Syilx Honouring Event hosted at the En’owkin Centre will celebrate first graduation for nsyilxcen Language Fluency Degree

Photo: En?owkin Centre Facebook

Next week the seven Syilx Okanagan Nation communities will gather to celebrate the graduation of the very first cohort completing the nsyilxcen Language Fluency Degree.

The Syilx Honouring Event will be hosted at the En’owkin Centre, En’owkin Trail, off Green Mountain Road on June 7 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The governing Board of Directors of the Okanagan Indian Educational Resources Society (OIERS) said in a press release that the event is to honour this historic milestone and graduation in the Bachelor of Nsyilxcn Language Fluency.

The degree, is partnered between the University of British Columbia Okanagan, the En’owkin Centre and the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology and the Indigenous Studies program at the University of British Columbia Okanagan.

"The event will be organized by the graduating class at their request, in order to practice the syilx tradition of acknowledging and giving gratitude to those who made their achievements possible. En’owkin Centre will be honouring the graduating students at this special syilx feast and celebration," the En’owkin Centre said.

The event will take place prior to the official convocation and Indigenous Graduation Ceremonies to take place on June 8 at the Kelowna UBCO Campus.

The En’owkin Centre said they have confirmed dignitaries from UBC Okanagan, the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology, the BC Indigenous Adult and Higher Learning Association and the BC First Nations Education Steering Committee will be in attendance.