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June 15 to 26, 2009
Ku“ukupku
Page 1 –akis“nuk First Nation Community News
Coming events at the –akis“nuk First Nation Yoga for everyone:
Yoga class noon to 1:15 p.m. every Tuesday and Friday at the Band Hall
Ktunaxa Language:
Ktunaxa conversation ses-sions: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Thursday at the Health Centre
Homework Sessions:
Homework Sessions have ended for this year. See you in the fall.
June 15 to 19:
Kootenai Language and Ancestral Skills Day Camp in Elmo, Montana. The four-day camp includes language and crafts. For more information
call Gina (406) 849-5541
Monday, June 22:
Afternoon foot clinic at the Health Centre
Tuesday, June 23:
Morning foot clinic at the Health Centre
Wednesday, June 24:
Social assistance cheque day
Thursday, June 25:
Report cards and last day of school for children
Thursday, June 25:
Nutrition session with Dr. Page, 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the
We are hoping to have a Community Celebration on June 21. The Celebration will include: our year end celebration for Stu-dents; Father’s Day celebration; Aboriginal
Day celebration; and a celebration of the First Day of Summer. Lunch @ 12:00 noon with the celebration to follow!
We would like to rec-ognize the efforts and
accomplishments of our community members.
If you have sugges-tions, or would like to recognize someone in the community, please let us know!
nah will graduate this year. Way to go!
–akis“nuk RCMP Liaison
The –akis“nuk First Nation has a new Aboriginal liaison police officer, RCMP Staff Sergeant Marko Shehovac.
Staff Sergeant Marko is the top cop in the Columbia Valley. He would like all –akis“nuk Band members to know that they can contact him directly if they need to report a crime. The number to call is 250-342-9292.
Buffalo hides for sale
Tanned with fur. $750 each. Contact Hillary Vance, (250) 345-6135.
If you can help out, or have suggestions to make this event a good one, please also let us know. Contact Stephanie at the Band office, 250-342-6301.
Health Centre Round Room.
Staff Absences:
Donna Nicholas, June 15
Adrian Bergles, June 24, for professional development
Donna Nicholas, June 26
Happy Birthday:
Solo Nicholas, June 6th
Congrats!
Savannah Armstrong won a number of year-end awards at Princess Margret Secondary School in Penticton: out-standing achievement (three consecutive terms on the hon-our roll); honour roll; and top student in foods class. Savan-
Community Celebration June 21
Interested in taking a trade?
On June 16, 9 a.m. at the KNC boardroom, Gary McDermott from the Industry Training Authority will lead a session on the organization’s pro-grams for Aboriginal people. Contact Rosemary @ (250) 489-2464 for info.
Ktunaxa flag ceremony
On Sunday, June 21 at 10a.m. at the Cranbrook airport the Ktunaxa flag will be honoured. A ceremony will be held and the flag will go on perma-nent display at the airport. A bbq party will follow at St. Eugene Mission. All are welcome to attend.
Page 2 –akis“nuk First Nation Community News
–Akisqnuknik Mission Statement:
Through sound, responsible, leadership we will promote the well-being and economic self-reliance of our people by encouraging and fostering education and sustainable employment.
Energy audits will be conducted on all Band homes the week of July 6 to 10. An energy audit is a form of energy effi-ciency testing. Two en-
ergy auditors will arrive at your home and the energy testing should take no longer than one hour. These results will assist in improving energy effi-
ciency in our homes. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this or any other housing issue you can contact Delores at the office dur-
ing her office hours: Monday and Tuesday 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Phone 250-342-6301.
From the desk of housing officer Delores Varga
district, at Laird and DTSS. She has a back-ground in special educa-tion which she says helps her in her role as
FASD Key Worker. “I’ve dealt with kids with special needs most of my career,” she says.
Elizabeth has spent a great deal of her first few weeks on
the job in training in Cranbrook. “The people have been great,” she says of her colleagues at child and family ser-vices.
In the near future Eliza-
able,” she says.
