Nicole Hancock
Indigenous community hosts full moon ceremony ...

Kristen Villebrun and Wendy Bush hoped they wouldn't have to pray for Chedoke Creek, but four years after they first raised alarm about the water's condition, they were part of an Indigenous full moon ceremony to do just that. About 50 people showed up near Princess Point on the dark and frigid Monday evening for the monthly ceremony, which was particularly special as it focused on Chedoke Creek. The body of water that runs into Cootes Paradise had about 24 billion litres of sewage and storm water runoff leak into it due to a gate being left open.

Indigenous community hosts full moon ceremony to heal Chedoke Creek

Ktunaxa

Agreements address Columbia River Treaty impacts on Indigenous Nations

Agreements address Columbia River Treaty impacts on Indigenous Nations

The Ktunaxa, Secwépemc and Syilx Okanagan Nations and their members will benefit from new interim agreements that share revenue generated from the Columbia River Treaty. Through the three separate interim agreements, the Ktunaxa Nation, Secwépemc Nation and Syilx Okanagan Nation will each receive 5% of the revenue generated through the sale of Canada's share of downstream power benefits under the treaty, otherwise known as the Canadian Entitlement. The proposed interim agreements will share this revenue over four years.

Ktunaxa press feds on cross-border pollution in Kootenay watershed

Ktunaxa press feds on cross-border pollution in Kootenay watershed

The six governments of the Ktunaxa Nation continue to press the federal government on pollution in the Kootenay watershed that crosses the international border between Canada and the United States. Earlier this month, leadership with the six Ktuanxa governments recently met with representatives fro the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Geological Survey on the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho’s reservation lands in Bonner’s Ferry.

The Columbia River Treaty

The Columbia River Treaty

A myriad of First Nations on either side of the border like the Secwépemc (Shuswap) and Ktunaxa (Akisqnuk) have had deep seeded roots to the Columbia River for thousands of years, long before the Treaty attached to it ever became a notion. What is the Columbia River Treaty? The Columbia River Treaty is a water management agreement that was implemented in 1964 between the United States and Canada and is well-respected internationally.

New webinar series: Indigenous Water Relations within the Columbia Basin

New webinar series: Indigenous Water Relations within the Columbia Basin

Living Lakes Canada is hosting a new webinar series to learn, share, and understand the traditional relationship that Indigenous Peoples have with and for water. The webinar, titled Indigenous Water Relations within the Columbia Basin, aims to recognize and appreciate the Indigenous Peoples’ Place-Based cultural practices, as well as the responsibility felt towards water. The three-series webinars will be held via Zoom, led by two presenters from each of the three Indigenous Peoples. Ktunaxa will lead the first on Oct. 26, followed by Secwepmec on Nov. 2 and concluded by Sylis-Okanagan/Sinixt on Nov. 9. For those unable to attend, recordings will be available afterwards on the Living Lakes Canada website.

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