Ktunaxa Nation Council
Lands and Resources
Overview
1. Ktunaxa Nation
2. Ktunaxa Governance and Operations
3. Environmental Assessment work
The Ktunaxa people have occupied the lands
adjacent to the Kootenay and Columbia Rivers
for more than 10,000 years and have never
ceded Title
• Ktunaxa ʔamaʔkis
• 70,000 square
kilometres
• 27,000 square miles
» Historically, Ktunaxa bands were located throughout the entire Ktunaxa Territory including the Arrow and Kootenay Lakes and Elk River.
» Ktunaxa seasonally travelled throughout the Territory, following the natural cycles.
Ktunaxa interacted with
other First Nations
through trade, social
relations, sharing of
resources, and at times,
warfare.
Ktunaxa, as with many
other First Nations,
have maintained
cultures and spiritual
understandings that
stress tradition,
community, and
harmony with the
natural environment.
Ktunaxa Nation Today
» Total population (status
and non status) is
approximately 1,500
(Canadian side)
» Approx. 50% of our status
population and most of
our non-status population
live off reserve
Citizenship is comprised of Nation members
located throughout the Territory and elsewhere;
four communities (bands) are located in British
Columbia
» ʔaq̓am (St. Mary’s) Indian Band near in Cranbrook
» ʔakisq̓nuk First Nation near Windermere
» yaqan nuykiy (Lower Kootenay Band) near Creston
» ʔakink̓umǂasnuqǂiʔit (Tobacco Plains) Indian Band
near Grasmere
» Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes
» Kootenai Tribe of Idaho
Ktunaxa Nation Council
» The KNC originated in 1970 as the Kootenay
Indian District Council, and is the governing
body of the Ktunaxa Nation
» The KNC represents Ktunaxa citizens and is
accountable to the Chiefs and Councils of the
Ktunaxa Nation Communities
Ktunaxa Nation Council
» 5 Sectors governed by a Sector Council made
up of elected council from each of the 4
communitites
» Economic Investment Sector
» Social Sector
» Education & Employment Sector
» Traditional Knowledge & Language Sector
» Lands & Resources Sector
Governance
» KNC is governed by the Executive Council
» the Chief of each Band and the Chair of each Sector Council
Ktunaxa Governance and Operations
Ktunaxa Lands and Resources Sector Mandate:
Ensure that the lands and resources within the
Ktunaxa ʔamakʔis are effectively managed and
protected for the benefit of the citizens,
communities and government of the Ktunaxa
Nation
» Ktunaxa Lands and Resources Sector Council
mandated to make lands and resources decisions
» Obtains technical and research support from Ktunaxa
Lands & Resources operational staff
Current Environmental Assessments
» Kootenay West Gypsum Mine Project
» James White Park Wells Project
» BC Hydro Revelstoke 6 Project
» Fording River Operations Swift Project
» Elkview Operations Baldy Ridge Extension
» Crown Mountain Operations Coking Coal
Project
» Michel Creek Coking Coal Project
» Grassy Mountains Project
» Bingay Centremount Coal Project
Environmental Assessment work
» KNC has developed Section C for previous
and current EAs
» Work with Ktunaxa communities/citizens
» Collaboration with proponent, their consultants,
KNC consultants, KNC Sectors
» Work with provincial and federal EA
regulators (EAO, CEAA)
» Liaise with provincial regulators
» Concurrent permitting
Level of Engagement Selected
» No-engagement – no support for the project no
benefit identified for the communities
» Some engagement – consultation but no clear
benefit to the communities
» Collaboration with the Proponent on the
Project design and application for the EA -
clear benefit to the community identified –
conditions agreed to prior to application
submission
Framework Approach to Assessment
» KNC assessment is part of a larger strategy
» Not a project by project approach
» Each project contributes to building more KNC
capacity and baseline data
» KNC values have different context and world
view, water means something different to
Ktunaxa than to a biologist (intrinsic value)
» Cultural context is critical to appropriate
assessment
KNC engagement with Proponent » Project Design
» Valued Components
» Baseline data collection
» monitoring stations and data sampling design
» KNC and contractor team (the Firelight Group) Draft
Section C (Ktunaxa baseline data collection)
» KNC and Proponent meet to agree to the recommended
conditions outlined in section C
» KNC Table of Conditions and draft assessment section C
submitted as part of EA
» Collaborative process where information is exchanged
Implementation
» KNC work ongoing to implement
» work to improve Ktunaxa employment and
procurement
» Cumulative Effects Management Framework
» Ongoing training programs
» Cultural Management Plan
» Language revitalization
» Biodiversity plan
» Monitoring
» Others….