Story by: Jason Louie
Chief – Lower Kootenay Band

Ki’suk kyukyit (greetings). In any neighbourhood in the world our hope is to have good relations with those who live upstairs, next door, or even down the street. The Lower Kootenay Band is no different. We will always be neighbours to the residents of the Creston Valley. There was a time not so long ago where we may not have been on the best of terms. The fragile relationship could have been due to a lack of understanding of the aboriginal community. The reality is my neighbourhood probably isn’t much different from yours. I have an elderly couple who live next door, up the hill from me is an older lady and a couple of houses down is a single man. In the spring and summer the sounds of lawn mowers can be heard. The elderly man next door is up first thing in the morning tending to his yard. In the fall, the sounds of wood being chopped for fire wood can be heard. Yes, there are social issues and substance abuse issues. But the bottom line is Lower Kootenay is a community with a unique history.

There was a time where there was a genuine fear of the Reserve. There were horrifying stories of the “Rez” that instilled fear. A few years ago, a childhood friend of mine and my hunting buddy gave me a phone call about a local farmer who was having an elk problem. The farmer stated that a bull elk charged her horse and she was forced to put the horse down. The elk were eating the hay that was meant for her livestock. We went out to the farm and harvested two elk. We have three community freezers that we try our best to stock with wild game. There are residents from the community who can have access to elk meat. Those that are on a limited budget may not be able to afford meat from the grocery store so the community freezers assist when possible. Another freezer is located at the Band Operated School. Having worked in the school I have witnessed students who would come to school with no lunch or a lunch that is not nutritious. Unfortunately, the school does not have a lunch program but days were scheduled where there would be elk stew and fry bread for staff and students.

At another ranch the owner asked me to stop by as elk were eating his hay. On that particular morning the elk were not there but in speaking with the rancher I gained an understanding and appreciation for what farmers do. He explained the hay process begins in the spring right through to harvesting in the fall. If the elk eat and destroy his hay he cannot sell it to sustain himself and his family. Following another visit to his farm we did harvest an elk which was donated to the Ktunaxa Kinbasket Child and Family Service freezer.

Assisting with the elk problems on the farms does not stop the elk from coming but it does slow them down. The hunts are never taking more than we need. The hunts are people helping people, neighbours helping neighbours in the spirit of humanity. The farmers will have more hay to sell and there are adults and children who have healthy food.

The Creston Valley is an agriculture community. These individuals are hard working men, women and sometimes it’s a family affair. I commend these farmers for their courage in picking up the phone and reaching out. We helped each other out. Isn’t that what neighbours do? The bridging of communities needs to be an ongoing process. To live and operate in isolation is not beneficial for anyone. Ignorance is not bliss. Ignorance impedes the progress of humanity. There are so many forward thinking people in this valley who have become great friends and allies of the Lower Kootenay Band. Thank you Creston!