Sterling (Iniipoka) is smelqmix, Syilx and Siksikaitsitapi.

Iniipoka is a member of the Lower Similkameen Indian Band (LSIB) which is part of the Syilx nation. Iinipoka is a smelqmix, Syilx, and Siksikaitsitapi activist who lives in the Similkameen Valley within the Syilx territory.

He is a creative and critical thinker who made a presentation at the COP28 conference in Dubai in 2023. Following is the transcript of his speech:

“It's our job as a youth to go back to our roots and to learn from our elders and, more importantly, to learn from the land and from the water.

Coming into this space, (COP28) – this is my first United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) event, my experience has been that I've met so many beautiful people, Indigenous and non-Indigenous and it's amazing to hear everyone's stories from all around the world because what was told to me by my elders was that we were given our teaching, all the Indigenous people around the world, in the beginning of the time and we are given bits and pieces and a time is supposed to come when we’re going to bring all of our own pieces of the puzzle and we're going to piece it together to create that big picture. And we all bring that.

We talk about perspective and the youth bring that diverse perspective. We bring new perspectives to the older perspectives and that’s diversity. When we come to spaces like this it's very important to exchange and to reestablish our relationships with our relatives. When you look at our knowledge systems, they are based on the emphasis of establishing balance. That's what all of our cultures embody. That's what our ceremonies are for, they’re reflections of not only our individual selves but also how we are interconnected collectively.”

Moab Hat by Jaxon Howell of Vancouver.