Meanings
- pluralsingularFirst Nation based in the East Kootenay region of British Columbia, in the British Columbia Treaty Process and part of the Ktunaxa Kinbasket Tribal Council.
After ten years of that, she took a two-week wildland fire-fighting course that changed her life. Her attention has shifted to preparing prescribed, cultural burning crews in her community—ʔaq̓am (pronounced Aqam), a Ktunaxa Nation near Cranbrook.
2024 April 10, “Ashley O’Neil: All Fired Up for Change and Community – BC Business”, in NationTalk3 more examples
Today, we did have a release from ʔaq̓am, known as the St. Mary’s Band, one of the communities of the Ktunaxa. I’m just going to read a couple of quotes here, if I may. “ʔaq̓am chief and council are deeply disappointed and alarmed by the announcement of British Columbia’s recently introduced Bill 14 and 15 and demand the immediate withdrawal of these bills.”
2025 May 12, “Bill 14 — Renewable Energy Projects (Streamlined Permitting) Act, 2025 (continued)”, in Official Report of Debates (Hansard), volume 43, number 62, Legislative Assembly of British ColumbiaNasuʔkin (Chief) Joe Pierre Jr. of the ʔaq̓am Community, which is a member of the Ktunaxa First Nation, expressed concerns Wednesday after his staff noticed two GoFundMe campaigns allegedly seeking donations for ʔaq̓am evacuees affected by the St. Mary's River fire.
2023 July 20, Winston Szeto, “ʔaq̓am chief denounces 'bogus' GoFundMe campaigns for St. Mary's River wildfire evacuees”, in CBC NewsThe Lower Kootenay Band confirmed Wednesday that ground-penetrating radar revealed 182 human remains in unmarked graves at the site of the old St. Eugene’s Mission Residential School in Cranbrook, B.C. The band said some of the remains were buried in shallow graves only three and four feet deep and estimate they are from the member bands of the Ktunaxa Nation, neighbouring First Nations communities and the community of ʔaq̓am.
2021 June 30, Amy Judd, Jon Azpiri, “182 human remains in unmarked graves found at site of former residential school in Cranbrook, B.C.”, in Global NewsSynonyms: St. Mary's Band, St. Mary's Indian Band
Synonyms & antonyms
proper nounFirst Nation based in the East Kootenay region of British Columbia, in the British Columbia Treaty Process and part of the Ktunaxa Kinbasket Tribal Council.
Origin
- Ktunaxaʔaq̓am
- Englishʔaq̓am
Unadapted borrowing from Ktunaxa ʔaq̓am.
More words from Ktunaxa
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
ʔaq̓am. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/%CA%94aq%CC%93am
“ʔaq̓am.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/%CA%94aq%CC%93am. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ʔaq̓am,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/%CA%94aq%CC%93am.
Source: ʔaq̓am on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.