Every fall for several years, he's been coming across the border into what he considers his traditional territory near Castlegar to hunt for elk, moose and deer. At the time of contact with Europeans, there were about 3,000 Sinixt in their traditional territory. The Sinixt claim the the blue-shaded area in the West Kooteney is their traditional territory. In recent years, they have been promoting their sovereignty, and there are now Sinixt descendants living in the Slocan Valley and other parts of the West Kootenay. In the absence of an official First Nation in the West Kootenay, the Ktunaxa First Nation has stepped in and claimed the land in the West Kootenay as its traditional hunting, fishing and trading territory.

Source: CBC News September 19, 2016 20:37 UTC