LibGuides: Indigenous Peoples in Canada: Ktunaxa (Kootenai)

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The Ktunaxa (Kootenay) are an Indigenous people who traditionally occupied territories in southeastern British Columbia, as well as in parts of Alberta, Idaho, Montana and Washington. The term “Kootenay” may be an anglicized form of an old Ktunaxa word.

Jr, Deward E. Walker. "Ktunaxa (Kootenay)." The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Canada.

Ktunaxa ɁamakɁis Territories (Authentic Voice) native-land.ca Map of Ktunaxa territories and links to the websites of Ktunaxa nations
Ktunaxa (Authentic Voice)
First Voices
Ktunaxa (Authentic Voice)
First People's Language Map
of BC
Ktunaxa Nation (Authentic Voice)
Ktunaxa nation website
Yaqan Nukiy - Lower Kootenay Band (Authentic Voice) Yaqan Nukiy - Lower Kootenay Band website
Ktunaxa (Kootenay)
Plateau Indigenous Peoples in Canada The Plateau cultural area consists of the high plateau between the British Columbia coastal mountains and the Rocky Mountains, and extends south to include parts of Washington State, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana. At lower elevations it is comprised of grasslands and subarctic forests. Plateau Indigenous peoples include, among others, the Secwepemc, Stl’atl’imc, Ktunaxa, and Tsilhqot’in. (See also Interior Salish.)
The Plateau People
Canada's First Peoples
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This is not an authentic resource

Our land, our story, our words – Ktunaxa Nation (3:33) Traditional Knowledge and Language Coordinator Lillian Rose highlights Ktunaxa connections to the land and waters of Kootenay National Park. She reflects on how park establishment has impacted their freedom to know and be intimate with the land.
Preserving the Ktunaxa language (1:18) The Ktunaxa language is a language at risk. Therefore to pass down knowledge to future generations, the Ktunaxa Nation Council in Cranbrook plans to offer internships to learn the language.
Ktunaxa Language lesson (2:11)
Ktunaxa - Our First Voices Technology is the path forward to continue the Ktunaxa language, an isolate language connected to no others.

Ktunaxa (Kootenai) Stories
District Learning Centre
(AbEd Library)
Ktunaxa (Kootenai) Collection
The Ktunaxa Creation Story: Kootenay (Kutenai) (21:19)

Northern Cree and Chief Cliff. Presenting the Ktunaxa Charging Song

Carol Louie Art - College of the Rockies What an honour! Recently, a painting commissioned by the College and created by Carol Louie was unveiled at our Cranbrook campus. Carol is a member of the Lower Kootenay Band and lives in Creston. She worked in education for many years with the Band – and is an amazing self-taught artist. In this video, Carol explains the significance of the components of the painting and talks about her process in creating beautiful works of art like this one. Some highlights: • The circle represents life. “There’s never an end. It’s always moving.” • The four colours surrounding the circle represent her interpretation of “the four directions and all peoples”. • The shape of those bands of colour represent the Ktunaxa sturgeon nosed canoe. • The feeling she hopes one gets when looking at the painting is like being inside a teepee and looking up through the top, “a house of learning”. • Each of the animals represents legends in Ktunaxa culture, which Carol has also interpreted to relate to the College. • And in the very centre of the painting, she has included the College icon, with the addition of a couple of roaming grizzly bears. “We’re all centred around College of the Rockies.”