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Ktunaxa Lands & Resources
Newsletter and Updates Kupaqp i —k (Oc tober ) 2015
–a t c inak i ‰ –up i –n i ‚ –unaxun i –aqu‰aqp i —k Oc tobe r , l eav es beg in to f ade (change co lo r )
and fa l l
Lands and Resources Staff:
Ray Warden, Director
Lands & Resources Steward-
ship Assistants: Chad Luke
(Lower Kootenay), Nevada
Nicholas (Akisqnuk), Bonnie
Harvey (Aqam) Dan Grav-
elle (Tobacco Plains) ,
Kerri Garner, Manager
Lands Stewardship
Denise Walker, Administra-
tive Assistant
Nicole Kapell, Environment
& Archaeological Steward-
ship Manager
Denine Milner, Strategic
Initiatives Coordinator
Craig Paskin, Manager Poli-
cy and Planning
Jose Galdamez, GIS Techni-
cian
Alison Burton, Coal Regula-
tory Coordinator
Pauline Eugene, Archaeolo-
gy Guardian
Danielle Gravelle, Lands
Guardian
Lands and Resources
Sector Council:
Issue 5
Chair - Sandra Luke Lower Kootenay
Jim Whitehead –a“am
Jason Gravelle Tobacco Plains
Lorne Shovar –akis“nuk
Kootenay Lake Cultural and Conservation Values Planning Project
Submitted by Craig Paskin, Manager Policy and Planning
Kootenay Lake is subject to lots of development pressures. As a result, the Ktunaxa Lands and Resources Agency receives lots of referrals regarding these developments. In an effort to take a more strategic approach to address all this development and corre-sponding impacts, the Ktunaxa Lands and Resources Agency and Lower Kootenay are members of the Kootenay Lake Partnership, a government-to-government approach to planning around Kootenay Lake. The Kootenay Lake Partnership takes an integrated and collaborative approach to lake management on Kootenay Lake. This approach is two-pronged. The first component is to identify the cultural and physical/biological characteristics and sensitivities of the lakeshore. This step identifies and maps areas that have exceptional cultural, ecological and socio-economic values around Kootenay Lake. The second component looks at these baseline values and then develops management strategies to ensure that these values are maintained or enhanced or that impacts to those values are mitigated. All of this work will be incorporated into a Shoreline Guidance Document that will be used by the Kootenay Lake Partnership to maintain and protect important upland, fore-shore and near-shore values such as productive fish habitat, recreational opportunities, and Ktunaxa cultural and conservation values. To incorporate Ktunaxa cultural and conservations values into the Shoreline Guidance Document, the Ktunaxa Lands and Resources Agency has been conducting workshops and interviews with key Ktunaxa knowledge holders. The workshops helped introduce the project to Lower Kootenay community members and discussed the concept and ap-proach of cultural and conservation values planning. Interviews with knowledge holders included the identification and mapping of key val-ues and asked for recommendations for appropriate management strategies to protect these values. Interviews took place in late March and early September. The Ktunaxa Lands and Resources Agency also organized a shoreline survey by boat, over two days, to confirm and identify areas and values around Kootenay Lake. The shoreline survey proved challenging to organize given the wildfires and smoke obscuring the shore and uplands. However, the weather cleared and the boat survey was able to proceed. The next steps now include pulling all the information together from the interviews and shoreline survey to develop appropriate zoning of impacts and management. Also up-coming is the development of appropriate management strategies associated with each zone so that Ktunaxa cultural and conservation values may be protected and enhanced. This is the first time that this approach has been attempted in a government-to-government relationship. It is anticipated that the Shoreline Guidance Document will help reduce negative impacts to Ktunaxa cultural and conservation values and to increase Ktunaxa stewardship of Kootenay Lake.
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Ktunaxa Lands & Resources Newsletter and Updates
Danielle Gravelle smiling
at the one whitebark pine
tree in our plot at the top of
Carbon ridge.
Beaver Dam at the CMO
Phase II Site Visit
On October 1st 2015, there will be a update and site visit to the Columbia Lake
Eastside. Starting at 9:30 am we will start with: A brief overview of the CLES
History, the Nature Conservancy Canada will do a update on key issues and so-
lutions at Lot 48, archaeology update, and we will discuss additional issues of
concern. Lunch will be provided and afterwards we will proceed to the site for a
visit. Attending the meeting will be: Nature Conservancy Canada (NCC), BC
Representatives, Ktunaxa Nation Lands Department Staff, Wayne Choquette,
AFN Chief and Council and AFN interested members. If any Akisqnuk First Nation
members are interested in attending please contact Nevada Nicholas at 1-250-
342-6301 by September 30th.
Columbia Lake Eastside Update and Site Visit
This month we were able
to continue our work to
document existing condi-
tions within the proposed
Coal Mountain 2 project
footprint. In July our crew
spent two days recording
vegetation and ecosys-
tems present, as well as
conducting interviews with
community members while
out on the land. On Sep-
tember 17-18 we were
able to access different
areas of the proposed
project footprint that we
did not make it to in July,
and we conducted inter-
views and completed veg-
etation plots. We were
fortunate to have Robert
Williams, John Nicholas,
Kyle Shottanana, Pauline
Eugene, and Danielle
Gravelle out in the field.
It is important to visit the
site throughout the sea-
sons, to document changes
and identify features that
stand out at different
times of the year. We
are hoping to conduct a
winter flight survey, as
well as spend 2 more
days within the proposed
project footprint next
spring. It is a large pro-
ject, and there are still
areas that we have not
visited.
