Ktunaxa Nation Council invites applicants for CBT Board role

Ktunaxa Nation Council invites applicants for CBT Board role

Deadline: September 8, 2025

Leadership encourages qualified Ktunaxa ʔakⱡsmaknik to voice their interest

June 3, 2025: ʔa·kisk̓aqǂiʔit (Cranbrook, B.C.)

The Ktunaxa Nation Council is encouraging qualified Ktunaxa citizens to express their interest in representing our Nation on the Columbia Basin Trust (CBT) Board of Directors.

“This important leadership opportunity helps guide decisions that benefit the entire Columbia Basin,” said Kathryn Teneese, Ktunaxa Nation Council Chair.

Columbia Basin Trust is governed by a 12-member Board of Directors.

The five regional districts in the Basin and the Ktunaxa Nation Council each nominate a director, and the Province of B.C. nominates the remaining six directors.

The CBT Board plays a governance role—setting enterprise-level policy and strategy for the Trust.

“Ktunaxa representation at decision-making tables like Columbia Basin Trust is essential,” Teneese said.

“We encourage all qualified Ktunaxa to step forward and help shape the future of our region.”

CBT directors are expected to act in the best interests of the whole Basin, not any one region or group.

They must be able to travel for in-person meetings six times per year and be prepared to engage in meaningful discussions.

They receive annual retainer and meeting fees and are reimbursed for travel and expenses.

Ideal candidates will live in the Columbia Basin region, have experience with community development, governance, and strategic thinking, along with strong ethics and the ability to work toward consensus.

Financial, legal, business, environmental or social sector knowledge is an asset.

HOW TO APPLY

• Please see the linked document to review Director Responsibilities and Attributes.

• Please send an expression of interest, along with your resume, to Ktunaxa Nation Council Human Resources at: knc-hr@ktunaxa.org.

• Learn more here: https://ourtrust.org/about/board-and-governance/board/

Our communities have the answers: Shaping a Nation-Wide Healing Strategy

Martina Escutin is the project lead, and following the guidance of Ktunaxa Leadership and citizens.

The toxic drug crisis has deeply impacted Ktunaxa communities.

Families are grieving lost loved ones and those living with addictions face deeply personal challenges.

In 2021, the governments of the Ktunaxa Nation—ʔaq̓am, ʔakisq̓nuk, yaqan nukiy and Yaq̓it ʔa·knuqⱡi’it—declared a crisis, a mental health state of emergency within ʔamakʔis Ktunaxa. The crisis has roots in colonialism, systemic racism and other barriers to healing. It is fed by a toxic drug supply and continues to hurt Ktunaxa families.

In response, and after much deliberation and input, KNC Social Investment Sector has launched an initiative to develop a Nation-based, Nation-Wide Healing Strategy.

This work follows clear direction from Ktunaxa Nation Leadership, who have emphasized the health and wellbeing of Ktunaxa people must remain at the centre of all efforts.

Therefore, the strategy development will depend on close collaboration between the four Ktunaxa First Nations and as many Ktunaxanin̓tik as can participate.

Ktunaxa voices leading

To support the work, Ktunaxa Nation Council has contracted Urban Matters, a social enterprise that collaborates with communities across western Canada.

ʔakisq̓nuk member, Martina Escutin (nupqu nana), is the lead on the project and works with Urban Matters as an Indigenous wellbeing practitioner. Martina and her team bring considerable experience working on complex social issues and will coordinate engagements with Ktunaxanin̓tik.

“We want to bring people together, build real connections, and support communities to find their own paths to healing,” said Martina.

“Each Ktunaxa community is unique, with its own history, strengths and challenges. Our job is to facilitate these conversations, listen and elevate the good work already happening.”

Seen, heard and valued

“The more disconnected people feel, the more vulnerable they become,” Martina said. “Our goal is to cultivate spaces where people feel seen, heard, and valued.”

Upcoming engagements will support ʔaqⱡsmaknik̓ to share their voice towards developing community-based and Ktunaxa-led solutions to support healing across the Nation.

There may be successful Indigenous-led models from across the country to learn from, while ultimately ensuring strategies remain locally rooted.

“We’re not here to reinvent the wheel,” Martina said. “We’re here to amplify what’s working, identify gaps, and help build momentum for long-term change.”

