Projects

The T’kikstn Project is an effort by Autonomous Sinixt revitalize our Interior Salish Dialect, Snslxcin. Our work includes reintroducing the names we use for the many wondrous places we inhabit and the things we interact with on our təmxʷúlaʔx (land) and siwɬkʷ (water). We share this knowledge with all so that it might become common knowledge again and foster more meaningful connections in our təmxʷúlaʔxʷ . In 2023, we published the first ever book in the Snslxcin, Captíkʷɬ Sw̓ar̓ák̕xən (Maa Press), the Frog Mountain story.

Our language revitalization work is currently focused on language training for our two Sinixt language warriors as well as planning, documentation and resource development.

Check out this website which features some stories, art and words from the book “Not Extinct: Keeping the Sinixt Way” at keepingthesinixtway.ca. Or get yourself a copy of the real book HERE

How can I help?

Amplify our voice by….

• Use and share the resources Autonomous Sinixt put out to promote the resurgence of our dialect.
• Learn some of the basic words and names so that you too can better understand for yourself how they are tied to this beautiful place we call home.
• Donate

Sinixt Children’s Book Series

We are working with authors and illustrators to create a series of books aimed at children from pre-school to youth exploring Sinixt captikʷɬ (the creation stories of the Sinixt) as well as contemporary Indigenous themes. In 2023, we published the first ever book in the Snslxcin, the Sinixt dialect, Captíkʷɬ Sw̓ar̓ák̕xən (Maa Press), the Frog Mountain story. Donations will go to editing, illustration, design and printing for two manuscripts that are ready for publication.

How can I help?

• Funding is still needed to develop more books in the series and keep the existing ones in print
• Buy and share these books with the children in your circle

The counter-map of the Sinixt təmxʷúlaʔxʷ is an important project. It funded by the First Peoples’ Cultural Council and is available through maapress.ca, stores and museums.

How can I help?

• Support and Educate yourself by purchasing a Sinixt map from maapress
• Donate

Take it to the Water is a film about the Sinixt practice of developing a relationship with water. With beautiful visuals of the əmxʷúlaʔxʷ, and contemplative content, It was created with participation from School District 10. The film premiered in March 2025 and will tour the Sinixt təmxʷúlaʔxʷ in spring 2025. After it has done the film festival circuit, it will be available on line for general viewing. We also developed an extensive curriculum to go with the film when used in an educational setting. Not Extinct Resource.

How can I help?

• Host a community viewing of the film. Contact us at info@sinixt.org to arrange a viewing.

We work to protect all the Animal People and their homes in our təmxʷúlaʔxʷ but we have been working most intensively with Mountain Caribou and Grizzly, both designated Species at Risk. We have been working with the federal Caribou Recovery team to critique their Caribou Recovery Strategy. The 58 page report we submitted in February of 2025 is available here (provide link). We are also creating materials for a language-related curriculum around caribou for schools, including a colouring book. The creation of a brochure covering protocols and behaviours of back-country recreational users vis-a-vis wildlife encounters will also be available in 2025.

How can I help?

• Help distribute our backcountry users brochure
• Advocate for habitat protection in the face of industrial logging, resource extraction, commercial recreational development.

The territory of our work is huge, the threats to the land are multiple and our involvement diverse. We’ve had a special focus on wetland restoration which has included working with the Valhalla Foundation for Ecology on the film, “Snk’mip: Dig Deeper” as well as consultation around various wetland restoration projects. Protecting water, in all its forms, remains a key value. Standing with land defenders protecting old growth and primary forests is another important focus area. Also, we are supporting the people of Rossland in their work to oppose the WHY Resources Open pit mine proposal for Record Ridge.

How can I help?

Amplify our voice by…

• Writing letters to oppose destructive activities
• Supporting land and water defenders

We are developing live and virtual exhibits, and working on repatriations with various museums, including the Nakusp and District Museum and the Rossland Museum We also provide Sinixt input for a huge range of projects including the ‘Xast ixi med sin’ native plants garden and the camas field in Trail, the Mxiɬp/Cedar Trail in Rossland and mural by artist Petra Hekkenberg at the Goat Mountain Children’s Centre in New Denver.

How can I help?

• engage your local museum in coming into right relationship with Autonomous Sinixt
• help your local museum create innovative and interesting exhibits in collaboration with Autonomous Sinixt
• engage with your local school board and schools about coming into right relationship with Autonomous Sinixt
• create an interpretive project for your own community

We are actively working to re-establish traditional Sinixt governance systems based in Sinixt laws of whuplakn and smum iem. These laws centre around the governance circle of Matriarchs. The Circle of Matriarchs’ work is to uphold our laws, enforce our Land Declaration and share protocols for settlers and neighbouring Nations to follow when in our təmxʷúlaʔxʷ. We are also actively working to ally intersectionally with others working for justice. In support of capacity building for Autonomous Sinixt, we also host Decolonization/Allyship gatherings and workshops for settlers.

Our responsibilities include protecting plants and their habitats. This involves teaching people how to gather plants for food, medicinal and spiritual purposes following the protocols passed down by the Matriarch ancestors. Protocols are about the entire landscape and in relation to all other species who utilize these plant beings. To support the ongoing flourishing of the Green People, we have developed a brochure to explain these protocols. We also give workshops to herbalists and the general public to ensure the knowledge about right relationships is passed on and honoured.

How can I help?

Amplify our voice by…

• reading, following and sharing our plant protocol information, available in both brochure form and at (provide link)

We are creating an audio, textual, and art project with the working title of “Maps of My World: The Lifestory of Marilyn James”, funded by the Canadian Council for the Arts. Donations will go to the design, costs associated with the web version and printing the paper version of this fascinating memoir.

How can I help?

• Buy the book when it comes out!
• Donate