As the Similkameen River runs ‘black,’ regional leaders plan future of watershed protection

By Aaron Hemens, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, IndigiNews y̓ilmixʷm (Chief) kalʔlùpaɋʹn Keith Crow says the Similkameen River is being failed by those tasked to care for it, and more must be done to protect the waterway for future generations. The river “has been black for the last month,” he told a room full of regional officials in smǝlqmíx and syilx homelands on Nov. 21. “(The Similkameen River) is where our name comes from. It’s who we are,” Crow added. “And we’re failing it.” Crow — the chief of the Lower Similkameen Indian Band (LSIB) — made the comments during a meeting of the Okanagan Similkameen Collaborative Leadership Table. The group consists of more than 20 elected syilx leaders, mayors and other regional government officials from throughout the region. It was…

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