Ktunaxa/Kinbasket Interpretive Centre Informational Booklet

Prior to European Contact

The Ktunaxa people have lived on the lands adjacent to the Arrow Lakes, Columbia River and Kootenay River of British Columbia for more than 12,000 years. Their traditional territory extends within the Kootenay region of BC (southeastern corner) and areas in Alberta, Montana, Washington and Idaho. The land was not seen as something to own, but as a mother, who gave all that was needed to live. They moved within their territory according to availability of food sources and time of year. The land provided all food, tools, clothing and shelter and the Ktunaxa made sure that they gave back to it. There was not only a physical connection to mother earth, but also a spiritual connection. Prayer and ceremony was of high importance, thanking all that surrounded them and understanding that everything is connected. For the Ktunaxa, family connection was also considered to be very important. Grandparents lived in the homes with their children and grandchildren and were able to pass on the traditional knowledge, crafts and language.

1700's (European contact)

In the Royal Proclamation of 1763 the British Crown recognized the sovereignty of First Nations and proceeded to access title through the negotiations of treaties, thus clearing the way for settlement. Under Common Law there are three ways to access title to land:

Purchase

Gift

War

Title to the majority of the lands in BC was never ceded to the Crown through treaty or any other mechanism, thus the modern day treaty process.

1800's

1834- Hudson Bay Company established at Fort (port) Simpson on the Nass River.

1845- First contact with the Ktunaxa people was Father Pierre DeSmet, a Jesuit priest from the US.

1849- Vancouver Island becomes a British colony. British Crown gives trading rights to BC and places it in charge of immigration and settlement.

1859- New Westminster becomes the first capital of BC

1861- Douglas instructs RC Moody, the chief Commissioner of Land and Work on the mainland colony, to ensure that "the extent of the Indian reserves...be defined as the may severally pointed out by the Natives themselves."

1862- Devastating smallpox epidemic kills approximately 1 out of 3 aboriginal people.

1864- Joseph Trutch is appointed Commissioner of Land and Works. He denies aboriginal title and sets forth a policy of prohibiting rights of pre-emption and adjusting size of reserve land. A residential School is established at Gingolx.

1867- The British North America Act of 1867 creates the Dominion of Canada. Canada becomes a country when confederation joins Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, and Ontario. The Federal Government is given authority under section 91(24) of the Constitution Act 1867 (Canada's first constitution) "To make laws for the peace, order and good government of Canada," including laws about, "Indians and land reserved for Indians."

1870- Joseph Trutch, as Chief Commissioner of Land and Works, writes a memorandum denying the existence of aboriginal title.

1871- BC joins Dominion of Canada, control of Indians assumed by Canada. BC retains authority over lands and resources.

1873- Father Leon Fouquet and Brother John Burns erected the first St. Mary's church. Which was a large building that included a church, living quarters and a hospital.

1876- Indian Act is established. The Act focused on three main ideas:

Land

Membership

Local Government

It consolidates all previous Indian Legislation; defines Indian status; gives the Superintendent general administrative powers of Indian Affairs.

1877- First cannery on Nass River is built. Canada restricts traditional aboriginal fishing rights.

1878- Gitlaxt' Aamiks Residential School is established.

1880's- Aboriginal children are removed from home and "civilization" begins. European population surpasses aboriginal population. Many aboriginal people have died from contact with European diseases. 

1880- The portion of the first mission building that was the church was replaced by a separate building.

1881- Chief Mountain leads the Nisga'a protest delegation to Victoria.

1884- Indian Act amended to outlaw cultural and religious ceremonies such as the potlatch, which was the major social, economic, and political institution of coastal people.

1887- Father Coccola arrived at the St. Eugene Mission.

1890- First conviction of the outlawed cultural and religious ceremonies occurs. The Nisga'a Land Committee is established.

1891- Oblate fathers opened the first Aboriginal school.

1893- Indian "Pierre" brought father Coccola a piece of mineral ore, the size of a goose egg, from a creek bed.

1898- On Palm Sunday the new St. Eugene Church was ready for Divine Service.

1899- Treaty 8 is signed with the Beaver, Cree, Dene Indians located in the Peace River district of the province.

1900's

1906- Delegations from several native nations travel to Victoria, Ottawa, and London England.

1908- Construction for the present Mission building begins.

1909- The Nisga'a Land Committee arranges with other north coast tribes to form the native Tribes of BC.

1910- The present Mission building is completed.

1912- Federal and Provincial Governments agree that a Royal Commission should re-examine the size of every reserve in the province.

1916- Allied Tribes of BC is formed. McKenna and McBride Commission recommends changing and redistributing reserve lands. It recommends enlargement of some reserves and reduction of others.

1920's - Law against cultural and religious ceremonies is enforced on a large scale.

-McKenna and McBride recommendations are implemented.

-Compulsory attendance of aboriginal children in schools is established.

1927- Parliament appoints a special joint committee of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada to respond to the Allied Tribes of BC. The joint committee unanimously that their claim to Indian title to BC was without merit.

          Parliament amends the Indian Act to make it illegal to, "receive, obtain, solicit, or request from any Indian any payment or contribution for the purpose of raising a fund or providing money for the prosecution of any claim" without consent of the Superintendent of Indian Affairs.

1929- Aboriginal population in BCC is less than 30,000; its lowest point since European contact.

1936- The Sisters of Charity from Halifax taught until mid 60's.

Until 1936- The Sisters of Providence were brought in to teach the girls.

1949- BC government unilaterally grants Indian people the right the vote in Provincial elections. Frank Calder is the first Native to be elected to Provincial Legislature.

