Osoyoos is a really beautiful place to visit, and the drive to get there takes you through lush vineyards and orchards framed by the backdrop of a semi-arid desert. The cultural centre makes for a nice break from the heat and is a great way to learn about local traditional culture and history, as well as to see some local wildlife. It is owned and operated by the Osoyoos Indian Band. If you visit their website they sometimes have coupons you can download for 10% off the entrance fee or your purchases in the gift shop.
Website:http://www.nkmipdesert.com/
Things of note:
- There is plenty of dedicated parking and there are a few labelled disability spots closer to the entrance (you need a tag to park in them, of course).
- There are ramps leading up to the centre from the main parking lot but they are rough gravel, as is the main ramp into the entrance. Alternatively, there are cement steps.
- There are no stairs to navigate inside.
- The washroom and all other areas of the facility are wheelchair accessible.
- There are some outdoor trails you can walk that are also gravel. If you plan to hike them, bring lots of water, sunscreen, and dress appropriately. In this case, that actually means that long, loose pants are preferable. There are plenty of snakes in the area, including venomous rattle snakes. Of course, they do their best to avoid people and the centre offers plenty of information about how to proceed safely.
- Multiple times per day you can watch the snake show in a small theatre-like room. There are steps to get to different levels of seating but there is also a ramp on one side that I saw someone in a wheelchair use while we were there. During the show you will get to see a live rattlesnake, feel the skin of any resident snakes that have recently shed, and watch/listen to a presentation by a youth and an expert who is working in the area (she’s studying gestation and birth places of local snakes in hopes of having certain land protected on behalf of the snakes). The young many who gave the presentation did an excellent job!
- The seats in the theatre area are not particularly wide. I was only just comfortable and that’s after having lost 50+ pounds this year.
- There are other places to sit inside and out, including sturdy wooden benches and cement benches in an amphitheatre style outside.
The indoor exhibits are small but there are a few things that are particularly interesting to me. The first is a device that you feed cards through. The card has a word written in English as well as the local indigenous dialect and when the card feeds through the machine you can listen to the word being spoken. I am interested in the indigenous dialects in Canada so I was amused and delighted by this device (pictured directly below).
I have visited this centre once before, more than a few years ago now, and I was looking forward to one exhibit in particular. Unfortunately, it turned out it was closed for maintenance during this visit. It’s a round room where you sit on benches around the edges. Curtains cover the entrance so that you are sitting in the dark. Then, you are treated to local traditional stories told via a recording, including some drumming, chanting, and music accompanied by projections on the walls. It is a relaxing, magical sort of experience and I’m glad I experienced it before. I hope the exhibit will be up and running again next year.
Above: Not to worry! This rattlesnake is behind glass but comes out during the snake information sessionssssssss.
Outside, there are sculptures that represent traditional ways of life for the local indigenous people. Additionally, there are oversized sculptures of insects and local wildlife. There are some binoculars set up so that you can spy on the big osprey nest, as well. The nest was full of birds while we were there.
The gift shop is a fun place to pick up some souvenirs or beautiful indigenous art work in many forms (purses, mugs, scarves, prints, canvases, carvings, etc.). I’m trying to make a point of not purchasing anything I don’t really need or that isn’t consumable right now so I didn’t buy anything, but I did pick up some beautiful nectarines and golden plums directly from a farmer who had a stand on the road leading to the centre. There are a few stalls along the road so stop by and get some fresh, ripe fruit for a tasty snack and support local farmers!