Fishing Lake First Nation facts for kids
| Treaty | Treaty 4 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Wadena |
| Province | Saskatchewan |
| Land | |
| Main reserve | Fishing Lake 89 |
| Other reserve(s) | |
| Land area | 41.287 km2 |
| Population (2019) | |
| On reserve | 508 |
| Off reserve | 1334 |
| Total population | 1842 |
| Government | |
| Chief | Derek Sunshine, Shirley Wolfe-Keller, Michael Desjarlais, Allen Paquachan, George Kayseas, Mathew Smoke, Joe Young, Percy Severeight, Sabitawasis, Yellowquill |
| Tribal Council | |
| Independent; Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations Senator Luke James Nanaquetung | |
| Website | |
| fishinglakefirstnation.com | |
The Fishing Lake First Nation is a group of Indigenous people in Canada. They are part of the Saulteaux branch of the Ojibwe nation. The Saulteaux people are also known as Anishinabek, which means "original people."
Their history shows they moved westward from central Canada. This happened to avoid new European settlers.
Contents
The Story of Fishing Lake First Nation
How the Nation Began
The Fishing Lake First Nation was once part of a larger group. This group was called the Yellow-quill Saulteaux Band. This name came from Chief Ošāwaškokwanēpi. He signed Treaty 4, an important agreement. His name means "Green/Blue-quill."
Over time, his name was sometimes misunderstood. In the Saulteaux language (Nakawēmowin), a sound change made "green/blue" sound like "yellow." This led to the name "Yellow-quill."
Land and Division
The band received three special areas of land, called reserves. These were near Fishing Lake, Nut Lake, and Kinistino, Saskatchewan. The Fishing Lake Indian Reserve 89 was very large.
After Chief Ošāwaškokwanēpi passed away, the band divided. It split into three separate groups. These groups became the Fishing Lake First Nation, the Yellow Quill First Nation, and the Kinistin Saulteaux Nation.
Protecting Their Land
Railway and Land Requests
In 1905, a railway company wanted part of the Fishing Lake Reserve. They wanted to open it for new settlements. The Yellow-quill Saulteaux Band first said no to giving up their land.
The Canadian government department that worked with Indigenous peoples then stepped in. They had the Yellow-quill Saulteaux Band sign an agreement. This agreement officially recognized the three separate reserves as distinct bands.
In 1907, the government worked directly with the new Fishing Lake First Nation. They managed to get a large part of the Fishing Lake Reserve 89.
Getting Their Land Back
In 1989, the Fishing Lake First Nation started talks. They wanted to get their surrendered land back. During an investigation, some important facts were found.
It was discovered that the agreement from 1907 was not properly signed. Some people who signed it were too young. Also, the official statement about the signing was not done correctly.
A Big Agreement
In 2001, a new agreement was made. This allowed the band to add a large area of land back to their reserve. This was a big win for the community.
As part of the agreement, every band member received money. Elders (people 55 years or older) received even more. This agreement was worth a lot of money. It was the largest land claim settlement in Saskatchewan at that time.
Fishing Lake First Nation Today
Today, there are many people registered with the Fishing Lake First Nation. A good number of them live on their reserve lands.
Their reserves include:
- Fishing Lake 89
- Fishing Lake 89A
- Fishing Lake 89D1
- Sabitawasis Beach 89 C-1
- Treaty Four Reserve Grounds 77, which they share with 32 other First Nations.
The Fishing Lake First Nation people continue to be strong and self-sufficient. They work to support themselves and their community.
