Core Services

By Shawna Janvier
Chief Administrative Officer

Kiʔsuʔk Kyukyit Q̓apiniskiǂ !

I am, once again pleased and honored to address all the Ktunaxa people in my second report out as the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) and Executive Mentor for the Ktunaxa Nation Council (KNC) Government.

This administrative leadership has been impacted by significant challenges with a global health pandemic, sweeping organizational changes in the form of internal administrative leadership development and overall shifts in KNC strategic direction.

We have weathered the storm and the Ktunaxa people continue to demonstrate their resilience by keeping each other safe.

Who knew it was going to last this long with mental wellness hanging in the balance?

Anxiety is still high and everyone is still concerned for their lives and livelihoods.

It’s important that we continue to share what we have been doing to help protect us all in these challenging times.

Health and safety first

Last year, as you all know, the Annual General Assembly (AGA) was cancelled by the host community Yaqan Nukiy, understandably due to the circumstances of the pandemic. And out of an abundance of caution, other major events were cancelled that were to be held at St. Eugene Mission Resort. The annual charity golf tournament was cancelled. The Commemoration of the 50^th Anniversary of the Closing of the Kootenay Indian Residential School was delayed once more.

However, this year leadership gave the thumbs up for a VIRTUAL AGA to be hosted by the KNC.

This is scheduled for Wednesday, September 29, 2021.

The challenges of a new working environment and interacting with people without visiting is hard, but we are adapting.

The activities of the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) team are reported below by lead Alison Lomon.

We are still communicating out every Wednesday on behalf of the KNC Administration to keep that regular connection to the workplace.

All of the sectors and departments have adapted and demonstrate every day their own unique styles of working remotely and doing their best to make it work.

We have experienced and seen the pandemic health “waves” and leadership has really stepped up to encourage their citizens to get vaccinated.

Our communities have readied themselves and our health care teams have been active in compiling necessary supplies and arranging provide immunization services. There have been a few minor outbreaks in community and in staff, including some fatal outcomes and for that I offer my condolences.

As the pandemic rages on we are staying the course, and I am very proud of everyone who continues to prioritize the health and safety of Ktunaxa citizens and communities.

In my time here, I have had the privilege to meet some remarkable people and do some visiting,

One of the inevitable stages of life that saddens me about getting to know remarkable people is that sometimes they leave us too soon. I will always remember my visits with Herman, Mary and Liz. But after the pandemic hit, there have been limited opportunities to see IRL (In Real Life.)

I have been lucky enough to be able to get some traditional “delicacies” (aka wild food), like “wats-kan-nah” (insert proper way in Ktunaxa here) and huckleberry jam!

I am happy to give you an update on some important changes occurring at the KNC to support an organizational culture change, the development of the Ktunaxa citizens and government readiness. I reported out last year on some of these initiatives and the focus on “Q̓api qapsin kin ‘itkin hin ‘isti Ktunaxa” (Everything you do, you do for Ktunaxa).

The leadership has been exploring different ways to realize their dreams and goals.

They have been expanding their thinking about the past, present and future.

We always keep in mind what the “K” in KNC stands for: Ktunaxa. For the people, by the people. It can be no other way. All the relationships between the Ktunaxa people as a whole are important and need to be nurtured and cared for in order for them to grow and thrive.

We are still working on a number of communication initiatives in an effort to become more interesting, creative and breathe some life back into the connection.

It was never truly lost, just goes off the track once in a while.

Besides being the object of the opposite of our desires, COVID-19 continues to open our eyes to the possibilities of a different way of doing things.

I mentioned earlier that a significant part of my role is to mentor a Ktunaxa citizen to the CAO role.

I take this very seriously and with my whole heart. I am pleased to report that we will have a Ktunaxa CAO mentee this fall. It’s about time!

I have confidence that any one of our candidates will out their best foot forward and serve the people well.

It is our hope that they also learn a lot about themselves along the way in the process. This is an exciting time for mentoring and succession for Ktunaxa Citizens to honour and ensure that corporate government capital remains with the Ktunaxa government for generations to come!

By Ashley Skjonsby
Facilities Assistant

Capital Acquisitions

Purchased 32 9^th Avenue South to provide health care to First Nations/Ktunaxa citizens.

Added two new Toyota Tundra’s (LANDS) and a Ford Transit “Ambulance” (SOCIAL) to our Fleet.

Replaced outdated fire panel for KNGB.

Renovated 3^rd floor pair of washrooms.

Replaced flooring in the lobby area at KNGB.

Renovations and Projects

Renovated leased spaced in the Tamarack Mall for Skinkuc Treasures.

Conducted a space survey to forecast the needs for staff upon return to work.

