KUTANAI INDIANS IN CANADA

THE KUTENAI ARE INDIGENOUS TO BRITISH COLUMBIA. THEY ARE ONE OF THREE TRIBES OF CONFEDERATED SALISH AND KOTENAI IN MONTANA. THERE IS EVIDENCE THAT THEY FORMERLY LIVRD IN THE EASTERN PLAINS AND WERE DRIVEN INTO MOUNTAINS BY BLACKFEET.

THE KUTENAI LIVE IN B.C., WASHINGTON, IDAHO, AND MONTANA. THERE IS A CULTURAL DISTINCTION AROUND THE BANDS IN THE INVERNMERE AND WINDEMERE, BC, AND LOWER KOOTENAY IN CRANBROOK, B.C. THE KUTANAI ARE CALLED WATER PEOPLE. ALL OF THE KOOTENAY MAY HAVE GOOD RELATIONS WITH THE UPPER KOOTENAY AND ARE IN THE TRIBAL COUNCIL.

THE ORIGIN OF THE KUTNAXA IS THAT THEY LIVED ON THE PRAIRIES AND WERE DRIVEN ACROSS THE ROCKIES BY THE BLACKFOOT OR BY FAMINE OR DISEASE. THEY CROSSED THE ROCKIES FOR THE BISON HUNT. THEY WERE KNOWN TO THE BLACKFEET AND SOMETIMES THEY HAD WARS. THEY ALSO GOT SMALLPOX FROM ANGLOS.

THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL RECORD OF KTUNAXA IN B.C. HAS SOME OF THE OLDEST MAN MADE ARTIFACTS IN CANADA. THEY LEFT QUARRIES AND TOOLS DATING BEFORE 11,000 YEARS AGO. DR. WAYNE CHOQUETTE'S RESEARCH INDICATES CONTINUOUS INHABITATION FROM 11,000 YEARS AGO TO PRESENT TIME. THEY WERE NEVER DISPLACED THROUGH THE MILLENIA.
STONE TECHNOLOGY CHANGED AND BECAME MORE COMPLEX AND DIFFERENTIATED. EARLY ON THEY HUNTED LARGE GAME. AS TEMPERATURES WARMED THEY FISHED, AND WERE FOUND IN WARMER CLIMATES. THEY BECAME FOCUSED ON FISHING WHILE STILL USING SOME HUNTING TECHNIQUES. THE UPPER KOOTENAY WERE NOT AS AVID FISHERMEN AS THE LOWER KOOTENAY.

IN 1850 LIFE WAYS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD WERE DRAMATICALLY CHANGING AS THE EUROPEANS EXPANDED THEIR COMMERCE AND RESOURCE EXPLOITATION. THE KTUNAXA LIFE WAS FULL AND RICH AS ANGLOS FIRST SAW THEM. THEY HAD A RICH SOCIAL LIFE. THEIR LIFE FOCUSED ON FISHING WITH FISH TRAPS AND TRAVELING ON RIVERS/OCEANS WITH CANOES. THEY HAD RITUAL HUNTS FOR BEAR, DEER, CARIBOU, GOPHERS, GEESE, AND OTHER FOWL. THE UPPER KOOTENAY CROSSED THE ROCKIES TO HUNT BISON.

THE KUTENAI HAD VISION QUESTS USING TOBACCO, A SUN DANCE, GRIZZLY BEAR DANCE, BLUE JAY DANCE, AND OTHER SOCIAL ACTIVITIES. THEY HAD A SHAMAN'S SOCIETY. THEIR STURGEON NOSED CANOE IS INTERNATIONALLY FAMOUS.. THEY USE THE BARK OF A TREE FROM THE HIGH MOUNTAINS. A MAN CLIMBS THE TREE AND CUTS A RING AROUND IT WITH HIS ELK HORN CHISEL. AND HIS HELPER CUTS A RING ON THE LOWER BASES. AN INCISION IS MADE DOWN THE HEIGHT OF THE TREE. A STICK IS USED TO PRY THE BARK FROM THE TREE. THE BARK WAS WRAPPED SO IT WOULD NOT DRY OUT ON THE WAY TO CAMP. THE INSIDE OF THE BARK WAS THE OUTSIDE OF THE CANOE. THE BARK WAS USED IMMEDIATELY. BY THE TURN OF THE
20TH CENTURY CHRISTIANITY WAS BROUGHT TO THE NATIVES BY EUROPEANS. THEY ALSO ENCOUNTERED CHINESE IROQUOIS SENT BY HUDSON BAY COMPANY.

IN 1845 A FRENCH PRIEST WAS THE FIRST MISSIONARY TO TOUR THE REGION. HE WANTED TO ESTABLISH MISSIONS HERE. THE KUTANAI DID NOT BECOME INTERESTED UNTIL 1850'S. THE GOLD RUSH OF 1863 BY ANGLOS DID NOT INTEREST THE NATIVES. THEY SERVED AS HUNTERS AND GUIDES FOR MINER'S AT RIODEL. THE RICHEST MINE WAS DISCOVERED IN 1893. THE NATIVES HERE WERE MOSTLY PEACEFUL TO EUROPEANS. THE KUTANAI WERE ALSO CALLED KTUNAXA.

THROUGH LONG YEARS THE KUTANAI HAVE LOST SOME TRADITION IMPORTANT TO THEM. THEY ARE TAKING STEPS TO RECTIFY THIS. THERE ARE ONLY 10 SPEAKERS OF THIS LANGUAGE. IN 1975 THE TRIBE DECLARED WAR ON THE U.S. GOVERNMENT. THEY ASKED MOTORISTS TO PAY A TOLL AS THEY DRIVE THROUGH THEIR LAND. THEY USED THIS MONEY FOR THEIR ELDERS. MOST TRIBES CANNOT DECLARE WAR ON THE U.S. BECAUSE OF THE TREATIES. THE DISPUTED GAVE THEM 12 ACRES THAT WOULD BE THE KUTANAI RESERVATION.

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