Protection of water, salmon and sacred sites has chiefs banding together against an Okanagan gold mining operation.
The Okanagan Indian Band’s (OKIB) call for watershed protection has received strong support from First Nations leadership across the province.
Chief and council attended the 57th Annual General Assembly of the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs (UBCIC), where Chiefs and delegates voted unanimously to support a resolution in opposition to mining in OKIB watersheds and protection of syilx water, salmon, and sacred sites.
The resolution reinforces the band’s commitment to protect the Browns Creek and Whiteman Creek watersheds from proposed mining activity by Ximen Mining Corporation.
Brett Mine, owned by Ximen, has a long history of exploration proposals in the Whiteman Creek watershed, and since the 1990s the OKIB has consistently opposed these activities.
In August 2024, Ximen announced the start of its drill program at its Brett epithermal gold project near Vernon. Equipment and a temporary camp were established and access trails were re-opened for the first drill hole and field work, including prospecting and surveying.
The Brett project (20,043 hectares) shows epithermal-style gold mineralization was discovered in 1983. Ximen conducted LiDAR and airborne magnetic surveys over parts of the Brett property in 2022. Interpretation, 3D modeling and target refinement were then completed in preparation for the 2024 drilling program.
Ximen released assay results received from hole B24-07 on Oct. 21, 2025, which intersected visible gold in the West Zone. The gold-bearing intercept assayed 79.20 grams gold per tonne over 0.55 meters core length.
“Hole B24-07 confirms what our team has long suspected — that the West Zone hosts a robust and consistent gold system that’s been largely underexplored,” said Ximen president and CEO Christopher Anderson. “The grades we’re seeing, including visible gold in multiple intercepts, validate the structural model we’ve been refining for years. This is the kind of hard geological evidence that gives a project real legs, not just headlines. The data speaks for itself.”
These areas lie within the Okanagan Indian Band’s unceded territory and hold deep cultural, spiritual, and ecological importance for the syilx people.
The resolution calls for:
• Opposition to mining and exploration in the Browns Creek and Whiteman Creek watersheds;
• Protection of syilx water, salmon, and sacred sites from industrial disturbance;
• Recognition of OKIB’s jurisdiction and responsibility to safeguard water;
• Ongoing watershed restoration and monitoring following the 2021 White Rock Lake wildfire;
• Strengthened collaboration among First Nations to defend water and the environment.
By passing this resolution, the UBCIC affirmed OKIB’s leadership in environmental protection and the collective responsibility of First Nations to care for the lands and waters that sustain life.
“Water is life. It sustains everything around us and connects us to the generations before and after our own,” said Chief Dan Wilson. “The decision by the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs to support this resolution shows that First Nations across the province stand together in defence of our lands and waters. This is about protecting the health of our people, our salmon, and our future.”
The unanimous support represents an important step in advancing OKIB’s work to protect syilx watersheds and ensure these areas remain healthy and resilient for generations to come.
Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, UBCIC President, stated, “We are deeply grateful to the OKIB for their incredible climate leadership in stewarding their territory. The UBCIC stands in unwavering solidarity with OKIB and calls on the Province of B.C. and the Government of Canada to immediately halt all applications and permits for mineral exploration or mining in the watersheds of the OKIB, including Whiteman Creek and Tahaetkun Mountain.”
Each year, the UBCIC holds an Annual General Assembly that brings together Chiefs, Councillors, Elders, youth, and delegates from across the province to share knowledge, strengthen relationships, and pass resolutions that guide collective advocacy.
This year’s gathering was held Oct. 7 to 9 at the Musqueam Community Centre on xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam) territory.