We saw lots of wildlife
sign as well as some ani-
mals, including a young
grizzly bear, and a cou-
ple of golden eagles. To
the left at the top is a
picture of a beaver dam
that we encountered
while surveying a wet-
land within the proposed
project footprint. The
beavers weren’t home at
the time (that we know
of!), but it was a lovely
looking dam.
If you have any questions
or comments about the
proposed CMO2 project,
please do not hesitate to
contact me. Thank you.
Ali Burton, Coal Regula-
tory Coordinator
Coal Mountain Phase ll Project Footprint
Question: Also know as FBR, these artifacts are found near ancient elk roasting
pits near the Columbia Lake?
To submit your answer: Please go to our Facebook Page, Ktunaxa Nation Lands
and Resources, and private message us your answer or simply email: nnicho-
[email protected] and a random winner will be awarded a $25.00 gift card. The
deadline for submission is October 23rd, 2015.
Lands and Resources - Ktunaxa Jeopardy YOU COULD WIN!!
Fossilized leaves, found by
Robert Williams during CMO2
field work. September 2015.
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Ktunaxa Lands & Resources Newsletter and Updates
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Ktunaxa Lands & Resources Newsletter and Updates
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Ktunaxa Lands & Resources Newsletter and Updates
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Ktunaxa Lands & Resources Newsletter and Updates
Columbia River Water Governance
On September 17 and 18th, Chad
Luke, Nevada Nicholas, Dan
Gravelle, Donald Sam, Nicole
Kapell and Lands Sector Chair
Sandra Luke travelled to Kelowna
to meet with other representatives
from the Okanagan Nation Alli-
ance, Adam’s Lake Band, the Up-
per Columbia United Tribes (USA)
and the Columbia River Inter-
Tribal Fisheries Commission (USA).
The purpose of this meeting was to
discuss the results of a report com-
missioned by the 15 tribes and 3
First Nations (including Ktunaxa
Nation) who live within the Colum-
bia River Basin. The report, titled
“A Sacred Responsibility: Govern-
ing the use of Water and Related
Resources in the International Co-
lumbia Basin through the Prism of
Tribes and First Nations”, looks at
several case studies involving
transboundary watershed govern-
ance options. The report also pro-
vides options for moving forward
on water governance within the
Columbia River Basin.
The focus of our discussions was
how the Tribes/First Nations can
lead water governance initiatives,
and ensure that the stewardship
values and principles of each Na-
tion are considered when decisions
are made within the entire Colum-
bia River Basin. The discussions
were interesting and revolved
around topics such as salmon resto-
ration, habitat restoration, cultural
values, and most importantly,
working together towards our com-
mon goals.
We were given a presentation on
the work to date by the Columbia
Basin Transboundary Youth Net-
work, which has been very busy
and provides a great opportunity
to empower young people to be
involved in initiatives that reflect
their own values. Nevada Nicholas
is a member of this Youth Net-
working Group, and if any other
youth are interested in being in-
volved in issues pertaining to the
Columbia River, please contact
Nevada for more information
about this group (contact info on
Page 8)!
The KNC and CCRIFC will continue
to work with other Nations, and
look at pursuing the options out-
lined within the “Sacred Responsi-
bilities” report. If you would like a
copy of the Executive Summary of
this report, or have any questions
about this initiative, please contact
Nicole Kapell (Contact info on
page 8).
Above on the left and right: participants from the ONA,
Adams Lake Band, the Upper Columbia United Tribes
(USA) and the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fisheries
Commission (USA) and the Ktunaxa Nation
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Ktunaxa Lands & Resources Newsletter and Updates
Did you know that Whitebark Pine is a federally listed endangered
species, and is an excellent food for bears, nutcrackers and squirrels?
Did you know??
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1 CLES
Update and
Site Visit -
AFN (Info
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4 5 6 AFN
IMBA Up-
date/Aqam
Canfor Site
Visit
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Kupaqpi—k 2015
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Lands and Resources KNGB:
1-250-489-2464
Ray Warden - Ext. 3121
Denise Walker - Ext. 3120
Nicole Kapell - Ext. 3123
Denine Milner - Ext. 3125
Craig Paskin - Ext. 3124
Jose Galdamez - Ext. 3122
Kerri Garner - Ext. 3115
Alison Burton - Ext. 3190
Pauline Eugene - Ext. 4027
Danielle Gravelle - Ext. 4026
Community Lands and Resources
Stewardship Assistants (LRSAs):
Bonnie Harvey (–a“am) 1-250-426-5717 Ext. 3522
Chad Luke (Lower Kootenay) 1-250-428-7960
Dan Gravelle (Tobacco Plains) 1-250-887-3461 Ext. 3412
Nevada Nicholas (–akis“nuk) 1-250-342-6301 Ext. 3815
Ktunaxa Lands & Resources
Contact us at:
For the latest news and
events please visit us at:
www.ktunaxa.org
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Ktunaxa Nation Lands and
Resources
The Mandate of the Ktunaxa Lands
and Resources Agency is to ensure
that the lands and resources within
the Ktunaxa Territory are effectively
managed and protected for the bene-
fits of the citizens, communities and
government of the Ktunaxa Nation.
- Lands Sector Mandate
Ktunaxa Lands & Resources Newsletter and Updates
Chad Luke is encouraging everyone to please add Lower Kootenay (Stewardship
Assistant) as a friend on Facebook to keep updated on what’s happening in the
Creston area.