akis nuk First Na on News

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Gilbert Hawkins
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Community Newsle er December, 2014 akis nuk First Na on News Items of interest: Sunday, December 7, 2014: Community Christmas Bingo at the Akisqnuk Band Hall. Doors open at noon. Early bird at 1 p.m. Tuesday, December 9: Elko Dam community outreach session.

1 Community Newsle er December, 2014 akis nuk First Na on News Items of interest: Sunday, December 7, 2014: Community Christmas Bingo at the Akisqnuk Band Hall. Doors open at noon. Early bird at 1 p.m. Tuesday, December 9: Elko Dam community outreach session. 5 p.m. at the Band Hall. For more information call Nevada Nicholas, , ext Saturday, December 13: Ktunaxa Kinbasket Child and Family Annual Christmas Gathering, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Ktunaxa Nation Government Building, Cranbrook Sunday, December 14: Akisqnuk Community Christmas Dinner, 2 to 4 p.m. at the Akisqnuk Band Hall Sunday, December 14: Aqam Christmas Dinner, 2 p.m. at the Aqam School Monday, December 15: Ktunaxa Names Workshop, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. the Ktunaxa Nation Government Building, Cranbrook Tuesday, December 16: Akisqnuknik Kids Christmas Party, 3 to 5 p.m. at the Akisqnuk Band Hall Akisqnuk Administration Office: Will be closed December 20 to January 5 for the Holidays Congratulations: to Irvine Whitehead for successfully completing the Falling Supervisor Course through the BC Forestry Council New Secure Certificate of Indian Status Cards: Registry Administrator Gayle Michel can help status First Nation people get the new-style Secure Certificate of Indian Status Cards. Come to the office and speak to her, or call her at (250) A small number of the old-style cards are still in stock, but once they re gone, they're gone Happy Birthday: December 14 to Yvonne Nicholas. Love, the Nicholas Family Evolve Used Furnishings: is well stocked with gently used, refurbished and useful furniture. We also carry an ever changing variety of decor items, drawer pulls, art pieces and unique finds to add special touches to your home. We are two doors from Subway in Invermere and open every Friday and Saturday from Call to talk to Maxine Powwow Class Angelle Colli of Ktunaxa Kinbasket Child and Family Services is helping organize a powwow class. She would like to thank Richard Williams and Glynda Joseph, as well as Kenya an exchange student from Spain who have all helped make the class a success! Photo courtesy Angelle Colli. Ktunaxa Business Directory Make sure that companies that contract work in the traditional territory know about your business. Add your name to the Ktunaxa Business Directory. Contact Rosemary Phillips, rphillips@ktunaxa.org.

2 Land Code Update Work is beginning and soon Akisqnukniks will have the opportunity to choose how reserve land is managed... Through the development of a land code Akisqnukniks will, at referendum, be given the option to self manage reserve lands or to remain under Indian Act land management, as is currently the case. A land code, if passed at referendum, will NOT cancel members land holdings, certificates of possession. Holders of CPs do not need to worry, these land holdings will continue under a Land Code, as currently formed. It is possible that the name for this type of holding could be changed, if the community decides on a name that is more relevant to Akisqnuk. However several Land Code First Nations have kept this Indian Act name for these kind of land holdings. It is important to know that a Land Code, if adopted, will not affect: the Ktunaxa Treaty Process, taxation, Ktunaxa Rights and Title, or land claims. Akisqnuknik Stephen Nicholas stopped by the office to proudly show off his Legend Award from Fairmont Hot Springs Resort. Stephen has worked at Fairmont for the past 10 years. Congratulations Stephen. Akisqnuk Land code timeline November 24, 2009: Council of the day signs the original Band Council Resolution (BCR) in support of the First Nation being added to the Framework Agreement on First Nations Land Management the foundational document for development of a Land Code and reserve land selfmanagement February 14, 2013: Council at that time signs a second BCR reaffirming Akisqnuk s desire to sign onto the Framework Agreement Spring, 2013: Akisqnuk staff, based on the BCRs signed by Council, completes the self assessment questionnaire and submits it to the First Nations Land Management Resource Centre this document outlines community capacity and interest in self-management of its reserve lands September 19, 2013: Akisqnuk, along with 28 other First Nations, is invited by Aboriginal Affairs as a new entrant in the First Nations Land Management Regime. September 21, 2013: This news is communicated to membership for the first time at the Akisqnuk AGA. Several news articles follow in the many months thereafter in the Akisqnuk Community Newsletter. July 7, 2014: Akisqnuk First Nation, Aboriginal Affairs, and the First Nations Land Management Resource Centre sign the Implementation Document to formally begin work toward a Land Code implementation of which is to be decided at referendum by community members within the next two years. Pros and Cons of a Land Code Pros: First Nation is recognized as the Government and real decision maker over their lands and resources; Removal of reserve lands from the Indian Act; Community control over First Nation land management and any development; Inclusion of both offreserve and on-reserve members in important decisions; increased accountability to members of the First Nation; More efficient management of First Nation land; Recognition of First Nation s legal capacity to acquire and hold property, to borrow, to contract, to expend and invest money, to be a party to legal proceedings, to exercise its powers and to perform its duties; Transfer by Canada of previous land revenues to First Nation; Recognition of the right to receive revenue from interests in First Nation land; Protection against arbitrary expropriation of First Nation land; Protection against loss of First Nation land through surrender for sale; Ability of First Nation to protect the environment; Ability of First Nation to address the current vacuum on rules related to land during marriage breakdown; Recognition of significant law-making powers respecting First Nation land; Removal of the need to obtain Ministerial approval for First Nation laws; Recognition in Canadian courts of First Nation laws; Recognition of right to create modern offences for breach of First Nation laws. Cons on next page...

