Three-day excursion towards the spectacular, the natural and the manmade!

In July 2024, 28 Ktunaxa hopped on a bus (the “Ktunaxa Express”) for a 3-day trip to Yoho and Kootenay National Park, connecting our people with their homelands, strengthening our presence and learning about aquatic ecosystem stewardship.

Along the way, attendees learned stories of cultural resilience within the area, traditional uses of the land and resources, points of cultural significance to Ktunaxa and how we will have presence in the area for generations to come.

While there, attendees took part in several circle discussions surrounding how to improve Ktunaxa presence within the parks, water and aquatic species stewardship, how Ktunaxa and Parks Canada can work to bring greater visibility to Ktunaxa rights and history in the park, and what these parks mean to Ktunaxa.

As one attendee said, “We need to focus not just on what we used to do, but on what we can do moving forward.”

Attendees also took part in canoeing and crafting, shared smiles and laughs, built community and connection on our traditional lands, and had plenty of good food!

Check out the highlights of the trip in the Ktunaxa Short below:

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