Ktunaxa Regional Branding Initiative

Ktunaxa Business Development Grants

Ktunaxa Regional Branding Initiative

Why Ktunaxa Ready?

The Economic and Investment Sector & Business Development Office supports Ktunaxanin̓tik (Ktunaxa citizens) to realize opportunities that exist here in our homelands.

We seek to create an environment for business by attracting investment, developing partnerships, and facilitating opportunities for economic growth and sustainability in ʔamakʔis Ktunaxa.

Telling our story

The Ktunaxa have been the missing component when marketing the region. The Ktunaxa have never been approached to participate in discussions in marketing the region.

Moving forward and realizing this huge oversight, the Ktunaxa are engaged in a process to ensure Ktunaxa are included in marketing the region, establishing presences in the business community that will instill pride and allow the Ktunaxa to tell our story to the rest of world.

“The Ktunaxa Regional Branding Initiative will help develop Ktunaxa-authentic marketable products, and ensure the integrity of those product.”

Background

In 2017, the development of the Ktunaxa Regional Branding Initiative was designed within the Ktunaxa Nation Council Economic and Investment Sector.

The purpose of the initiative is to coordinate the efforts of strengthening and developing the Ktunaxa stories and products to share with the rest of the Kootenay region and to solidify and articulate its aspirations for the future in a manner that resonates with the Ktunaxa people that will ignite the imagination of the future.

This will be done in collaboration with internal sectors of Traditional Knowledge and Language, Lands and Resources and Core.

Ongoing discussions with Chamber of Commerces, Regional Destination Marketing Organizations, Local Destination Marketing Organizations, Indigenous Tourism BC, Indigenous Tourism Canada, Museums, Ministries, Visitor Centres and Tour Operators are growing into formal relationships with identified responsibilities.

Tasks

One major task is to ensure engagement with and support from Ktunaxanin̓tik.

We orient our tasks in order to:

Position the Ktunaxa Regional Branding as an anchor and significant driver of Ktunaxa tourism in B.C.
Develop a brand that will support KNC stakeholders and regional operators, organizations and BC Parks to offer a Ktunaxa authentic experience that will bring visitors to the region.
Establish long-term relationships and build relationships regionally, provincially, and internationally.
Create awareness of the tourism industry to Ktunaxanin̓tik and how it can be a major economic driver for self-sufficiency for business operators and artists alike.
Ensure long-term economic sustainability for the Ktunaxa economy, and that this work is supported in the future.

A sustainable economy, a complete visitor experience

Facilitating a sustainable economy is a huge component when telling our story, and offering a product to meet the demands of our locals and visitors.

When the Ktunaxa and our homelands are placed on the world stage, expectations of offering intangible products (tourism activities, sense of place, learning) and tangible products (art, food, books and so much more) go hand in hand.

An authentic Ktunaxa product is essential to complete the visitor experience.

It is the KRBI’s goal to maintain the Ktunaxa vision statement of “sustainable economy.”

#KtunaxaHomelands

The Ktunaxa Homelands campaign was launched in April 2022.

During the EDAC Conference in 2022, the Ktunaxa Homelands ad campaign was presented with an EDAC Marketing Canada Award on Sunday, October 2, 2023.

Ktunaxa Business Development Grants