Evidence on the Adequacy of First Nations Consultation - BC Hydro ...

DRAFT REPORT: Rights and Title Interests in the Columbia Valley Transmission Project Area
4.1.3 KNC Relations with the Kinbasket Shuswap
The Ktunaxa are of the opinion that “Ktunaxa leadership allowed the Shuswap Kinbasket people
to stay in Ktunaxa territory.” For support of this position the Ktunaxa point to earlier territorial
claims made by Chief Isidore of the “Upper Kootenay” during his 1884 meeting with Indian
Commissioner Peter O’Reilly:
The Chief stated, again and again, that he would not accept any limits to
his reservation, unless they included the whole valley of the Kootenay,
and Columbia rivers, (from the International boundary line) and followed
the base of the Rocky Mountains to the Boat Landing on the Columbia
River. 279
Chief Isidore claimed the most eastern valley of the Columbia, the area upstream (i.e., southeast)
from Boat Encampment, and east to the Rocky Mountains, and as such would include the
Columbia Valley Transmission Project lands.
In July 1884, Sub-chief David of Tobacco Plains presented a more conservative statement on the
extent of territory and claimed “the whole country from the boundary line to the Columbia
Lakes.” 280 The extent of the lands delineated by this sub-chief would include the Columbia
Valley Transmission Project lands.
It is the contemporary position of the Shuswap Indian Band that a geographical division exists
between the Shuswap Indian Band and the Columbia Lake Band of the Ktunaxa in terms and
land and resource use:
From the interviews done for the Kenpesq’t [Kinbasket] TLUS, its seems
that while the Kootenay and Kenpesq’t territories may have overlapped
and been willingly shared at times, the general consensus was that the
Kootenay use was concentrated from the Akisq’nik [Columbia Lake
279 Letter of 16 December 1884 from Indian Reserve Commissioner Peter O’Reilly to the Superintendent
General of Indian Affairs, Ottawa [re: summer 1884 meeting to set aside Indian Reserves for the Upper Kootenay
Indians]. Federal Collection, Indian Reserve Commission Minutes of Decision, Correspondence and Sketches,
Volume 10, page 30. Copy held by the Indian Lands Registry, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada. BC Regional
Office, Vancouver.
280 Letter of 16 December 1884 from Indian Reserve Commissioner Peter O’Reilly to the Superintendent
General of Indian Affairs, Ottawa [re: summer 1884 meeting to set aside Indian Reserves for the Upper Kootenay
Indians]. Federal Collection, Indian Reserve Commission Minutes of Decision, Correspondence and Sketches,
Volume 10, page 24. Copy held by the Indian Lands Registry, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada. BC Regional
Office, Vancouver.
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