1950- The Indian Act is amended and laws prohibiting the Potlatch, Sundance and land claim activities are repealed.

1955- Nisga'a Land Committee is re-set as the Nisga'a Tribal Council. Frank Calder is elected First President.

1960's- Aboriginal people on reservations granted the right to vote in federal elections. The phasing out of Indian Residential Schools begins.

-The Depression sets in; as a result, alcoholism increases within the aboriginal society. The medical community does not acknowledge the connection between pregnancy and the brain development of infants. In some cases, alcohol is prescribed to treat the ailments of pregnancy. The mothers are told to drink beer to help increase milk production and to take a shot of whiskey to help with morning sickness.

1965- Nanaimo natives are arrested for hunting on unoccupied portion of Nanaimo treaty area. Province argues that Douglas agreements were not treaties. Supreme Court of Canada disagrees, causing aboriginal rights to emerge as a serious issue in Canadian Courts.

-The Union of BC Indian Chiefs is formed to proceed with land claims on behalf of all BC status Indians.

60's Scoop- Parents were given back custody of their children. As a result of the residential schools child- rearing knowledge is lost. The welfare agencies started to take kids from their homes and adopting them out of the community. On occasion adoptions took place internationally with children ending up in places such as Germany. The removal of children from communities was happening in alarming numbers.

-Moving towards integration of the natives into day schools and phasing out of residential schools. Day schools were foreign to the native students, resulting in many drop-outs.

1970's

-The formal closing of St. Eugene School (June 30^th 1970)

-Kootenay Indian District is turned into Kootenay Indian Area Council.

-         Local nation members close down the Vernon Indian Affairs Office that serves the Ktunaxa.

-         A Ktunaxa woman is elected as the area "C" rural representation to the Cranbrook Board of School Trustees.

-         Capacity of the Ktunaxa Nation to participate in mainstream politics is visibly expanding. First Nations have been organizing themselves.

-         The Kootenay Indian District Council is formed.

1980's- BC First Nations Congress is formed.

-Unlimited funding for Post Secondary Education is now being capped because of the rising enrollment.

-The Ktunaxa Nation held their students back during the month of September, missing the student count data resulting in no payment being made to the district by the province on behalf of these students. The students returned to school later in October. The district and the province recognized the need for attendance to the Master Tuition Agreement.

-A major economic development initiative is being considered for the St. Eugene's Residential School site; an economic development site.

1980's (continued)

-St. Mary's established a band operated school- "Aqʔamnik". This school taught children from kindergarten to grade three. It focuses on the individual needs of the students and their families.

-The School Act is amended to permit local education agreements between the local School Boards and the students.

-New energy is found in a United Political Front. The National Indian Brotherhood is transformed into the AFN.

-Keith Penner, the Chair of a House of Commons Committee, urges Ottawa to recognize self-government in the Constitution. This was summarized in the Penner Report.

-Local Education Agreement

In 1989, the Ktunaxa Kinbasket Independent School System Society (KKISS), incorporated as a non-profit organization. KKISS would negotiate and sign the first Local Education agreement with a BC Public School District, SD#3- Kimberly.

1990's Funding Transfer Agreement

Education funding is capped, along with all funding to First Nations, with the introduction of Financial Transfer Agreement by Federal Government. Responsibility of additional costs due to population increase is given to the Band under these funding agreements, set for a five-year period. The bands oppose this new funding regime.

1990's (continued)

-The Supreme Court of Canada rules that "Section 35 of the Constitution Act provide, a strong measure of protection, for Aboriginal Rights". The Court also rules that Aboriginal and Treaty Rights are capable if evolving over time and must be interpreted in a generous manner. The Court also rules that Governments may regulate existing Aboriginal management of resources are met. Aboriginal people must be given priority to fish for food over other user groups.

-Master Tuition Agreement

Under the terms of the MTA, the Federal Government pays the province up to $7,000 for each Status Indian student in attendance at a public school on September 30^th of each year. There is no opportunity for local negotiation between the School Board and the Ktunaxa Nation.   

-A study of "Tradition and Education" toward a vision of the future is undertaken.

-Alcoholism is being fought through treatment but will still plague the community for many years to come.

Fernie's Ghost Rider Legend

The name of this city came from a man named, William Fernie. He had met a tribe of natives during a prospective trip. He noticed that one of the Natives who happened to be the daughter of the chief, was wearing a necklace of shiny black stones. Knowing the stones were coal, Fernie asked about the source of the coal, provided that Fernie marry his daughter.

            The chief kept his word, but upon learning the source of the coal, Fernie refused to hold up his end of the deal. This angered the chief, and he put a curse on the valley, vowing it would suffer from fire, flood and famine.

            Over the years, the city of Fernie has indeed been besieged with fire, flood and famine. The worst disaster came on August 1^st, 1908; when a forest fire nearly destroyed the entire city.

            On August 15^th 1964 the Ktunaxa Tribe held an important ceremony with Chief Ambrose Gravelle (known as Chief Red Eagle) leading it. They assembled in Fernie and held the ceremonial lifting of the Fernie curse, the Ghost Rider of Mount Hosmer can be seen each sunny, summer evening on a rock face high above the city. It is a spectacular shadow of the Indian Princess sitting on her horse, being led by her father, the Chief.

For more information about the Ktunaxa People please visit:

-         www.firstvoices.com

-         www.ktunaxa.org

-         www.ktunaxamemories.ca (This site is under construction, but please keep checking back with us for updates.)

Our contact information:

Address:     Ktunaxa Nation Council

                   7468 Mission Road

                   Cranbrook, BC

                   V1C 7E5

Telephone: (250) 417 - 4001

Fax: (250) 489 - 5760

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