Our Community

In 1876, before colonization and the imposition of the federal Indian Act, the Okanagans (syilx) were a self-sufficient, self-governing people. The communities thrived on hunting, fishing, gathering, and trading. The Okanagan economy was productive and organized with regulated resource management practices in place. Each area had an appointed Chief. Charlie Sookinchute was said to be the first chief for Westbank. With the enactment of the Indian Act, the traditional government and social structures of the syilx people began disintegrating.

Reservations in British Columbia were set aside by the Crown through joint federal and provincial reserve commissions in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Commissioners traveled the length and breadth of the province establishing reserve lands for Indians. When the commissioners came through the central Okanagan, they decided that there would be one reserve at Mission Creek and two on the west side of Okanagan Lake. The local Indians had no say in the matter. These lands were subsequently reduced in size by future reserve commissions.

In a letter to Westbank First Nation Council dated October 29, 2001, the following is an excerpt from band member and elder Millie Jack who talks about life in the early 1920s:

“There were NO chiefs in those days, only Captains or a head Councilor. That’s what the leader was called. No voting, you got in by appointment of the members.

It was the summer of 1920 when Agent Brown came from Ottawa and told the people that they had to have a Chief and Council, so things could be signed legally. So the people had several meetings over this and decided:

Since Tomat was the Captain or head Councilor, he would be the first Chief with nine councilors. To be fair they chose the head of each respected family to be Councillors.

We had Self Government in those days; each family took care of their own families and taught their children the ways of survival. Without the handouts from the Indian Affairs in Ottawa.”

The reserves at Westbank and Kelowna were initially part of the Okanagan Indian Band located near Vernon, BC. In the early 1960s there were approximately 170 band members residing at Westbank and the general feeling was that their concerns and interests were not being addressed. They had only one member with a seat on council so there was limited impact and influence on the decisions made. A committee of Westbank members including Norman Lindley, Ted Derrickson, Margaret Derrickson, Mary Anne Eli, Francis Swite and Bert Wilson was struck to begin process of separation from the Okanagan Indian Band. On October 18, 1963, the division became official and Westbank Indian Band was deemed an independent band. Westbank’s lands were designated Tsinstikeptum Indian Reserve Numbers 9 and 10, and Mission Creek Indian Reserve Number 8. Norman Lindley was the first elected Chief for Westbank along with Councillors Margaret Derrickson and Harry Derrickson.

In the 1960s there was very little development on Westbank lands even though the surrounding area was experiencing rapid growth. In 1973 consultants were hired to develop a land use plan which was subsequently updated in 1978. The objective was to establish a land use policy framework and provide a process which would serve as a guide to the band council, locatees, and developers. A series of by-laws were enacted by Council to create a framework of law and ensure consistency.

On January 14, 1974, Westbank First Nation members voted in favour of surrendering 177.3 acres of IR #10 reserve lands for a 99 year lease for the Lakeridge Park residential development. During that same year, the Indian Affairs office in Vernon, BC was closed down after members from surrounding Indian Bands demanded that the dollars could be better utilized to administer their own programs at the Band level.

Westbank began exploring options for self-government in the 1970s and the 1980s saw Westbank assuming delegated land management powers from Canada.

A band subdivision was developed on IR #9 in 1981 complete with paved roads, hydro, telephone, gas and cable. A 66,000 imperial gallon reservoir provided water. By March 31, 1982, twenty-four new homes were built. By 1986 the number of band member housing units had grown to 84 from 26 in 1972. The band member population was now up to 255 with 198 residing on reserve.<

In 1982, a major specific land claim was settled for lands that were taken away from our reserves in the early 1900s. Negotiations with Canada and British Columbia were also finalized to offset reserve lands that were taken for the widening of Highway 97. Monies from this settlement were used to purchase two parcels of land in 1984 in the Gallagher Canyon area approximately 25 kilometers east of Kelowna. These parcels were granted reserve status in 2001, are now known as Medicine Hill Indian Reserve no. 11 and Medicine Creek Indian Reserve no. 12. The land base for Westbank First Nation now totaled 5,306 acres.

Construction of a 3 storey office building at the corner of Highway 97 and Westside Road commenced in May 1985 and was completed in December. The first and second floors were leased out to other companies and Westbank Indian Band occupied the third floor. Today, WFN occupies the entire building.

In 1986 the Band was awarded a woodlot covering 981 acres on the east side of Kelowna. Subsequent confrontations, legal battles, and negotiations with the Province over forestry issues resulted in an Interim Measures Agreement on forestry on September 23, 2002. WFN entered into a five year Community Forest Pilot Agreement in August of 2004 with the British Columbia Ministry of Forests providing Westbank with a license to harvest an annual allowable cut of 55,000 cubic metres per year. 

During the years 1986 and 1987, dissension within the Westbank Indian Band resulted in the Hall Inquiry. Mr. John Hall was appointed as commissioner for public hearings that took place concerning governance matters at Westbank. From the Hall Inquiry came recommendations that Westbank look at governance changes to strengthen its authority and provide certainty, clear jurisdiction, and accountability.

During the 1990s the Westbank leadership and members sought self-determination through various avenues. A Framework Agreement to begin negotiating community-based self-government was entered into in 1990. In 1995 the British Columbia Treaty Commission declared Westbank, Canada, and British Columbia ready to commence Treaty negotiations. In 1996 WFN was one of 14 signatories to the Framework Agreement on First Nation Land Management and led the process resulting in the passage of the First Nations Land Management Act in 1999. After a decade of negotiations and community consultation, WFN and Canada initialed the Self-Government Agreement in 2000.

The first referendum to ratify the Self-Government package failed to achieve the absolute majority required for it to pass even though 60% voted in favour. In June 2002, a second referendum took place whereby 69% voted in favour, but this too failed because of the absolute majority requirement. In May 2003, with the stringent voting requirements changed by Canada to one of a majority of the majority, the community went to the polls for a third time and voted in favour of the WFN Self-Government Agreement, the WFN Constitution, and the WFN Land Code. On May 6, 2004, Bill C-11, the Westbank First Nation Self-Government Act, received Royal Assent in Ottawa and became law. The Act came into force on April 1, 2005.