Keeseekoose First Nation facts for kids
| People | Saulteaux |
|---|---|
| Treaty | Treaty 4 |
| Headquarters | Kamsack |
| Province | Saskatchewan |
| Land | |
| Main reserve | Keeseekoose 66 |
| Other reserve(s) |
Keeseekoose 66A-66ST04
|
| Land area | 79.554 km2 |
| Population (2019) | |
| On reserve | 711 |
| Off reserve | 1814 |
| Total population | 2525 |
| Government | |
| Chief | Lee Anthony Ketchemonia |
| Council |
1)Alvin Musqua Jr
2)Alvin Quewezance 3) Ralph Keshane 4) Beverly Keshane 5) Henry Keshane 6) Lyndon Musqua 7)Robert Stevenson 8) Calvin Stevenson 9) Glen Ketchemonia 10) Ambrose Musqua 11) Lorenz Keshane 12) Kevin Musqua |
| Tribal Council | |
| Yorkton Tribal Administration Tribal Chief Isabelle O'Soup | |
| Website | |
| keeseekoose.com | |
The Keeseekoose First Nation is a community of Saulteaux people. They live near Kamsack, in Saskatchewan, Canada. Their name comes from Chief Kiishikouse, which means "little sky." He signed an important agreement called Treaty 4 in 1875. This treaty helped set aside land for their people.
Long ago, their original land in Manitoba flooded. Because of this, the community moved to where they are now. This new land is next to the Cote First Nation reserve. Some people stayed behind in Manitoba; they are now known as the Pine Creek First Nation.
Keeseekoose Lands and People
The Keeseekoose First Nation has 24 different land areas, called reserves. They also share a special place called the Treaty Four Reserve Grounds 77. Many other First Nations who signed Treaty 4 use this land too.
About 679 people live on the Keeseekoose reserves. Another 1,564 members live in other places. This means the total population of the Keeseekoose First Nation is about 2,243 people.
The land covered by the Keeseekoose reserves is quite large. It measures about 8,475 hectares, which is like 20,942 acres.
A Look Back at Keeseekoose History
The Saulteaux people of Keeseekoose originally lived on the wide plains of Manitoba. They also lived in the forests to the north. Their main food was buffalo, which they used to make pemmican. Pemmican is a dried meat and fat mixture that lasts a long time.
They also hunted deer, moose, and other wild animals in the forests. Their land had many rivers and lakes, which provided even more food. They likely gathered wild rice, which grew in the waterways of Manitoba. Wild rice was probably a very important part of their diet.
In the early 1870s, Chief Keeseekoose saw that his people were struggling to find enough food. He put their well-being first. So, he signed Treaty 4 on September 15, 1874.
After the treaty was signed, the community faced a choice. Some people wanted to continue fishing and hunting. Others wanted to start farming and raising animals. This led to a decision by Chief Kisickonse. After the Swan River First Nation of Manitoba was formed, many Keeseekoose people moved. They relocated to their current home, where the land was better for farming and ranching.
