Ktunaxa Nation in B.C. bans unauthorized harvesting of sacred plant in its territory – CBC

Aug 21, 2025

Land guardians encountering people ripping up the ground to harvest plant, nation says

The Ktunaxa Nation in B.C.’s Interior is asking the public to refrain from picking a traditional plant in its territory following damage to medicine patches and unauthorized harvesting.

Four First Nations make up the Ktunaxa Nation, with two sister tribes in the United States. Land guardians in B.C. have come across people tearing up the ground to harvest the sacred plant without its permission, the Ktunaxa Nation says.

The nation’s traditional territory spans approximately 70,000 square kilometres across southeastern British Columbia, including the Kootenay and Columbia Rivers and Arrow Lakes, and into parts of Alberta, Montana, Idaho, and Washington state.

Read More: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/ktunaxa-nation-bans-sacred-plant-harvesting-1.7612194