Research Paper: The Ecological Basis Of The Okanagan People

The Ecological Basis of the Okanagan PeopleName:Institution:The Ecological Basis of the Okanagan PeopleIntroduction The Okanagan people have a history with the land and their surrounding environment. Their relationship with the environment is physical and spiritual. Not only do they have strong ties with the land, but strong ties amongst each other. The people were hunters, gatherers, and semi-nomadic. Settlements were established in Washington, United States and part of British Columbia, but villages moved based on seasonal food resources. The Okanagan people were heavily influenced by their surroundings.Researchers suggested that early humans migrated across the Bering Strait land bridge from Asia into the New World. These people eventually broke off into groups, settling into different areas and one of these settling groups eventually became the Okanagan people(Webber 1990, p.16).The Okanagan is one of four Interior Salishan groups and the other three are the Colville, Sanpoil, and the Lakes. The Okanagan region lies on the Eastern part of Interior Salish. It is made up of two divisions; the Upper Okanagan of British Columbia, Canada, and extends into the Lower