Heritage Sites

The Sncewips (sen-ch-wee-ps) Heritage Museum represents the heritage of Westbank First Nation (WFN) and the stories of the syilx/ Okanagan Nation as a whole. We believe in the power of our own voice to inspire, educate and transform and are working hard to build cultural capacity and language awareness along with programming development.

U'mista Cultural Centre is one of the longest-operating and most successful First Nations cultural facilities in BC, founded in 1980 as a ground breaking project to house potlatch artifacts which had been seized by government during an earlier period of cultural repression. The return of the potlatch artifacts not only provided U'mista's name ('the return of something important'), and sparked a general trend toward repatriation of First Nations and cultural artifacts, it caused the creation of a physical facility and human resources infrastructure which have been successfully operated for over two decades.U'mista now operates a modern museum and cultural education facility in Alert Bay. Their operations include the museum, an extensive art gallery and gift shop, group tours, and presentations by dance troupes.

The Xatll community invites you to visit and experience our spiritual, cultural and traditional way of life; we're open from mid-May to mid-October. We offer guided tours and cultural workshops where you take part in a variety of educational and recreational activities. We are situated on a sunny plateau overlooking the Fraser River. Meet our friendly, knowledgeable guides who will take you on a memorable journey through the history of the Northern Secwepemc people. You can earn to cook a traditional meal, listen to stories around an open fire and fall asleep to the beautiful sound of the Fraser River in the distance.

The Nkmip Desert Cultural Centre is a 9,000 square-foot interpretive centre that exhibits 2 films, the Inkameep Day School Art Collection, indoor and outdoor interactive exhibits, a 1.5 km walking trail, and reconstructed traditional Okanagan village, and (visitor favourite) interpreter hosted programs which boast a fun filled experience for all ages! The centre is also an architectural marvel, and was built from local, sustainable materials.