Sinixt storytellers and knowledge-keepers Marilyn James and Taress Alexis take us on 22 captivating and informative journeys, each show illuminating different aspects of this ancient culture. Though the Sinixt continue their deep ancestral relationship with their homeland at the headwaters of the Columbia River, they were declared extinct by the Canadian government in 1956. Sinixt Stories: Ancestral Roots, Cultural Seeds is one step on the Sinixt journey to reclaim their rights and responsibilities in their x̌aʔx̌aʔ tum xúlaʔxʷ – their sacred homeland.
This series was produced by Catherine Fisher with the assistance of the Blood of Life collective including Marilyn James, Taress Alexis, Axel McGown, K.L. Kivi, Amber Santos and Alison Christie. The work of the Blood of Life collective has been funded by the Canada Council for the Arts Aboriginal Storytelling Program, the BC Council for the Arts and the Columbia Kootenay Cultural Alliance of the Columbia Basin Trust. Thanks to the vital support of the Nelson and District Women’s Centre and Kootenay Co-op Radio. You can follow the ongoing work of the Blood of Life Collective on our Facebook page.
Image: By Amélie Clémentine (Amelie Blanchard). From the story, “Chickadee Makes a Sumíx Bow”.