Federal election candidates in the Kootenay-Columbia have been invited to participate in an Indigenous Issues Debate, to be held at the Ktunaxa Nation gymnasium in Cranbrook at 220 Cranbrook St. N. on September 30 from 7-9 p.m.

While the focus is on Indigenous issues of particular interest to the Ktunaxa constituency, the audience will include both Indigenous and settler community members; and while Indigenous issues are our focus, they necessarily relate to other issues such as climate change which people may also raise.

As you may know, the riding of Kootenay-Columbia is the traditional territory, or amakis Ktunaxa, of the Ktunaxa Nation. There are four reserve communities in the riding, and there is a large off-reserve Ktunaxa population living elsewhere on our territory. We are very pleased to make this Debate available to our community and hope you will agree to participate.

Each candidate will have three minutes to introduce him/herself and make an opening statement focused on Indigenous issues. The moderator will then pose questions to all candidates, who may answer, if they choose, taking no more than two minutes each. The debate will then be open to questions and comments from those in attendance; those too will be time-limited, and candidates can respond if they wish, as directed by the moderator.

We look forward to hearing you on the 30th! Please confirm your attendance with us by return email.

Should you wish to discuss this with me in advance, I may be reached at 250 426 2417.

Joyce Green/Rosemary Phillips

Article Share