Land Code assistant position available The Land Code Development Assistant will report to the Lands Manager and assist in all areas of Land Code development.

3 Land Code assistant position available The Land Code Development Assistant will report to the Lands Manager and assist in all areas of Land Code development. This is a permanent part-time position, 20 hours per week. Pay is $17 to $19 per hour depending on experience. The position will include but not be limited to: working with the Land Code Creation Committee, visiting Coming up at the Akisqnuk Health Centre Foot Clinic, December 10; Elders Christmas Lunch, December 11; reflexology, December 11; Massage, December 15; Dr. Page at the Health Centre, December 18; Dietician s lunch, December 19. The health centre offers massage, Several community wood days were held in November to make sure Akisqnuk community members were well stocked for the winter. Thanks to Canfor for providing the timber and to all the community members that helped out. Council wants to hear from Akisqnukniks Akisqnuk members at their home, and helping organize community meetings. For a complete posting go to and click the news tab. Please apply with resume (with references), and a cover letter to info@akisqnuk.org Deadline is Monday, January 5. For more information contact Lands Manager, Adrian Bergles, chiropractor, foot care, doctor s clinic, reflexology, acupuncture, yoga, and a denturist. Call for more information or to book an appointment. David Thompson Secondary Update The DTSS Aboriginal Education Support Workers are Debra Fisher and Tracey Simpson. Important upcoming dates: Friday, December 19, last day of school before Christmas break; Monday, January 5, first day back at school; Friday, January 30, end of semester one. Want to go to Ecuador and help build a school or a well for an indigenous community there? In March 2015, Debra Fisher and Kerrie Purdy will be leading a group to do just that. Still time to fundraise and plan. Adults welcome. Contact Debra: debrafisher56@gmail.com or Land Code information continued As well as the long list of pros there may be a few cons to developing a land code: Cons: Akisqnuk First Nation will take full responsibility for all future decision making and cannot blame anyone else if any future mistakes are made; Training will be a priority, thus staff and financial resources will have to be made available (Aboriginal Affairs will continue to fund land Management under a Land Code); There is no turning back to the Indian Act to get Aboriginal Affairs to take back land decision making; Community readiness Is the community ready for its own FN decision making?; Council/Staff experience Does Council and staff feel up to the task to be full decision makers?; Typical growing pains of any government related to sufficient resources, staff, space, policy and procedural development, law making; Lots of hard work will be required. On November 13, 2014 Westbank First Nation Chief Robert Louie, who was key in getting the Land Management program on reserves in Canada started, visited Akisqnuk. For a copy of his report go to and click on the news tab. Your input is important to us. The Akisqnuk Council has made a commitment to seek input and feedback from the Akisqnuk membership. Would you like one of us to come to your home, or call you on the phone? Please either call Yvonne Armstrong at (250) (out of area members can call collect); or us at admin@akisqnuk.org. We look forward to hearing from you. Comprehensive Communication Strategy Request for Proposals The strategy is sought to improve communications at all levels of the Akisqnuk First Nation. Deadline to apply is December 12, To see the complete RPF, go to:

