City of Vernon, British Columbia, Transfers Copyright for Ogopogo to Syilx Okanagan Nation

The City of Vernon, British Columbia, Canada, announced March 22nd that their city council had voted to transfer the copyright for the name Ogopogo—Okanagan Lake's resident lake monster—to the Syilx Okanagan Nation.

Legends of a serpentine lake monster in the Okanagan Valley date back centuries, with countless witnesses reporting sightings—including the area’s indigenous people, who called the creature N'ha-a-itk. While no definitive proof of its existence has yet surfaced—despite numerous modern sightings, sometimes including video footage and photographs—some have speculated that Ogopogo might be a surviving member of a primitive species of whale from the Late Eocene period, which existed approximately 40 to 33.9 million years ago.

Local broadcaster Gil Seabrooke originally took out the copyright for Ogopogo in 1952, but granted it to the City of Vernon in 1956.

Byron Lewis, chief of one of the member bands, supported the change, saying that the decision came after his band, the Okanagan Indian Band (OKIB), raised concerns over cultural appropriation, noting that this effectively allowed an outside party to hold a copyright over Syilx traditions and beliefs.

“I think it is a really good gesture and actually gives substance to the relationship that we have established with the City of Vernon,” Louis told Global News. “The word ‘Ogopogo,’ it really has no meaning in our language. The actual name of what’s in the lake is N’ha-a-itk. Even if you change the name it is still the same story that is behind it…The Syilx people are the only ones who can actually possess and own that name or that story since it originates from nowhere else but us.”

Since there are teachings attached to the story of N’ha-a-itk, "to use it in any other context is like going to a Bible and suddenly [saying], ‘Well I’m going to change the story and sell it,’” he said. “It’s cultural appropriation in its finest form when you do such things without the permission of the owners.”

According to Louis, Vernon's mayor and city council were "very receptive" to the issue.

Victor Cumming, Vernon's mayor, said he couldn't speak about the council discussion on the issue because it was in an in-camera meeting, but did say that the council deeply respects Chief Louis and the Okanagan Indian Band council.

“As we all know, these stories go back long before there was settlers here. Council made the decision on Monday to pass this piece of legal control over the copyright of Ogopogo to the Syilx Nation,” said Cumming.

Only twice in the city's history has someone asked Vernon for permission to use the Ogopogo copyright, and the city granted it both times, although they never received royalties.

“There is no commercial reason to have this or to maintain it from the city’s point of view,” said Cumming.

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