About Us
History of Sncəwips | Mission & Vision
Who We Are
Sncəwips is Westbank First Nation’s cultural and heritage organization. We support the preservation, protection and sharing of syilx language, culture, history and heritage through collections and archives, education, programming, research, repatriation and community engagement.
Sncəwips Heritage Society is the legal non-profit society operating as Sncəwips and is funded by Westbank First Nation.
The History of Sncewips
Sncəwips began as a repository after Westbank First Nation achieved self-government in 2005. As our collection grew, so did we. We were given the name Sncəwips (sen-cha-weeps) by Elder Delphine Derickson. The name can be interpreted as “how our tangible objects tell our story” or “a conversation with an ancestor.”
We officially opened our doors as the Sncəwips Heritage Museum on June 14, 2014. Sncəwips Heritage Society was incorporated as a non-profit society on May 6, 2019 and remains our legal name. As we continued to grow, we moved to a larger location and reopened on February 1, 2020.
In the summer of 2026, with the approval of our Board of Directors, we adopted Sncəwips as our operating and public-facing name. This change reflects our growth beyond a museum and establishes Sncəwips as the overarching identity for our expanding work in language, culture, archives and collections, education, programming, administration and retail. It also supports our long-term vision of developing a cultural centre with distinct departments and services operating within Sncəwips.
Through all of this growth and change, Sncəwips has remained true to the meaning of our name by providing a protected place for sqilxʷ representation, culture and heritage.
As a non-profit society, we rely on grants, donations and the continued support of Westbank First Nation to carry out our work.
If you would like to make a donation, please click here and and select Sncəwips as the donation recipient. limləmt (thank you) for your support!
Museum Opening (2014)
Museum Gallery (2014)
New Location (2020)
Community Re-Opening in New Space (2020)
Museum Space (2020)
ntytyix Exhibit (2023)
sp̓iƛ̓m Exhibit (2023)
Family Exhibit (2023)
Truth & Reconciliation Exhibit Opening (2024)
captikʷł Exhibit 2025
Fishing Exhibit 2025
Lithics Exhibit 2025
Pine Acres Exhibit 2025
What We Do
Our work extends beyond the museum and includes:
Language and culture
Archives and collections
Exhibits, education and public programming
Research and repatriation
Community events and engagement
Gift shop and retail
As Sncəwips continues to grow, these areas will develop into distinct departments and services within our future cultural centre.
Our Mission
We believe in the power of our own voice to inspire, educate, and transform. We aspire to benefit the community by maintaining a safe space for language, culture, and acknowledgement through open and respectful dialogue. We make our resources and collections accessible to local, regional, national, and international patrons through consultation and collaboration with individuals and organizations.
Our Vision
We will create awareness and provide access to our living history by acknowledging our language, captikʷɬ, and connection to our traditional territory as the foundation of who we are as sqilxw. We are dedicated to collecting, preserving, and interpreting art and artefact collections while providing educational experiences that reflect the heritage and natural history of the syilx/Okanagan people.