With projects like Complex Care Housing, the Seven Nations Soaring Eagle Treatment Centre, and the Ktunaxa Nation Regional Health Centre already in motion, the Ktunaxa Nation has been making progress on different aspects of health, wellbeing and healing for communities.

The Nation-Wide Healing Strategy will enhance these projects and will serve to bring people together to share space with one another, allowing for grief, hope and personal stories of healing to open the way for a unified response, grounded in collective responsibility.

“Our communities have the answers,” Martina said.

“The toxic drug crisis has affected all of us in some way, and this is a good moment to step forward and share your voice.  While the goal is to develop a Nation Healing Strategy, the success of that strategy is dependent on each of us doing our part to support each other.”

The Nation-Based Healing Strategy was proposed by Ktunaxa Nation Council’s Social Investment Sector and approved by Leadership in December of 2024.

It has four phases:

1. Relationships & Exploration (January – March 2025): Building connections and gathering insights.
2. Community Involvement (March – May 2025): Engaging Ktunaxa First Nation Health Teams and holding Healing Circles with community members who are interested in being involved.
3. Community Engagement & Strategy Development (May – August 2025): Further engagement with Ktunaxa Citizens and informing a comprehensive healing strategy.
4. Presentations & Finalization (September – October 2025): Presenting back to communities for a final round of input and finalizing the strategy.

Grounded in key guiding principles:

• Culturally Responsive: Rooted in ʔit̓qawxawiȼikimik (everyone holds this belief together), as outlined in the Guiding Principles for Research and Engagement within Ktunaxa Nation.
• Inclusive & Accessible: Elevating Ktunaxa voices and people with lived/living experience of substance use and addiction, grief, and healing.
• Community-Driven: Grounded in Ktunaxa community strengths and perspectives.
• Healing-Oriented: Focused on strengths-based solutions and cultural safety.

Interested? Email nation.healing@ktunaxa.org

https://ManyWaysofWorkingOnTheSameThing.com/researchprinciples/

You’re Invited: Healing and Ceremony Circles

📣 You’re Invited: Healing Circles for Community Members

We invite you to a gentle space for healing, ceremony, and connection.

As part of the Ktunaxa Nation Healing Strategy, our communities will be hosting Healing and Ceremony Circles for those who:

💧 have experienced grief or loss related to the toxic drug crisis
🌿 are on a personal healing journey
🔥 have lived or living experience with substance use
💬 or simply feel called to be part of this conversation

These are an opportunities to share a meal, connect with others, and help shape a path forward together.

Participants will also be invited to guide this work as part of a Collaborative Community Advisory Circle that will support the Nation-wide Healing Strategy.

🧡 Circles will be held in a safe, supportive space and grounded in ceremony.

💵Honorarium: $25/hour for community member participation

🍽️Meal will be provided

To learn more or to RSVP, contact:

Martina.escutin@urbanmatters.ca
Nation.healing@ktunaxa.org

Let’s hold space for one another and walk this healing journey together.

hu sukiⱡq̓ukni.

Ktunaxa Nation Regional Health Centre opens in Cranbrook

April 23, 2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New home for KNC Clinic and will be a hub for Indigenous health services in ʔamakʔis Ktunaxa

ʔa·kisk̓aqǂiʔit / Cranbrook, B.C.:

The Ktunaxa Nation Regional Health Centre will celebrate its grand opening on May 8, marking a major step forward in the delivery of culturally safe health care in ʔamakʔis Ktunaxa.

Located in downtown Cranbrook at 32 9th Avenue South, the new centre will be a hub for health and wellness services for Ktunaxa members, their families and other Indigenous individuals who are living in ɁamakɁis Ktunaxa.

A public Grand Opening Open House will be held May 8, 2025, from 11 am to 1 pm.

“This centre reflects the Ktunaxa Nation’s long-standing commitment to improving health outcomes for our people,” said Kathryn Teneese, Ktunaxa Nation Council Chairperson. “It represents not just a new building, but a new approach to care—one that respects Indigenous perspectives, emphasizes community wellness, and strengthens partnerships.”

The centre houses the Ktunaxa Nation Health Clinic (which was formerly located in the Ktunaxa Nation Council Government Building).

It will connect people to a range of services through the Ktunaxa Nation Council and partners like Interior Health.

The centre uses a “circle of care” model that brings together a range of health professionals to support clients’ physical and mental well-being.

