Ktunaxa First Nations and Kootenai Tribes
The Ktunaxa Nation Council Society is led by four Ktunaxa First Nations: ʔakisq̓nuk, ʔaq̓am, Yaqan Nuʔkiy, and Yaq̓it ʔa·knuqⱡi‘it.
The elected leaders of these four First Nations collectively form the Ktunaxa Nation Council Society Leadership.
They provide guidance, direction, and decision-making on behalf of the Ktunaxa Nation, ensuring the Council’s activities reflect the priorities and values of each member.
Visit the Ktunaxa Land Declaration page to see a timeline that traces how the Ktunaxa Nation Council came to be.
Scroll down for links to each Nation’s website, and for links to our Sister Tribes who are based below the 49th parallel.
ʔakisq̓nuk First Nation
Visit the ʔakisq̓nuk First Nation website.
There are many knowledge holders, determined leaders and great educators among the ʔakisq̓nuk First Nation Band.
We recognize the role that everyone contributes to our strength.
ʔaq̓am
Visit the ʔaq̓am website.
ʔaq̓am is a community that recognizes the importance of family – we share responsibility in raising children, and we honour our elders and children.
Our community includes members of all ages, and we take care of each other.
Yaqan Nuʔkiy
Visit the Yaqan Nuʔkiy website.
Since time immemorial the Yaqan Nuʔkiy people have occupied this beautiful valley which is now known as the Creston Valley.
Today, Yaqan Nuʔkiy remain the stewards of the valley and take great pride in calling this our home.
Yaq̓it ʔa·knuqⱡi‘it First Nation
Visit the Yaq̓it ʔa·knuqⱡi‘it First Nation website.
Yaq̓it ʔa·knuqⱡi‘it First Nation is reclaiming our self-determination and sustainability, while preserving and nurturing ʔakanuxunik’ land, culture, language, and ceremony.
Our vision is guided by our ancestors and Creator with strength and unity, ensuring that all ʔakanuxunik’ are acknowledged and respected.
Affiliated Kootenai Tribes
Kootenai Tribe of Idaho
Visit the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho website.
The Kootenai Tribe of Idaho holds a sacred covenant with the Creator-Spirit to protect the land and all living things.
With a deep spiritual and cultural connection to the Kootenai River and its surrounding ecosystem, the Tribe continues to lead efforts in environmental restoration, endangered species recovery, and cultural preservation from their homeland near Bonners Ferry, Idaho.
Ksanka Kootenai Tribe
Visit the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes website.
The Kootenai (Ksanka) are one of the three sovereign tribal nations that make up the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes in the state of Montana, alongside the Bitterroot Salish and the Pend d’Oreille.
As the southernmost branch of the Ktunaxa Nation, the Ksanka community is based mainly in the Elmo/Big Arm area of the Flathead Reservation.
The Ksanka share deep cultural, linguistic and family ties with the Ktunaxa First Nations in Canada, reflecting a single transboundary people now divided by an international border.
