The Ktunaxa Nation Council’s (KNC) new head office building was a busy place on Friday, February 22.

The Central School heritage building, purchased by the KNC last August, is now home to over 100 staff members, who opened their doors to the public, with displays in the gymnasium and tours of the building between 1-7 p.m.

“We are very excited to invite the public into our new home, and provide an opportunity to learn more about the Ktunaxa,” stated Kathryn Teneese, Ktunaxa Nation Chair.

“The Ktunaxa deeply value our collective regional history. We feel that it is important to ensure that we archive that history, and we would like to invite the public to bring any photos they may have that involve either the Central School or Ktunaxa. We will have a digital scanner set up at the open house, and if you bring your photos in, we will preserve them for future generations.”

The purchase of the Central School Building represents a continuum of the history of Ktunaxa on its lands, and is symbolic of Ktunaxa efforts in moving towards self-governance, the KNC outlined in a press release.

The building, built in 1909, will become a centre for cultural gatherings and will house a Ktunaxa Nation Museum, for which resource planning is already underway. The building will also have a dedicated space for Ktunaxa Elders to discuss and share cultural values and history. The building will be home to many affiliated organizations including Ktunaxa Kinbasket Treaty Society, St. Eugene Mission Resort Holdings Ltd., Ktunaxa Holdings Ltd., Traditional Knowledge Language Enrichment Society, Kootenay Aboriginal Business Development Agency (KABDA) and FlexiNET Broadband Inc.

Throughout the open house, the gym and the converted former Tembec office building buzzed with activity.

For more information on the Ktunaxa visit: www.ktunaxa.org .

Ian Cobb/e-KNOW

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