This team includes Nurse Practitioners, Registered Nurses, Outreach Licensed Practical Nurses, Foot Care Nurses, Counsellors, Mental Health and Addictions Support Workers, Social Workers, and Physiotherapists. Clients also have access to specialist providers, including an Internal Medicine Physician and a Psychiatrist.

Health centre professionals will provide outreach in nearby East Kootenay communities to help individuals and families navigate the health care system and connect with services.

The Ktunaxa Regional Health Centre has been supported through partnerships with the First Nations Health Authority, Interior Health, East Kootenay Primary Care Network, and with support from Indigenous Services Canada, Elk Valley Resources (formerly Teck Coal), Canfor, and other community collaborators.

Additional quotes and partner acknowledgements will be shared at the May 8 Open House.

The kinq̓uq̓anki Restoration Project, Columbia Lake East Side

April 17, 2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Ktunaxa Nation partners with Nature Conservancy of Canada to restore important grasslands

Columbia Lake, B.C.: Work has begun on a five-year project to restore the grasslands of Columbia Lake—Lot 48 Conservation Area on the east side of Columbia Lake. Crews have started thinning trees in preparation for a low intensity burn treatment in 2026.

This project can be referred to by its Ktunaxa name: kinq̓uq̓anki. The word (pronounced kin-kook-an-key) was identified through many conversations with ʔakisq̓nuk elders, the Traditional Knowledge and Language Advisory Committee and the Lands Advisory Working Group, and has been historically used to describe Armstrong’s Range.

Collaboration

The Ktunaxa Nation Council, ʔakisq̓nuk First Nation and the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) are collaborating on the ecosystem restoration project on the conservation lands, which are held and managed by NCC. This restoration project has substantial funding support from Columbia Basin Trust.

“This work brings traditional Ktunaxa burning practices back to the landscape,” said Kathryn Teneese, Ktunaxa Nation Council Chair. “The east side of Columbia Lake has always been important to us, so it’s a good place to collaborate on projects like this.”

Ecosystem restoration

For thousands of years, Ktunaxa ʔakⱡsmaknik (people) used seasonal, low-intensity ʔa·kinq̓uku (fires) in the Rocky Mountain Trench to maintain healthy grassland vegetation and wildlife populations.

The ecosystem was ‘fire-maintained,’ with fire sweeping through every 10 to 15 years. After burning practices were banned in the 1890s by the colonial government, many areas (like Lot 48) started to become ingrown with trees, creating unhealthy, suppressed forest stands and reducing grassland habitat.

Alfred Joseph, an elder of ʔakisq̓nuk First Nation, recalls when the east side of Columbia Lake. Kinq̓uq̓anki, was a vital part of community life. “I remember when you could gallop a horse through these lands. It’s time to restore that balance, for the sake of the grasslands and future generations.”

The steps involved

Thinning operations are being led by local contractors, including Seven Feathers Contracting, which is owned and staffed by ʔakisq̓nuk First Nation members.

Ktunaxa ʔa·knusti (land guardians) have established fire effects plots, and will revisit them after the burn (which is planned for spring, 2026), then every year until 2029.

Guided by an ecosystem restoration plan developed in collaboration with fire ecologist and burn boss Colleen Ross, the process will rejuvenate native grasses, create better grazing habitat, and reduce wildfire risks.

“We are excited to see the continuation of this important restoration work,” said Richard Klafki, Nature Conservancy of Canada program director. “Since conserving Lot 48 in 2011, we have been working towards this type of partnership with the Ktunaxa Nation to bring managed fire back to the landscape.”

“This project demonstrates the Ktunaxa Nation’s commitment to protecting our ancestral lands,” Teneese said. “But it also serves as a template for future restoration work, including potential efforts within the adjacent Columbia Lake Provincial Park. We are glad to be working with such dedicated partners.”

More information here.

 

From Clinic to Ktunaxa Nation Regional Health Centre

INFORMATION BULLETIN
Clinic Operations Update – April 2025

Our clinic is still open and providing regular services.

We’ve made a small change to how we book appointments:
All in-person appointments are now grouped together to improve flow.

You can still:

• Call the clinic as usual.
  Please leave a message if you can’t get through and we will return your call.

👩‍⚕️ Nurse Practitioner (NP) Appointments

• Phone appointments continue as usual
• In-person NP visits are grouped and will happen in the old clinic space until April 17.

Thank you for your continued patience and support!
📞 If you have any questions, please give us a call. 250-420-2700

The new Ktunaxa Regional Health Centre will be opening to clients on April 22, 2025.

