the Peach City Community Radio Society is proud to announce the creation of a documentary series entitled "Sexkinx: What Happened?" on Peach City Radio. Written and produced by documentary broadcaster Tracey Kim Bonneau, the first 30 minute show is entitled "For the Love of Language". It features an interview with Delphine Derickson, an elder working to revitalize the n'syilxcen (Okanagan) language. This four part series will feature members of four different generations of the Syilx (Okanagan) people, explaining the ongoing legacy of the residential school system and steps being taken to empower n'syilxcen speakers. Bonneau will train members to record stories and will assist with a pool of talented speakers and learners to produce stories with Peach City Community Radio.

In January, the Okanagan Indian Educational Resources Society (OIERS) operating as En'owkin Centre, together with Peach City Radio received a Resonating Reconciliation grant from the National Campus & Community Radio Association (NCRA). The NCRA created the Resonating Reconciliation project with funds from the Truth and Reconciliation Commemorative Grant in order to build relationships between indigenous communities and their local community radio stations. The grant supports the production of a documentary covering the local legacy of Indian Residential Schools. The lasting goal is to train Aboriginal producers and volunteers who can continue to develop radio content. With fewer than 200 fluent speakers, the local Syilx Nation has acted to preserve the n'syilxcen language endangered as a direct result of the Residential School system.

"Sexkinx: What Happened?" is a metaphor for the topics that will be explored. The project name was chosen to create inclusiveness, and to begin a storytelling series for language learners studying at En'owkin Centre to preserve and reviltalize this critically endangerd language. This project will give Syilx people the opportunity to develop skills in radio production using new equipment and a computer dedicated to programming. The Okanagan Indian Educational Resources Society will commence training sessions to encourage and support Syilx lanaguge learners to produce additional stories.

Devon Armstrong and Peach City Radio volunteer Cameron Baughen assisted in developing the documentary. Musical selections were all from the 'Turning Earth Collective' featuring local artists Delphine Derickson, Jeannette Armstrong and Herman Edwards.

Listen to the documentary here.