Columbia, and stretched down into Washington State. The Okanagan lived in the Okanagan Valley, from head of Okanagan Lake to the lake's confluence with the Columbia River. Okanagan Indian elders Language Interior Salishan Nlaka'pamux Name They were formerly known as the Thompson, referring to the river that runs through their territory. Thompson River Location These two southern Interior Salish groups lived in the southern interior area of British Columbia, and stretched down into Washington State. The Nlaka'pamux lived in southern B.C. and northern Washington state, along the Thompson River. Language Interior Salishan Ktunaxa Name Ktunaxa is an anglised word of the name they call themselves. They were formerly known as Kutenai or Kootenay, which is a corrupted anglised version of their name. Ktunaxa girl Location The Ktunaxa were a unique group who lived along the Kootenay River in southeastern British Columbia, into Alberta, Idaho, and Montana. Since they lived in the eastern portion of the Plains, they often crossed the Rockies to hunt buffalo. In many aspects, the Ktunaxa people were more similar to the Plains people than the other Plateau people. There is historical evidence suggesting that they were originally living in the Plains area and were driven into the mountains by the Blackfeet. Language Ktunaxa - The Ktunaxa spoke a language that was unrelated to any other First Peoples group in Canada.