Arrow Lakes Tribunal Hearing

Arrow Lakes Tribunal Hearing

The Arrow Lakes Tribunal is a private event for OKIB Members only.

March 17-21 at Prestige Vernon Hotel (4411 32 St, Vernon, BC)

March 17, 2025: 1:00pm-4:30pm

March 18, 2025: 1:30pm-4:30pm

Start time for March 18th has been moved to 1:30pm

March 19, 2025: 9:30am-4:30pm

March 20, 2025: 1:00pm-7:00pm

March 21, 2025: 9:30am-4:30pm

OKIB Members are invited to attend and listen to the witness
hearing.

Only community members invited to be witnesses and legal
counsel will be speaking

Background:

Specific Claims Tribunal to seek compensation for the Arrow Lake reserve. We have argued that Canada failed to honour its duties to OKIB by refusing to transfer the Arrow Lakes reserve to OKIB when Arrow Lakes and OKIB asked to be combined into one band in the 1950s.

THE ARROW LAKES RESERVE

In 1952, Annie Joseph was the last remaining member of the Arrow Lakes Indian Band. She had descendants and other relatives in the Okanagan Indian Band, so Annie and OKIB asked Canada to combine the two bands. This would have meant that the Arrow Lakes reserve would have become an OKIB reserve. But Canada refused. When Annie died, Canada declared the Arrow Lakes Indian Band extinct and gave the Arrow Lakes reserve to British Columbia.

The purpose of the community witness hearing is for community members to share their knowledge about the Arrow Lakes reserve and Annie Joseph’s request to combine the Arrow Lakes Band and OKIB.