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….