changing their collective names, decades in the future 香蕉视频直播渘obody will know the history of wrong done to us.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淭he only way we can bring back our unity is if we are all Indians in the eyes of the government,香蕉视频直播� she said. 香蕉视频直播淒ivide and conquer is alive and well; now, the chiefs are having trouble having one voice.
香蕉视频直播淪o have a voice by being Indians 香蕉视频直播� because that香蕉视频直播檚 what we are.香蕉视频直播�
A horse-riding birthday tradition
Before Stelkia香蕉视频直播檚 dinner and speech, Stelkia began her birthday with a personal tradition: a horseback ride through her community, alongside her family.
Nearly 40 Indigenous and non-Indigenous horseback riders joined her as she rode from the Indian Grove Riding Stables up along a ridge outside of the Nk香蕉视频直播橫ip Desert Cultural Centre.
She told her fellow riders 香蕉视频直播渢hat香蕉视频直播檚 where the ancestors are香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播� and reminded them her syilx Okanagan forebears depended on horses.
Those ancestors once lived in pithouses built into the earth along their route, she told the riders before setting off.
香蕉视频直播淭hey lived underground 香蕉视频直播� for thousands and thousands of years,香蕉视频直播� she explained.
The group made its way along the ridge and past the cultural centre, where they circled a fountain at the nearby Spirit Ridge Resort, drawing the attention of tourists, before winding their way down to Nk香蕉视频直播檓ip Campgrounds and the camp香蕉视频直播檚 clubhouse.
Stelkia said she香蕉视频直播檚 been riding horses since she was a baby.
香蕉视频直播淚 was almost born on a horse, I guess,香蕉视频直播� she told IndigiNews. 香蕉视频直播淚ndian people, back then, had their kids on the horses. Horses mean a lot to the Indian people, because we didn香蕉视频直播檛 have anything to travel on.香蕉视频直播�
She remembers a time where horses were the only mode of transportation, when all you香蕉视频直播檇 find on dusty roads were saddles, and simple four-wheeled wagons called buckboards.
Reaching 95, and being the eldest member of her nation, is a milestone, but 香蕉视频直播淚 didn香蕉视频直播檛 even pay any attention to it,香蕉视频直播� she quipped about her age.
Spirit, tenacity and grit
Attending Stelkia香蕉视频直播檚 birthday party were four-of-seven chiefs from Okanagan Nation Alliance香蕉视频直播檚 member communities, and each took to the microphone to share what the Elder meant to them.
It was also Sheri Stelkia香蕉视频直播檚 birthday, so two cakes were brought out to honour them.
Chief Robert Louie, of Westbank First Nation, said he香蕉视频直播檇 known Jane since the early 1970s.
香蕉视频直播淛ane, you香蕉视频直播檝e got the same spirit, the same tenacity, the same grit, the same person that you were when I first met you,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淵ou haven香蕉视频直播檛 changed a bit.香蕉视频直播�
Chief Keith Crow, of Lower Similkameen Indian Band, remarked about Stelkia still working with her hands at her age, for instance repairing fences.
香蕉视频直播淚 see you香蕉视频直播檙e doing everything at 95 years old,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淚 hope I can still be doing that at 95 香蕉视频直播� I hope I make it to 95 香蕉视频直播� You香蕉视频直播檙e gonna go for 106.香蕉视频直播�
Penticton Indian Band香蕉视频直播檚 Chief Greg Gabriel called her an inspiration throughout the nation and beyond.
香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檓 just so happy to see you so young at 95,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淪till riding, still working hard. You香蕉视频直播檙e an amazing woman.香蕉视频直播�
Chief Clarence Louie, of Osoyoos Indian Band, praised Stelkia香蕉视频直播檚 hard-working lifestyle, and for keeping the syilx Okanagan horse culture alive.
He also thanked her and other language speakers in the room for their efforts in keeping nsyilxc蓹n alive.
香蕉视频直播淣one of us remember a time without you around,香蕉视频直播� Louie said. 香蕉视频直播淵ou remember a time where most of our people didn香蕉视频直播檛 speak much English.香蕉视频直播�
He reminded attendees in her childhood the world was a very different place for syilx Okanagan people.
香蕉视频直播淥ur people didn香蕉视频直播檛 have electricity; they had to get water from the creeks,香蕉视频直播� he recalled. 香蕉视频直播淭hey had to build a fire and stay warm in the winter time.香蕉视频直播�
But even though times were tough when Stelkia grew up, he said, she still reminds people that there were also good times, too.
香蕉视频直播淵ou remind us that we have to get back and not forget those times,香蕉视频直播� he told her with gratitude. 香蕉视频直播淭o remember those times, and to acknowledge where we come from, not just as a band but as a people and a nation.香蕉视频直播�
After the chiefs all spoke, attendees watched a video tribute of moments from Stelkia香蕉视频直播檚 life on a big screen.
Between old pictures and footage, she narrated the eras of her lifetime, from her early years at the Inkameep Indian Day School, to her love of ranching, cattle and horses.
In her birthday tribute video, someone asked Stelkia how she deals with failures.
香蕉视频直播淚 don香蕉视频直播檛 know,香蕉视频直播� was her answer, saying failure simply wasn香蕉视频直播檛 an option for her.
In the event香蕉视频直播檚 closing words, she thanked her community for joining her celebration, telling everyone to stand strong.
香蕉视频直播淏e proud to be Indian,香蕉视频直播� she encouraged, 香蕉视频直播渙f our culture, your language and discipline.香蕉视频直播�
