Bigstone Cree Nation

First Nations band government in Canada

Desmarais Settlement
Wabasca 166
Wabasca 166A
Wabasca 166B
Wabasca 166C
Wabasca 166D
Jean Baptiste Gambler 183

Land area210.67 km²Population (2019)^[1]On reserve3524Off reserve4712Total population8236Government^[1]ChiefAndy AlookWebsitebigstone.ca

The Bigstone Cree Nation (Cree: ᐅᐸᓯᑯᓂᐍᐤ, opasikoniwew) is a First Nations band government in Alberta, Canada. As Woodland Cree, they are a western branch of the larger Cree nation, and are a party to Treaty 8 with Canada. The Bigstone Cree Nation was divided into two bands in 2010, with one group continuing under the former name, and the other becoming the Peerless Trout First Nation.

History

The forerunners of the Bigstone Cree signed onto Treaty 8 in 1899 and were provided with reserved lands based on a population survey. The Bigstone claimed that the lands they were assigned were not large enough based on the 1913 and 1937 population surveys. Band members settled into five communities all named after nearby lakes: Calling Lake, Chipewyan Lake, Peerless Lake, Trout Lake and Wabasca. The band has six reserves totalling 21,066.6 hectares (52,057 acres). These included 166 A, 166 B, 166 C, 166 D, all in the vicinity of the Hamlet of Wabasca (also known as Wabasca-Desmarais),^[2] 166 south of the Hamlet of Sandy Lake,^[3] and Jean Baptiste Gambler Reserve 183 surrounded by the Hamlet of Calling Lake.^[4] All of these reserves are surrounded by the Municipal District of Opportunity No. 17. In 2007, there were 6,781 registered Bigstone Cree,^[5] of which 2,397 were living on reserve.^[6]

The people living at Chipewyan Lake, Peerless Lake, and Trout Lake and lived off-reserve on Crown land and did not have access to the same services available to those at Wabasca. The Canadian government accepted the claim in 1998 and negotiations began which resulted in a settlement in 2010, the largest land settlement in Alberta's history. The agreement ended with the separation of the Peerless Trout First Nation from the Bigstone Cree, and new reserve lands for both bands. The Calling Lake reserve was slightly enlarged and a new reserve was created at Chipewyan Lake.^[7]^[8]

Annual events

The Bigstone Cree First Nation host the annual Treaty Days Festivities in August of each year, celebrating their culture, language and achievements.

Reserves

Indian Reserves under the administration of Bigstone Cree Nation are:

Wabasca 166 (Cree: ᓴᑭᑕᐘᓯᕽ, sakitawasihk) 8452.40 ha
Wabasca 166A (Cree: ᑲᐊᓯᓂᐢᑲᓯᐠ, ka-asiniskasik) 682.10 ha
Wabasca 166B (Cree: ᒋᐸᐢᑲᐣᓯᕽ, cipaskansihk) 2413.40 ha
Wabasca 166C (Cree: ᑭᓯᐱᑲᒪᕽ, kisipikamahk) 3502.60 ha
Wabasca 166D (Cree: ᒧᐢᑯᑌᐠ, muskotêk) 5817.40 ha
Jean Baptiste Gambler 183 198.70 ha
Desmarais Settlement

References

^ "First Nation Detail". Crown–Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada. Government of Canada. Retrieved August 20, 2019.
^ Municipal District of Opportunity No. 17 (October 8, 2008). "Bylaw 2008-10 To establish the hamlet boundaries for Wabasca, Alberta". Archived from the original on July 23, 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^ Municipal District of Opportunity No. 17 (October 8, 2008). "Bylaw 2008-8 To establish the hamlet boundaries for Sandy Lake, Alberta". Archived from the original on July 23, 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^ Municipal District of Opportunity No. 17 (October 8, 2008). "Bylaw 2008-7 To establish the hamlet boundaries for Calling Lake, Alberta". Archived from the original on July 23, 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^ Bigstone Cree Archived August 12, 2015, at the Wayback Machine - Population table
^ Alberta Municipal Affairs Archived October 5, 2006, at the Wayback Machine - 2005 Official Population list - Indian Registered Population. December 2005.
^ "Bigstone Cree Overwhelmingly Ratify Major Treaty Settlement". March 19, 2010.
^ Aboriginal Peoples of Alberta: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow (PDF). Alberta Aboriginal Relations. November 2013. ISBN 978-1-4601-13073. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 3, 2014. Retrieved April 7, 2014.

External links

Bigstone Cree Nation

First Nations in Alberta

Cultural areas: Plains, Subarctic

Ethnolinguistic groups (by language family)

Algic / Algonquian
- Blackfoot
- Cree
  - Plains
  - Woodland
- Saulteaux
Athapascan / Dene
- Daneẕaa
- Dënesųłı̨ne
- Dene Tha'
- Tsuut'ina
Siouan
- Nakoda

Historical polities

Numbered Treaties

Treaty 6 (1876)
Treaty 7 (1877)
Treaty 8 (1899)

Tribal councils and
band governments

Athabasca Tribal Council (Fort McMurray)	Athabasca Chipewyan Chipewyan Prairie Fort McKay Fort McMurray Mikisew Cree
Blackfoot Confederacy (Standoff)	Kainai Piikani Siksika
Confederacy of Treaty 6 First Nations (Enoch)	Alexander Alexis Beaver Lake Cree Cold Lake Enoch Cree Ermineskin Cree Frog Lake Whitefish Lake (Goodfish) Heart Lake Kehewin Cree Louis Bull Montana O'Chiese Paul Saddle Lake Samson Cree Sunchild
Kee Tas Kee Now Tribal Council (Atikameg)	Loon River Cree Lubicon Lake Band Peerless Trout Whitefish Lake (Atikameg) Woodland Cree
Lesser Slave Lake Indian Regional Council (Slave Lake)	Driftpile Kapawe'no Sawridge Sucker Creek Swan River
North Peace Tribal Council (High Level)	Beaver Dene Tha' Little Red River Cree Tallcree
Stoney Nakoda - Tsuut'ina Tribal Council (Tsuut'ina)	Stoney Nakoda Bearspaw Chiniki Wesley Tsuut'ina
Tribal Chiefs Ventures (Beaver Lake Cree)	Beaver Lake Cree Cold Lake Frog Lake Heart Lake Kehewin Cree
Western Cree Tribal Council (Valleyview)	Duncan's Horse Lake Sturgeon Lake
Yellowhead Tribal Council (Morinville)	Alexander Alexis O'Chiese Sunchild
Unaffiliated	Bigstone
Not federally recognized	Aseniwuche Winewak Lubicon Lake Indian Nation
Not headquartered in Alberta	Acho Dene Koe (NT) Kelly Lake (BC) Onion Lake (SK) Smith's Landing (NT)
Terminated	Papaschase (1891) Sharphead (1897) Michel (1958)

v t e The Numbered Treaties: Treaty Eight
Numbered Treaties	Treaty 1 Treaty 2 Treaty 3 Treaty 4 Treaty 5 Treaty 6 Treaty 7 Treaty 8 Treaty 9 Treaty 10 Treaty 11
Saskatchewan	Black Lake Denesuline First Nation Clearwater River Dene Nation Fond Du Lac Denesuline First Nation
Alberta	Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation Beaver First Nation Bigstone Cree Nation Chipewyan Prairie First Nation Dene Tha' First Nation Driftpile First Nation Duncan's First Nation Fort McKay First Nation Fort McMurray First Nation Horse Lake First Nation Kapawe'no First Nation Little Red River Cree Nation Loon River First Nation Lubicon Lake Band Mikisew Cree First Nation Sawridge First Nation Smith's Landing First Nation Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation Sucker Creek Cree First Nation Swan River First Nation Tallcree First Nation Whitefish Lake First Nation Woodland Cree First Nation
British Columbia	Blueberry River First Nation Doig River First Nation Fort Nelson First Nation Halfway River First Nation McLeod Lake First Nation Prophet River First Nation Saulteau First Nation West Moberly First Nations
Northwest Territories	Deninu Kųę́ First Nation K'atlodeeche First Nation Łutsël K'é Dene First Nation Salt River First Nation Yellowknives Dene First Nation

v t e Subdivisions of Alberta
Subdivisions	Regions Census divisions Census agglomerations Municipalities School authorities
Communities	Cities Towns Villages Summer villages Hamlets Indian reserves and settlements Metis settlements Ghost towns Population centres Designated places Localities
Cities and urban service areas	Airdrie Beaumont Brooks Calgary Camrose Chestermere Cold Lake Edmonton (capital) Fort McMurray Fort Saskatchewan Grande Prairie Lacombe Leduc Lethbridge Lloydminster Medicine Hat Red Deer Sherwood Park Spruce Grove St. Albert Wetaskiwin
Indian reserves	Alexander 134 134A 134B Alexis 133 Cardinal River 234 Elk River 233 Whitecourt 232 Allison Bay 219 Amber River 211 Assineau River 150F Beaver Lake 131 Beaver Ranch 163 163A 163B Bistcho Lake 213 Blood 148 148A Blue Quills Boyer 164 Buck Lake 133C Bushe River 207 Charles Lake 225 Child Lake 164A Chipewyan 201 201A 201B 201C 201D 201E 201F 201G Clear Hills 152C Clearwater 175 Cold Lake 149 149A 149B 149C Collin Lake 223 Cornwall Lake 224 Cowper Lake 194A Devil's Gate 220 Dog Head 218 Driftpile River 150 Duncan's 151A Enoch Cree Nation 135 Ermineskin 138 Fort McKay 174 174C 174D Fort Vermilion 173B Fox Lake 162 Gregoire Lake 176 Hay Lake 209 Heart Lake 167 167A Hokédhe Kué 196E Horse Lakes 152B Jackfish Point 214 Janvier 194 Jean Baptiste Gambler 183 John D'Or Prairie 215 Kapawe'no 150B 150C 150D 229 230 231 Kehewin 123 K’ı Kué 196D Łı̨ Dezé 196C Loon Lake 235 Loon Prairie 237 Louis Bull 138B Makaoo 120 Montana 139 Namur Lake 174B Namur River 174A O'Chiese 203 Cemetery 203A Old Fort 217 Peace Point 222 Peerless Trout 238 Peigan Timber Limit B Pigeon Lake 138A Piikani 147 Puskiakiwenin 122 Saddle Lake 125 Samson 137 Sandy Point 221 Sawridge 150G 150H Siksika 146 Stoney Nakoda Stoney 142, 143, 144 Stoney 142B Big Horn 144A Eden Valley 216 Sturgeon Lake 154 Sucker Creek 150A Sunchild 202 Swampy Lake 236 Swan River 150E Tallcree 173 173A Tthebacha Náre 196A Tthebatthıe 196 Ts’u K’adhe Kué 196F Ts’u Nedhé 196H Ts’u Kué 196G Tsuu Tina 145 Tthejëre Ghaı̨lı̨ 196B Unipouheos 121 Upper Hay River 212 Utikoomak Lake 155 155A 155B Wabamun 133A 133B Wabasca 166 166A 166B 166C 166D Wadlin Lake 173C Whitefish Lake 128 William McKenzie 151K Winefred Lake 194B Woodland Cree 226 227 228 Zama Lake 210 ʔejëre K’elnı Kuę́ 196I
Indian settlements	Carcajou Cadotte Lake Desmarais Fort McKay Garden Creek Little Buffalo
Metis settlements	Buffalo Lake East Prairie Elizabeth Fishing Lake Gift Lake Kikino Paddle Prairie Peavine
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