While taking advantage of having a low number of staff in the building, we have started painting all the walls and trim in the KNGB.

COVID 19

We have taken all the steps we can to acquire supplies need to protect our staff from COVID 19.

Outfitted the KNGB with touchless faucets and hand sanitizing dispensers.

Facilities has actively participated in weekly EOC meetings.

By Bob Luke
Info Technology Manager

The Backup storage expansion at Finance is now complete and allows us to increase the number of backups and increase the retention time.

Our old backup storage was running at or near capacity.

We will be installing video conferencing system in the Gym and the old Gift Shop area this year to

accommodate more and larger audiences. The equipment has been ordered and some of it is beginning to arrive, so installation should begin soon.

IT is working with Michelle Barroca and a 3rd party to configure Collabspace

to replace our old Contentverse system which wasn't meeting our needs.

We have been assisting Nupqu in planning and configuring the communications equipment for their new

office space in Fernie.

Also helping LKB with planning their communications for their new building

which they hope to complete in late spring.

We have also been setting up a new server for Akisqnuk.

The new KNC office in Castlegar is now open and being used by KEL and Nupqu staff and establishes a presence in that area for us.

It has been a challenge to keep our staff connected to their network resources while working remotely over the past year or so.

Huge credit to Sheldon Ellingson and Ross Doeleman for the great work in providing remote support and assistance to our staff.

We have noticed a huge increase in malware and hacked email accounts in the past while. We encourage staff to be extra careful when clicking on

links or opening attachments to avoid exposing our network and data to malware and ransomware.

By Jesse Nicholas
Communications Officer

As part of the AGA, the Communications Department is launching Ktunaxa Hakq̓yit.

This is a website where Ktunaxa Citizens will be able to discuss important matters in a place away from the usual public spaces like social media. KNC Sectors will also use the site to engage with Citizens on ongoing projects and initiatives. It is hoped the site will also be used in a general sense for people to share good news from their communities and families.

We are bringing back ktuq̓ȼqakyam in both printed and digital form.

The aim of this new version will be to centre it more as an actual news paper with stories from communities and citizens across ʔamakis Ktunaxa. This will be tied in to Ktunaxa Hakq̓yit in some ways, but the ktuq̓ȼqakyam will be more of a public document available for all to read, including other governments and organizations. It will be a way to showcase the excellence being undertaken by communities and citizens to the general public.

We are hoping to bring on a Ktunaxa Citizen into our department to produce high quality video content to tell our stories in the way that we want to tell them. This person will work across all the sectors at KNC as well as communities if so requested. We have so many stories to tell – but only if we feel we need to tell them.

The Communication Department is in the initial stages of overhauling the current website Ktunaxa.org. This may mean creating a new website from scratch. The current site is limited in scope by what we can do with it due to how it was designed. It is hoped any new website will be easy to use and navigate by anyone.

We continue to support the Sectors in day-to-day production activities such as creation of posters and other public-facing material.

We have also supported Ktunaxa communities in some initiatives at their request.

Communications staff are:

Jesse Nicholas, Communications Officer

Dave Lalande, Communications Tech

Trish Barnes, Communications Support

By Kyle Highwind
Service Representative
OH&S Joint-Committee, Co-Chair

Throughout the year we have been working to define what the JOH&S committee will look like going forward. We are a group of people passionate about safety wanting to be active in supporting the Ktunaxa Nation Council in being as safe as it con possibly be. In this new at home/online world we still don’t know exactly how that fits in but we wish to work to figure it out!

We have also established that there is a gap in safety ownership and have been helping to steward the process to hire safety staff to bring our OHS vision to fruition. We are currently at the planning stage of our OHS strategy and the advisory committee is looking forward to working with safety staff hired.

The JOH&S Committee has also been diligently promoting Mental Health and is hosting monthly round table discussions giving staff a safe space to discuss how they are feeling and any related safety concerns. These have been a welcome change to the dreary covid program and it is all thanks to the staff whom patriciate for its success. In the same frame as Mental Health we have also provided one-time training discussing the effects of continual stress and mental health.

The JOH&S Committee thanks each and every staff for your commitment and participation in safety. We would also like to thank the Directors, Managers, and Leaders to their continued commitment to safety.

If you have never been to JOH&S Committee meeting and are interested, please reach out the myself as the employee co-chair. We are always glad to have new members and people passionate about safety even if you want to just stop by to see what we are about.

Reception at Ktunaxa Nation Council

Reception has changed drastically and moved towards working to a form home model (at the moment). This has provided its own set of struggles. At reception I have been lucky to work diligently with the EOC and help coordinate messages to staff working from home. Being the face and first person you generally speak to has been a great joy and I miss it dearly. I look forward to being able to hear and see everyone’s face when we open up again.

