One Hundred X One Hundred Book Arrives in Oliver
A long-awaited event has come to pass: the One Hundred X One Hundred/ x̌cəcikst X x̌cəcikst local history book has arrived and is now available at the Oliver Archives! The book, which started in 2021 with funding from the Oliver Community Arts Council and a Building Communities Through Arts and Heritage: Community Anniversaries Program grant, has been a labour of love for the many contributors and partners who worked on showcasing stories from Oliver and the Osoyoos Indian Band and chronicling the growth of the present-day community.
The book, which is affordably priced at $9.99 + tax, contains 96 pages of full colour historic and contemporary photos, artwork, maps, history, and even interactive QR codes that allow readers to find additional content online. The cover includes the 100 X 100 Project logo created by local artist Emilie Herbert.
Co-editors Jenna Bower and Ken Favrholdt brought their own unique touches to the project. Jenna Bower, Curator of the Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre, ensured the sukʷnaʔqinx oral histories were upheld. Bower, who studies her native language at the OIB Language House in Oliver, worked with elder Sheri Stelkia to add accurate transliteration of words and phrases in nsyilxcen throughout the book and recorded spoken phrases that can be listened to using the book’s QR codes. Ken Favrholdt brought a historical geographer’s eye for details of the past, as well as decades of writing experience as a local history author to choosing images and refining the text.
While paper shortages and supply chain issues led to delays late in 2021, with the help of a small book review committee and the assistance of ODHS president Vance Potter, OIB facilitator Terry Baptiste, and printer Munday Media, the book finished its long journey from community-submitted tales and pictures to attractively-bound local history volume, which is sure to grace coffee tables for years to come.
ODHS Executive Director Julianna Weisgarber stated, “This book is the work of many individuals, and we thank everyone for their enthusiasm for the project, for submitting their stories and bringing in photographs, and for directing our attention to the topics and people that needed to be included. The end result is a beautiful local history souvenir of the 100 X 100 year that residents can be truly proud of.”
To order your copy of One Hundred X One Hundred book/ x̌cəcikst X x̌cəcikst, please contact the Oliver Archives at 250-498-4027 or email info@oliverheritage.ca.