Cultural ecotourism - Ktunaxa style

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The Indigenous peoples known as the Ktunaxa Indians and often referred to in history books and on maps as the Kootenay Indians live in the Columbia Basin. The Columbia and Kootenay Rivers lie within the traditional territory of the Ktunaxa Indian Nation in British Columbia. It is this system of rivers, lakes and mountains that has sustained the Ktunaxa peoples since time immemorial.

The traditional knowledge of the Ktunaxa concerning their territory is quite remarkable and unique. Some families in the Ktunaxa Indian communities have looked to their cultural lifestyles to build upon a new activity, often referred to as ecotourism.

There are seven communities within the Ktunaxa Nation - the Columbia Lake Indian Band, Kutenai Tribe of Idaho, Lower Kootenay Indian Band, Salish/Kootenai/Flathead Indian Reservation, Shuswap Indian Band, St. Mary's Indian Band, and Tobacco Plains Indian Band. There are five Ktunaxa communities in Canada and two in the United States. There was another Ktunaxa Indian Reserve near Burton called the Arrow Lakes Indian Reserve, but because of a forced move, it is now non-existent.

The Arrow Lakes Band was a mixture of Ktunaxa, Shuswap and Okanagan Indians. They migrated between Washington and the West Kootenays to fish, gather and hunt for food.

The Shuswap Indian Band is politically part of the Ktunaxa Nation. This community is often referred to as the Kinbasket people, which is a family name. The Kinbaskets immigrated to the territory about 200 years ago. The primary language and culture of the Shuswap Indian Band is that of the Secwepemc (Shuswap Indians).

Within the Ktunaxa Nation, there are two sub-groups that have been classified as the Lower Kootenay and the Upper Kootenay. The Lower Kootenay has developed specialized knowledge about water resources for survival. This traditional knowledge includes fish and waterfowl harvesting, as well as the use of plants associated with water resources for such items as housing.

A unique feature of the Lower Kootenay is the use of the sturgeon-nosed canoe. The canoe was traditionally made from using six different types of trees - birch, white pine, cedar, maple, bitter cherry and Douglas fir. However, most canoes being made now are a combination of wood and canvas.

Today, canvas is the material of choice for making tipis. The Lower Kootenay Band used to make summer dwellings out of reed mats, and both groups used animal hides for covering their lodges as well. Since canvas is a waterproof cotton material, it is now preferred over the traditional coverings.

The Ktunaxa Tipi Company is a year-round operation owned and operated by Wilfred Jacobs and his wife, members of the Lower Kootenay Indian Band in Creston. They make sturgeon-nosed canoes and tipis for sale and rental. Their tipis have attracted customers as far away as Europe and Asia.

The Upper Kootenay Indians traditionally were a forest and mountain people who adapted to prairie life when the need arose. They existed by traveling on horseback throughout their territory, hunting, fishing and gathering. Two or three times a year, the Upper Kootenay would travel through the mountain passes often in dangerous situations (due to neighboring enemies, such as the Blackfoot Indians) to hunt for buffalo, which was once one of the staple foods of the Ktunaxa Nation people. In their travels, they would collect items such as the red ochre from the paint pots at Kootenay National Park. This ochre was traded for parfleche and cornhusk bags full of salt, which made its way from the Salt Lake area of Utah. The Ktunaxa traded with many of the interior plateau tribes, including the Nez Perce and Utes.

The Upper Kootenay obtained horses through this trading network and were adept in horsemanship.

The Ktunaxa Indians had thousands of horses living in their territory and up until the 1950s much of this stock was still in existence. The last of the wild horses were caught and the ones that remained on te reservations, such as St. Mary's Indian Reserve, were killed off because the Ministry of Forests said the horses were overgrazing.

Fortunately, there are still some horses remaining on the reserves and there is even a trail ride operation at the Columbia Lake Indian Reserve.

