Charlotte Stringam, manager of the Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre is looking forward to the centre’s10th anniversary celebration on Saturday, Sept. 30. (Keith Lacey photo)
A tourist attraction that has provided information and insight into the proud First Nations culture and history of the South Okanagan is holding a special birthday party next weekend.
The Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre is celebrating its 10th anniversary on Friday, Sept. 30 and it promises to be a very special day as there are planned events from early morning until the evening, said Charlotte Stringam, who has been the manager of the centre since it opened in June of 2006.
“It’s going to be a very special day,” said Stringam.
The leadership with the Osoyoos Indian Band (OIB) had talked about opening a cultural centre for several years before it became a reality, said Stringam.
“Talks went back at least five years before the centre actually opened,” she said. “As we do with all things within the Osoyoos Indian Band, we made a plan before we took action. We travelled around and looked at other First Nation cultural centres to see what worked and what didn’t.”
The Nk’Mip Winery facility had already been built when the cultural centre officially opened just over 10 years ago.
The Spirit Ridge at Nk’Mip Resort was under construction and opened about a year after the cultural centre opened, she said.
Stringam was the first cultural interpreter hired by the OIB back in 2002 and she was excited and humbled to be offered the manager’s job at the cultural centre about six months before it officially opened, she said.
The cultural centre was a huge hit attracting close to 20,000 visitors in its first year and averaged close to 18,000 visitors for the first three years, she said.
Those numbers have dropped to about 12,000 visitors annually, but those are still strong numbers and she and her staff are thrilled that the Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre continues to attract visitors from across Canada and around the world.
“We’ve had people from literally all over the world visit our centre,” she said. “The whole idea behind the centre was to provide a showcase for the achievements of First Nation people in this region and look at the history of our people and what you can accomplish if you work together and work hard.”
It has taken several weeks of very hard work by all the centre’s staff to put together this 10th anniversary celebration, she said.
The cultural centre will open at 9:30 a.m. this Friday and a large contingent of members of the OIB will be in attendance, she said.
“Members of the general public are also invited to attend the day ceremony,” she said. “The evening ceremony will be by invitation only and we’re expecting anywhere from 120 to 180 people to participate in those events, depending on how many can get away to attend.”
The day program will kick off at 11 a.m. with the Okanagan Welcome/Song at 11 a.m.
Clarence Louie, the Chief of the OIB, will address the audience at 11:20, which will be followed by a cultural performance of First Nation singers and dancers.
Stringam will also address the audience as will several dignitaries, including Oliver Mayor Ron Hovanes and Town of Osoyoos councillor Mike Campol.
The official birthday cake cutting will wrap up the day celebrations around 12:50 pm.
Those in attendance will be able to take a tour of the facility, partake in a guided tour of the trails behind the cultural centre and mingle and ask questions.
The evening program will begin at 5:15 p.m.
A salmon barbecue dinner will begin at 5:30 p.m.
There will be a series of speakers beginning at 7 p.m., including cultural centre board chair Mel Woolley, MP Richard Cannings, Hovanes, Campol and other dignitaries who have been invited to attend, she said.
Louie will make another speech in the evening following these dignitaries.
An Okanagan Round Dance and performance of the Traveling Song will end the festivities.
Stringam is confident the anniversary celebration will be memorable for everyone who attends.
“We have put a lot of time and effort into organizing this special event and I’m confident everyone is going to have a wonderful time,” she said. “We’re very proud of the fact this centre has been around for 10 years now and we wanted to do something special.”
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