The grand opening and open house will be on May 8, from 11 am to 1 pm.

Address is 32 9^th Ave. South.

ʔa·kuk̓pǂuǂaǂ (Juniper) Harvest, 2025

Call for Ktunaxa Task Force Members – IMBA Review

Call for Ktunaxa Task Force Members – IMBA Review

March 27, 2025

We’re looking for Ktunaxa citizens to join a Task Force to help review and shape changes to the Impact Management and Benefits Agreement (IMBA).

 

📌 The task force will be:
✅ 1 Elder from the TKL Advisory Committee
✅ 1 Elder from the Lands Advisory Working Group
✅ 2 Youth Members
✅ 2 Citizens-at-Large
🔄 Each member will have an alternate

📅 Commitment:

• Meet about four times from May to December
• Engage with Ktunaxa citizens once or twice if needed
• Compensation is by-the-day at KNC committee rates: Please ask

📚 No prior knowledge needed—an IMBA 101 session will be provided!

📩 Interested?
Contact Alexis: alexisj.martig@ktunaxa.org(External link)

Deadline is April 17, 2025

Why This Matters

The IMBA was originally signed in 2016 between Ktunaxa and Teck Coal
(now EVR, after its 2024 acquisition by Glencore).

A third-party review in 2023 led to a set of recommendations,
which were shared with Ktunaxa leadership and citizens.

At last year’s engagement sessions, citizens and non-KNC staff
said they wanted more involvement in shaping these changes.

This Task Force is being formed in response to that feedback.

Now is your chance to help ensure Ktunaxa voices guide the next steps!

 

Find out more about the IMBA by visiting the engagement site, Ktunaxa Hakq̓yit.

The project is for Ktunaxa only, so you will need to register for the site HERE

Economic & Investment Sector: Spring Community Outreach

Ktunaxa Nation statement on CRT ‘pause’

Amid the U.S. ‘pause’ on the Columbia River Treaty modernization,
the Nation looks to work that has been done and the necessity for a finalized treaty

March 19, 2025: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Cranbrook, B.C. Despite the United States pausing its participation in talks for a modernized Columbia River Treaty, the Ktunaxa Nation continues to work in good faith with the governments of British Columbia and Canada on domestic matters related to the treaty negotiations.

“We remain committed to ensuring the CRT is updated to address our rights and will continue to work with our First Nations partners, B.C. and Canada to improve the treaty,” said Kathryn Teneese, Ktunaxa Nation Council Chair.

“It was good to reach an agreement in principle last July. The reality is that both countries—and all parties—need a modernized treaty, whether it happens sooner or later.”

The Ktunaxa Nation homelands are at the headwaters of the Columbia River.

The agreement in principle (AIP), which was signed by both Canada and the United States, is not a new treaty. It is a map to get to a new treaty and represents years of technical input and negotiation. The AIP outlines key elements of a modernized treaty, such as ecosystem health, salmon restoration to the upper Columbia River, reduced water-level fluctuations in reservoirs, and better control over river flows.

The AIP also recommends an Indigenous/tribal advisory body and a transboundary working group.

“A modernized treaty would recognize and honour Ktunaxa rights and title as stewards at the Columbia Headwaters,” Teneese said. “The current pause in the treaty’s renegotiation provides our Nation with a critical opportunity to advance domestic discussions and address longstanding grievances stemming from the treaty’s historic impacts.”

When the current treaty was established in 1964, Ktunaxa were not consulted, nor were any other Indigenous nations. Long term environmental effects weren’t fully factored in, and the proliferation of dams and flooding of former habitat negatively impacted lands, waters and cultural heritage in ʔamakʔis Ktunaxa, the Ktunaxa homelands.

In addition to its involvement in the treaty modernization, the Ktunaxa Nation is a proud partner in the Columbia River Salmon Reintroduction Initiative (CRSRI).

“Salmon was a cornerstone of Ktunaxa diet and culture,” Teneese said. “Dam construction severed this connection, resulting in a deep cultural and ecological loss that goes beyond the treaty itself. We have been working collaboratively for years to seek redress for the damage caused by these historic projects.”

“We are at a pivotal moment where we can address the historical injustices caused by the Columbia River Treaty and contribute to a modernized treaty that enhances ecosystems and the power infrastructure that depends on these ecosystems. We look forward to a finalized agreement,” Teneese said.

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news@ktunaxa.org

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