James Smith Cree Nation facts for kids
The James Smith First Nation is a community of Plains Cree people in Canada. They are an Aboriginal group with their own band government. Their main land, called a reserve, is Fort à la Corne #100. It's located north of Melfort, Saskatchewan and Kinistino, close to the Saskatchewan River. This reserve is shared by three First Nations: James Smith, Peter Chapman First Nation, and Chakastaypasin First Nation.
About 2,412 people are part of the James Smith First Nation. Around 1,592 of them live on the reserve. The James Smith First Nation is also part of the Prince Albert Grand Council, which helps many First Nations work together.
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Understanding the James Smith First Nation
The James Smith First Nation is named after Chief James Smith. He was the brother of Chief John Smith, who started the Muskoday First Nation.
Signing Treaty Six
In 1876, Chief James Smith signed Treaty 6 at Fort Carlton. This was an important agreement between First Nations and the Canadian government. At that time, the James Smith community had 134 members, or 32 families. The main language spoken by the people was Cree. Chief James Smith and Chief John Smith moved to this area from the Red River district in Manitoba. Chief James Smith's Cree name was Notaw(k)eecheekanis. However, the Cree term nihtawikhicikanis means 'good growing area,' which describes the community's land well.
Joining of Other Nations
Over time, other First Nations joined the James Smith community:
- The Chakastaypasin First Nation joined after their own reserve near St. Louis, Saskatchewan was dissolved. This happened after the North-West Rebellion. Even though they joined, the Chakastaypasin people signed Treaty 6 separately. This means they still have some legal rights as their own nation.
- The Peter Chapman First Nation also became part of the same band in 1902. They are generally seen as a separate group, and their legal status is still being discussed.
Recently, these three nations, who had been together under the James Smith government, decided to separate into their original founding bands.
Community Buildings and Services
The James Smith First Nation has important buildings that serve its members:
- The Margaret Turner Health Clinic is located in the Middle Village. It's named after Margaret Turner, who did important health work in the 1980s and 1990s.
- The Bernard Constant Community School (BCCS) is the local school. It used to be called James Smith School. In the 1990s, it was renamed after Bernard Constant, a respected teacher. The original school was in the South Village. In 1991, it was taken down, and the new school in the Middle Village opened on May 2, 1992. Some older buildings from the 1980s and 1990s were removed because there wasn't enough money to keep them. However, the South Hockey Ring was kept.
