sx???x??nitk? park is proudly managed and operated by the Osoyoos Indian Band.

sx???x??nitk? park is located within the traditional territory of the Osoyoos Indian Band. Since time immemorial, the Osoyoos Indian Band’s Okanagan ancestors have inhabited and cared for the lands and waters in their traditional territory.

In 2015, the park was renamed to reflect the traditional Okanagan place name for the area. The nqilx?c?n/nsyilxc?n place name and history of sx???x??nitk? have been passed down for thousands of years through the oral tradition of capti?k?l stories and teachings.

sx???x??nitk? means “little falls.” This place name signifies a connection to the historic Kettle Falls in Washington state. The nqilx?c?n/nsyilxc?n place name for Kettle Falls is sx??nitk? or “big falls.” These two falls were two of the most important fishing sites in the Okanagan Nation’s traditional territory.

The place name for sx???x??nitk? contains unique sounds in the nqilx?c?n/nsyilxcen language that are difficult to translate into the English alphabet. The x?? is a vibrational sound. Think of the sound of water hitting the rocks at the falls. The i sounds similar to “ee.” The k? sound is made with a rounded mouth and sounds similar to a soft “coo” sound.

Date Established: March 16, 1956
Provincial Park Size: 3 hectares