Nation says Shuswap members are citizens

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A declaration signed May 25 by the Ktunaxa Nation affirms that the Shuswap Kinbasket are full citizens of the Ktunaxa Nation, but the move is not without controversy.

The declaration was made as a result of the Shuswap Band's announcement to the Ktunaxa chiefs that the band would remove itself from the Ktunaxa/Kinbasket Tribal Council Society (KKTCS) as of Sept. 14. The Shuswap Band said the move was necessary because the tribal council had lost millions of dollars over the last few years and the band wanted no more to do with the alleged mismanagement.

Chief Paul Sam said in a press release that the KKTCS had not demonstrated good business practices on a number of projects, such as the St. Eugene Mission.

"The amount lost over a few years on the St. Eugene Mission project would be similar in value to the treaty cash settlement. So why would I subject my people to such lack of fiscal skill demonstrated by the Ktunaxa?"

But the tribal council wanted to ensure that rank and file members of the Shuswap Band knew that they would be welcome within the Ktunaxa Nation. History was on the side of this decision, the tribal council reported.

"The chiefs want to be clear that the decision by Shuswap leadership to leave the KKTCS is a political decision and one made without consultation with Shuswap band members," said Chief Mary Jimmy of the Akisqnuk (Columbia Lake) Band.

According to the Ktunaxa Nation, in the mid-1800s a small group of Shuswap people led by Paul Ignatius Kinbasket travelled from traditional Shuswap territory into the Ktunaxa territory looking for a permanent home. The Ktunaxa allowed the Shuswap Kinbasket to stay in Ktunaxa territory, and they eventually settled in the Windermere area. In 1884, Indian Reservation Commissioner Patrick O'Reilly met with Ktunaxa chiefs to discuss reservation land boundaries within the Ktunaxa territory.

According to a statement made by Ktunaxa Elder Maryanne Michel in 1986, the "suyapis (white man) wanted to drive the Shuswap back to their homeland. Kootenay (Ktunaxa) Chief Bighorn must have told the suyapis 'No, give those people a piece of my land. We are used to them.'"

Since that time, according to Chief Sophie Pierre of St. Mary's Band, the Shuswap Kinbasket has been part of the Ktunaxa Nation.

Chief Mary Mahseela of Tobacco Plains agreed.

"Our Ktunaxa ancestors welcomed the Shuswap Kinbasket people into the Ktunaxa Nation," said Mahseela. "We will not turn our back on Shuswap Kinbasket descendents or on members of the Shuswap Band who are proud to be part of the Ktunaxa Nation and want to remain so."

"Without the generosity of our Ktunaxa ancestors there would be no Shuswap Band in Ktunaxa territory today," said Chief Chris Luke Sr. of the Lower Kootenay Band. "We allowed them to stay on Ktunaxa land and gave them a place within our nation."

The Ktunaxa Nation includes seven communities in the traditional territory: Columbia Lake Band in Windermere, St. Mary's Band in Cranbrook, Tobacco Plains Band in Grasmere, Lower Kootenay Band in Creston, Shuswap Band in Invermere, Kootenai Tribe of Idaho, Bonner's Ferry, and the Ksanka Band of Elmo, Montana.