The Northern Dine name for us was Kootenai. When they contacted and traded with the Northern Dine living on the northern plains they asked who the neighboring tribe was to the west of them in the mountains. It comes from early explorers’ movement west in what is now Alberta, Canada. “ As you might know, the name “Kootenai” is actually a northern Dine word that means “River people”. In this way, we are carrying on a central part of the cultural ways handed down to us from the ancestors: our sacred relationships of respect with all living things.”Ĭaption: Canoeing the Kootenai River in a yaqsuʾmiⱡ (Kootenai for sturgeon-nose canoe)Ī statement from Vernon Finley, Kootenai expert We must do all that we can to protect wetlands, and wherever possible, to restore those that have been damaged or destroyed. In our traditional ways, we hold deep knowledge of all these plants and animals. They are the nesting areas for many birds, such as smóq̓͏ʷeʔ (great blue heron) and smat̓qʷul̓ (black-crowned night heron) and x̣wítx̣͏ʷo (American bittern), and many types of sesƛ̓x͏ʷúm̓ (ducks).

The naslex͏ʷ provide homes for many important animals, including splq͏ʷa (turtle) and ɫmɫam̓áye (frog) and ččl̓ex͏ʷ (muskrat). There we find many of our cherished foods and medicines, such as ṃsáwyeʔ (edible valerian) and ṇt̓e (gooseberry). There we gather materials for mats and coverings from p̓išɫp (cattail) and tik͏ʷt̓n (bulrush or tule), and plants used for taking care of our babies, such as snq͏ʷspú (sphagnum moss). The naslex͏ʷ, the wetlands, are places of special abundance in many of the things that have nourished and sustained us for millennia. It stands at the heart of our culture - of who we are as a people. It is also our responsibility to the generations yet to come. Our relationship of respect with our environment is an obligation handed down to us from those who came before. We look to them not only for food and medicine and clothing and shelter, but also for spiritual help, for guidance and direction. They have sustained us physically and spiritually through our thousands of years of continuing presence in our homelands. These are the priceless gifts that make our lives possible. “Séliš and Ql̓ispé elders have told us that we must respect and take care of our lands, waters, and air, and the plants and animals that depend upon them. photo credit: Tabitha EspinozaĪccording to the Séliš-Ql̓ispé Culture Committee, Wetlands Conservation on the Flathead Indian Reservation Report Form for a Natural Resources Environmental Degradation Issue

Collaboratory wetlands watch