As a part of her work at the Child and Family Services office, Eliza-beth provides service to Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people from Canal Flats to Golden. She says her job at –akis“nuk is to raise aware-ness of the dis-order within the community, “If I can prevent one woman from drinking during her pregnancy then I’m doing my job,” she says.
Elizabeth, who is a teacher, also works part time in the local school
beth has planned a work-shop which focuses on the role expecting fathers can play to support their spouses. The workshop will be held June 17, from 11 a.m. to noon at the St. Mary’s Band Hall.
An FASD fact sheet is attached to the back of the newsletter to provide the latest information on the disorder.
Staff at the Ktunaxa Kinbasket Child and Family Services –akis“nuk office provide service to Aboriginal cli-ents on and off reserve from Canal Flats to Golden. The agency is separate from the –akis“nuk Band admini-stration.
Ktunaxa Kinbasket Child and Family Services –akis“nuk office has a new Fetal Alcohol Spec-trum Disorder (FASD) key worker. Her name is Elizabeth Stewart.
Elizabeth, who began in her position in April, says her job is to raise aware-ness about FASD and to provide the most up-to-date information available on new research on the disease. “I act as a bridge between families with FASD, linking them to community services,” she says.
Elizabeth says that FASD is a form of alco-hol-related brain injury. “And it’s totally prevent-
The –akis“nuk First Na-tion requires a land use planning trainee to carry out phase two of the Band’s Comprehensive Community Plan.
This work was begun last year by Janice Al-pine. It is a continuation of that work. The position
is appropriate for a pro-fessional person who is interested in helping to plan for the future of the –akis“nuk First Nation.
Responsibilities include learning, training, and the development of a comprehensive commu-nity plan. The successful
applicant must be able to work independently.
A full job description is available at the Band office. The position is a contract from July 1, 2009 to March 30, 2010. Please apply with a re-sume to Marie Skidmore, Band Administrator:
Deadline is June 30, 2009. If no applications are received by deadline the position may be posted outside the com-munity.
Land use trainee needed
Elizabeth Stewart new –akis“nuk-based FASD key worker
Elizabeth Stewart
Page 3 Ku“ukupku
Bear Shot
In the last newsletter it was reported that Allan Nicholas shot a grizzly bear that had become a problem because of household garbage that had been left lying around. The garbage that was left out was not put there by Allan or Sheeree Nicholas. Sorry for any confusion.
Kootenay Aboriginal Business Advocates Soci-ety has a new employee
Recently Susan Uswak started work as Business Advocate for the Kootenay Aboriginal Busi-ness Advocates Society. Susan’s job is to work one on one with Aboriginal people who are consider-ing starting a business. She can help entrepre-neurs access start up dol-lars and help people with
their idea through the creation of a business plan. She can be reached at 1-888-426-0595 or (250) 426-0595.
Ktunaxa Playing Cards
Ktunaxa playing cards are still available. Come by the office to pick yours up. If you live off-reserve call the office or email [email protected] at and a deck will be mailed to you.
Video Conversion
Band members are en-couraged to contact Laura Birdstone at Ktunaxa Na-tion Treaty Office, (250) 417-4022, if they have Ktunaxa Language video or audio tapes they would like converted to C.D.
Spay and Neuter Vouch-ers
The –akis“nuk First Na-tion has purchased spay
and neuter vouchers from the Cranbrook SPCA. The vouchers will be sold to Band members at cost ($60 for dogs and $40 for cats) and are accepted at
the Invermere Veterinary Hospital. This is a very low cost and no additional services are covered with the vouchers. Call Adrian 342-6301.
Odds n’ ends
Ground fire! A fire broke out on the reserve near Naked Sands beach over the weekend of May 29-31. Luck-ily, this one was contained without major damage. Please remember to be extra careful with camp fires this summer. Experts are predicting a bad fire season this year. Your actions can help protect you and your com-munity.
