Kutenai

This article is about the people. For the language of the same name, see Kutenai language.
For other uses, see Kootenay (disambiguation).

Kutenai
Kutenai group c. 1900
Total population
1,536 (2016)
Regions with significant populations
United States (Idaho, Montana), Canada (British Columbia)
 Canada
 British Columbia		940[1]
 United States
(Idaho, Montana)		596[2]
Languages
English, Kutenai (Kitunahan), ʔa·qanⱡiⱡⱡitnam (Ktunaxa Sign Language)[3]
Religion
Kutenai spiritualism
PeopleKtunaxa
LanguageKtunaxa,
ʔa·qanⱡiⱡⱡitnam
CountryKtunaxa ʔamakʔas
Ktunaxa
Indigenous peoples
in Canada
A life-sized bronze statue of an Aboriginal and eagle above him; there is a bear to his right and a wolf to his left, they are all looking upwards towards a blue and white sky
History
Politics
Culture
Demographics
Linguistics
Religions
Index
Indigenous North Americas
flag Canada portal

The Kutenai (/ˈkuːtəneɪ, -niː/ KOO-tə-nay, -⁠nee),[4][5] also known as the Ktunaxa (/tʌˈnɑːhɑː/ tun-AH-hah;[6] Kutenai: [ktunʌ́χɑ̝]), Ksanka (/kəˈsɑːnkɑː/ kə-SAHN-kah), Kootenay (in Canada) and Kootenai (in the United States), are an indigenous people of Canada and the United States. Kutenai bands live in southeastern British Columbia, northern Idaho, and western Montana. The Kutenai language is a language isolate, thus unrelated to the languages of neighboring peoples or any other known language.

Four bands form Ktunaxa Nation in British Columbia. The Ktunaxa Nation was historically closely associated with the Shuswap Indian Band through tribal association and intermarriage. Two federally recognized tribes represent Kutenai people in the U.S.: the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) in Montana, a confederation also including Bitterroot Salish and Pend d'Oreilles bands.

  1. ^ "Aboriginal Ancestry Responses (73), Single and Multiple Aboriginal Responses (4), Residence on or off reserve (3), Residence inside or outside Inuit Nunangat (7), Age (8A) and Sex (3) for the Population in Private Households of Canada, Provinces and Territories, 2016 Census - 25% Sample Data". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Government of Canada. 25 October 2017. Retrieved 23 November 2017.
  2. ^ "American FactFinder - Results". factfinder.census.gov. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 14 February 2020. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
  3. ^ Auld, Francis. "ʾa·qanⱡiⱡⱡitnam". Facebook (in Kutenai). Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  4. ^ "Kutenai". The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (5th ed.). HarperCollins.
  5. ^ "Kutenai". Dictionary.com Unabridged (Online). n.d.
  6. ^ "Pronunciation Guide to First Nations in British Columbia". Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada. 15 September 2010. Archived from the original on 23 January 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2013.