Outlining services have changed are as follows; 1. Cheques are no longer available for pickup at reception. EFT can be coordinated through Finance. 2. Lots of building services are by appointment only. I have to provide contact information and ask people to reach out themselves or if they would like me to pass messages on to the person they wish to talk to. 3. The Keys, Gas Cards, Car Wash card system has been overhauled by facilities. These will no longer be held by reception. 4. Mail is sorted a few times a week when I am in the office. 5. Mailout services are via reception every Friday (sooner in emergencies can be coordinated). 6. Sign in/out has been implemented for Fire Safety & Contact Tracing if necessary. 7. Office Supplies can be arranged through pickup/order through Reception. 8. Meeting Room services have not changed and are being managed by facilities still.

It has been disheartening that we cannot run at full capacity but at the same time it has been so humbling. The citizens and people that Ktunaxa Nation Council Serves and whom I interact with have been the strongest and most understandable despite the barriers that covid has placed. That everyone’s concerns can be brought forward and talked about dealing with any concerns that we may have. It has shown me that the sense of comradery I share with my work family and everyone whom comes through the door has proven my choice to join Ktunaxa Nation Council as the right one.

By Alison Lomon
Emergency Program Coordinator

The past 17 months have been busy for the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) team – starting with the shutting down of the Government Building and modified operations of some facilities.

This required us to developing a Return to Work Plan to ensure the health and safety of our Staff and share it with Communities.

Actively participating in coordination calls and meetings with Emergency Management BC, Interior Health, FNHA, Health Emergency BC and the Regional Districts and adapting the changing policies and procedures, and incorporating them into our plans. All while maintaining the invaluable services and work that the KNC does.

The amount of calls and virtual meetings this year have been staggering the EOC team has met over 102 times as a group. Some of the EOC working team tasks included the Return to Work Plan, implementing all the Covid-specific safety policies to all KNC owned and operated facilities.

All facilities were fitted with protective barriers, signage, and personal protective equipment, and operational guidelines.

Developing the Stages of reopening which continually changed, due to the Provincial orders, and our approach to maintain the working from home directive to reduce the impact on staff.

The Staff Acknowledgment Form and other employee policies and procedures, to maintain the health of staff, while understanding the expectation of the new policies.

Communications were viral and the creation of a weekly Newsletter was implemented to make certain that staff and support staff were well informed of the changes and strategies for mental health and various other topics.

There have been countless hours of meetings and after hour calls, by all members of the EOC team, this team has been outstanding to work with, each person’s contribution has been invaluable to the success of this unique task. The EOC team members are: Shawna Janvier, Colin Sinclair, Josie Cale, Kaydia Wright, Don Maki, Lynn Armstrong, Brittany Groff, Trish Barnes, Jesse Nichols, Kyle Highwind and myself.

As we move into the reopening phase – again - we are currently in final discussions of what the work place will look like once we can fully open up – We are very aware there is anxiety, excitement and relief for staff and we will continue to put our staff and communities first in our planning.

By Amanda Davidge
Junior Human Resources Advisor

The KNC has grown in the last year from 147 to 166 staff. The total Ktunaxa staff working at the KNC in July last year was 49. This July we had 67 Ktunaxa staff working with the KNC.

The KNC Employee Guide was officially completed and roll out sessions to staff started in March 2021. Staff were asked to attend two mandatory sessions.

1. The first session: Q̓ api qapsin kin ’itkin hin ’isti Ktunaxa (Everything you do, you do for Ktunaxa), was facilitated by Smokii Sumac from the Traditional Knowledge & Language sector and supported by Codie Morigeau who was the director at that time
2. The second session focused on the HR policy aspect of the guide and was facilitated by Shawna Janvier and Kaydia Wright, Senior HR Advisor.

Beginning on April 2, 2021 the Professional Development Program and the Training program were amalgamated into the new and current Ktunaxa Nation Capacity Building Program to support the broader mentoring initiatives and build capacity of all Ktunaxa employees.

1. This new program is primarily focused on Ktunaxa capacity building needs first, and to general staff for capacity building that is relevant to the work they do for the Ktunaxa Nation.
2. This new program is no longer restricted by the former allowance of 3% of staff’s annual salary.

Previously, HR used a performance management software called Trakstar. This software has now been phased out and HR functions such as time off, banked time, and performance appraisals can all be completed through the PurelyHR software.

In January of this year, all staff new and current were invited to attend the Indigenous Cultural Awareness training and given a tour of the St. Eugene Resort. This was mandatory for all new staff to attend.

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