4 Ktunaxa Running Club meets WNBA all star Shoni Shimmel is an Aboriginal all star point guard from a reserve in Oregon, USA... On October 5th, members of the Ktunaxa Running Club travelled to Pablo, Montana to attend the Salish Kootenai College Basketball Clinic. Based on age and skill level, participants were put through a day of drills and skill testing events. Organizers anticipated 150 registrants, but were pleasantly surprised when 300 youth and approximately 900 parents showed for the event. Athletes and attendees were from Montana, Idaho, Washington, Nevada, Arizona, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, BC, Alberta and Saskatchewan. While there for the Camp, most admit being drawn there to see a special guest: professional basketball player Shoni Shimmel, point guard for the Atlanta Dream of the WNBA (Women s National Basketball Association). Shimmel is a Native American from the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation in Oregon. She is a graduate of the University of Louisville and in 2014 was drafted to the WNBA. Selected eighth overall in the WNBA draft, she was voted onto the WNBA All-star team during her rookie year and earned the WNBA All Star Shoni Shimmel at left poses with members of the Ktunaxa Running Club game s MVP Trophy. Joining Shoni at the clinic was her sister Jude, a senior on the Louisville Cardinals basketball team. Accompanying the Shimmel sisters were five generations of their family. Shoni gave a youth presentation, where she emphasized the following: stay in school, graduate from school, stay active, practice hard, train hard, don t smoke, no drugs, no alcohol and most of all Listen to your parents! The Ktunaxa Running Club was able to attend the event through partnerships with the Cranbrook RCMP Aboriginal Policing Unit and the Ktunaxa Nation Council. Making the trip were Jordon Sam, Logan Casimer and Keiden Johnson. While our Running club members train for their races individually, it is also important for the club to support the youth in their school sporting events, says running club organizer Eldene Stanley. Seeing Shoni Shimmel is once in a lifetime. - Article and photo courtesy Eldene Stanley. Editors Note: This article was submitted for the November edition of the Akisqnuk Community newsletter but was mistakenly left out. Apologies to the Ktunaxa Running Club! Akisqnuk First Nation #3050 Highway 93/93 Windermere, B.C. V0B 2L2 (250) info@akisqnuk.org

7 Nevada Nicholas September 10, 2014 Ensuring a Sustainable Community Being a resident and a member of the Ktunaxa Nation and its Territory, Building Certainty and Maximizing Community Resources are important to me and my community. We strive every day to make sure our lands; our citizens and our environment are resilient and healthy. To create stronger communities within the mining area, the industry has to concentrate looking at the impacts they have on our social and economic interests, our lands and ecology and our cultural resources. In the Aksiqnuk community, employment is hard to come by; every field of work requires certificates, degrees and training. Not having required education brings us to unemployed citizens and drives our members out of our communities. Supporting our Nation by providing accurate training and education opportunities can produce great success not only for us but for the industry itself. Appropriate management plans, agreements and negotiations between First Nations and industry are important and will develop a positive relationship for future projects. A mine can produce major impairment to the land, water and animals surrounding the mining area. Reclamation of the damaged area needs to be thought through properly, regaining the terrestrial foundation will increase longer living land. Working together, we need to take action on the pollution going into our water; unhealthy water leads to less population of fish and unhealthy citizens. Removing an animal s natural habitat increases the chance of the animals to migrate through the area they had once known. By reducing the speed limits on frequently used roads at the project site, we can decrease the loss of animals. It is important that this environment is brought back to its natural state, our future generations depend on it. Unfortunately, some proposed projects do arise on our territory that are not suitable and lead us to concerns for the protection of wildlife populations, biodiversity and water quality. The proposed Jumbo Glacier Resort is set to be developed in the heart of Qat muk (Got mook). Qat muk is the home of the Grizzly Bear Spirit, this is where the Grizzly Bear Spirit was born, where it goes to heal itself and where it returns back to the spirit world. We the Ktunaxa have a stewardship obligation; proceeding with the resort would destroy the spiritual, cultural and environmental values of Qat muk. As stewards of the land we are taking legal actions to protect our Traditional Territory as our ancestors have for the past 10,000 years. We often get lost in the world where the power of money owns us; we choose to forget that if we do not take care of the land the land will not take care of us. When building stronger communities we need to remember that the land lives longer than we do, it s critical that we protect our environment for our future generations to come.

8 Christmas Community Bingo Bingo will be on Sunday, December 7th, from 1:00 5:00 pm Come join us for some fun, and prizes Kids Christmas Party Will be on Tuesday, December 16th, from 3:00 5:00 pm Gifts will be provided to children 12 yrs and younger. Please contact Stephanie with your child s name, age, and gift ideas by December 11th. Community Christmas Dinner We will host our Community Christmas Dinner on Sunday, December 14th, at 2:00 pm. As usual, we are in need of community members to assist with these events. If you can help out, please contact the office, and have your name put on the list. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE!!!!

akis nuk First Nation Community News

akis nuk First Nation Community News Page 1 u umi April 26 to May 6, 2011 Birthday boy: Lance Nicholas blows out candles at a celebration for everyone with birthdays in April held April 20 at the Band