(Above) On Thursday May, 28 Bill Redhead of the Nupqu Development Corporation led a public open house to show off the ecosystem restoration and for-est thinning that was done at the Lakeshore Camp-ground earlier this year. The cutting work was done entirely by –akis“nuk members. Since the clearing native plants like wild onion, wild flax, saskatoon ber-ries, rough fescue, and false salomon seel have be-gun to return to land that had been choked off by thick brush.
Page 4 –akis“nuk First Nation Community News
–akis“nuk First Nation 3050 Highway 93/95,
Windermere, B.C. V0B 2L2
(250) 342-6301
This newsletter is pub-lished by Adrian Bergles,
Communications Coordinator,
–akis“nuk First Nation
Your thoughts are wel-come. If you have a story
you’d like to put in the newsletter or anything
for Adrian to add, email [email protected]
Get your newsletter
online at: www.akisqnuk.org
Support the Ktunaxa Economy!
Most Ktunaxa citizens make all their purchases outside their own com-munities because there aren’t Ktunaxa-owned businesses on their re-serve.
Money spent outside Ktunaxa communities contributes to the well-being of others and not to the Ktunaxa.
This feeds the cycle of dependency on other communities and other levels of government.
In order to build a Ktu-naxa economy it is vital to support community-based entrepreneurs and businesses.
To keep money in the community use Ktunaxa goods and services whenever you can!
Hi everyone, there are a few things for you to know about...
- ADULT IMMUNIZA-TIONS
Immunizations are im-portant for adults as well as children, especially those of you who work outdoors or with food. Some vaccines we are able to provide are: catch-up vaccines for teens who missed their shots in school; tetanus/diphtheria – which is needed every 10 years; hepatitis A & B; influenza in the fall; and pneumo-coccal for Elders and those at risk.
Please contact Kathy or Myanne (250-342-6379 at –akis“nuk Health Re-source Centre) to sched-ule an appointment. Kathy is usually at Akisqnuk on Thursdays & Myanne on different days.
- NUTRITION SESSION with Dr. Page & Nurse Kathy on Thursday, June 25 from 3:30-4:30pm at the Health Centre. To be followed by a light meal. Everyone is welcome to join us in the Round Room. Bring questions.
- DR. SHANNON PAGE continues to have a busy practice at Akisqnuk. She typically comes on Thursdays twice a month. Please call either her office in town (250-342-9206) or call Danny at the health centre (250-342-6379) to have your name on the appoint-ment list. Dr. Page will next be here on June 25th from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. with the nutrition session from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- NURSES – Kathy will next be at –akis“nuk on June 25th. Myanne will be in the –akis“nuk com-
munity doing assess-ments with Danny on June 19, 23, and 29.
- TUBERCULOSIS ALERT
A passenger traveling on the Greyhound bus on May 24 from Lethbridge to Calgary, then from Calgary to Kelowna has been identified as having active tuberculoses. Passengers who were on these buses may be at risk of exposure to TB. If you, or others you know, were on these buses, please contact Ktunaxa Health or your local pub-lic health office.
The Ktunaxa Nation Community Health Nurses can be reached at 250-489-4563
Happy June!!!
Taxas, Katlin
From community health nurse Kathy Clarke
Safety practices
- Keep all flammable household items such as drapes, furniture, news-paper, and extra wood far away from your wood-stove and all sparks.
- Do not use pre-manufactured logs made from wax and sawdust which are meant for open hearth fireplaces. This can damage your chim-ney liner.
- Use a smoke alarm
Woodstove safety tips (check your battery), a fire extinguisher, and a carbon monoxide detec-tor
- Start fires with dry kin-dling
- Build small and hot fires, a smoldering fire is not safe or efficient
- Regularly remove ashes from your wood-stove (wait until it is completely cool)
- Make sure you get your
chimney cleaned annu-ally
Never Burn: green or wet wood; plywood; par-ticleboard; painted or treated wood; cardboard; wrapping paper or trash. These items release toxic chemicals when burned and contribute to creosote build-up which can lead to a chimney fire.