Alfred Joseph, a Ktunaxa Indian of the Columbia Lake Indian Band, operates the JN Ranch near Windermere and is known for his guide outfitting and daily trail rides. His customers include German tourists. It is recommended to call ahead to arrange a trail ride.

Dan Gravelle, with his wife Erin, of the Tobacco Plains Indian Band operates the Circle-O-Ranch and have a few head of horses for hire. They specialize in raising Texas long horn cattle.

A 29-par golf course called Set'etkwa Golf Course is owned and operated by the Eugene family of the Shuswap Indian Band. It is a seasonal course open until October each year. As well, the Shuswap Band has opened another golf course. It is just off of Highway 95 at the crossroads of Invermere and Radium Hot Springs. They also lease a portion of reserve land to a helicopter company that operates daily scenic tours of the Columbia Valley.

At the Columbia Lake Reserve you will find the Lakeside Resort, a tent and trailer campground operated from May to October by the Columbia Lake Indian Band. Activities are jet skiing, canoeing and boat rentals.

The Lower Kootenay Outfitters Ltd. is owned and operated by Wayne Louie of the Lower Kootenay Indian Band. He specializes in traditional hunts for grizzly, black bear, mountain goat, shiras moose, whitetail, cougar, geese and ducks and has summer pack trips.

Well before the Indian residential schools were established in 1886, the St. Eugene's Catholic Mission was started, about 1878, by Reverend Father Fouquet, a Catholic priest of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. He built a small chapel for worship at Kootenay, B.C., and the Ktunaxa people would gather there for religious holidays to attend the CatholicMass. After Father Fouquet came Father Coccola, a Roman Catholic priest who wanted education for the Ktunaxa children and asked the government for a school to be built for the Kootenay Indians at the Mission. A residential school was erected in 1912 built from Indian education funds and was shut down in 1970. It is the largest historical building in the region.

The present St. Eugene's Church was built in 1897 with proceeds from the St. Eugene Mine at Moyie. Pierre Nickelhead, a Ktunaxa, discovered the mine and through the Reverend and Father Coccola, staked the mine; the St. Eugene's Mine was established.

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Year 2000 marks the opening of the Casino of the Rockies, with 18-hole golf course, interpretive centre and tipi village, all at the St. Eugene's Mission. The project includes a strong cultural theme. There will be a Ktunaxa/Kinbasket Interpretive Centre, as well as an arts and crafts centre. Guests will have the option of staying in a 24-unit tipi village, one of the 25 suites in the resort, or in the 92-room lodge. The destination casino will have up to 30 gaming tables and 300 slot machines. The casino will open some time in the summer.

Chief Sophie Pierre of the St. Mary's Band was quoted in the November 1999 edition of a newsletter for the Ktunaxa/Kinbasket Tribal Council. Pierre states, "Getting final approval for the Casino of the Rockies at St. Eugene Mission Resort has been a long and thorough process." Chief Pierre continued, "We are very pleased with this announcement which will allow us to create hundreds of well-paying and lasting jobs for people in our communities."

An Elder had said many years ago, "Since the culture of the Ktunaxa was taken away within that building, it should be within that building that the culture is returned." The Ktunaxa/Kinbasket Interpretive Centre will be housed within the St. Eugene's Mission.

The oral history of the Ktunaxa Nation includes the whole Columbia Basin. Also, archaeology has been instrumental in documening more than 10,000 years of occupation. Every mountain, stream, river and lake has been used and frequented by Ktunaxa people.

The Elders are the keepers of the knowledge and they are responsible for passing that knowledge down to the younger generations. There are many people within the Ktunaxa Nation that know the history and traditional land-use patterns within their territory. It is possible to acquire a Ktunaxa guide for a more rigorous and exciting form of outdoor adventure.

The Ktunaxa/Kinbasket Tribal Council near Cranbrook should be the starting point for hiring a guide, or alternatively, one of the individual communities may be a source as well.

The phone number to the tribal council is (250) 489-2464 and their fax number is (250) 489-5760.