ktunaxa lands & resources newsletter and updates · 2 2 ktunaxa lands & resources...

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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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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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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

2 3

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

Like us on Facebook:

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


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.

ktunaxa lands & resources newsletter and updates · 2 2 ktunaxa lands & resources...

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