Pelican Lake First Nation facts for kids
| Headquarters | P.O. Box 399 Pelican Lake First Nation, SK S0J 1N0 |
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The Pelican Lake First Nation is a vibrant Indigenous community located in Saskatchewan, Canada. They are an important member of the Federation of Saskatchewan First Nations. This group helps represent many First Nations communities across Saskatchewan. The name "Pelican Lake" comes from the Cree language, cahcahkiw-sâkahikanihk, which means "at the Pelican Lake."
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Where is Pelican Lake First Nation?
The Pelican Lake First Nation is located in a beautiful area of Saskatchewan. Their community sits right on the shore of Chitek Lake. This is about 170 miles northwest of Saskatoon, 115 miles northeast of North Battleford, and 120 miles west of Prince Albert. The Pelican Lake First Nation also works closely with the Agency Chiefs Tribal Council, alongside the Witchekan Lake First Nation and Big River First Nation.
Community Members
When the first records were taken, there were 112 people belonging to the Pelican Lake First Nation. By the year 2006, the population had grown to 825 people. As of December 2013, the official number of registered members was 1,555. This shows how the community has grown over time.
How the Community is Governed
The Pelican Lake First Nation has its own government to make decisions for the community. This government is led by a Chief and a group of Councilors. They work together to manage the community's affairs and represent its people.
The current leaders are:
- Chief Romeo Thomas (who became chief in April 2025)
- Councilor Greg Bill
- Councilor Jimmy Bill
- Councilor Lee Bill
- Councilor Donny Rabbitskin
- Councilor Harriet Thomas
- Councilor Twyla Whitehead
History of Their Land
The history of the Pelican Lake First Nation's land is very important to their community. Initially, the First Nation was given about 8,630 acres of land to be their reserve.
Later, in 1979, through a special process called Treaty Land Entitlement (TLE), they received another large area of land, about 36,715 acres. This process helps First Nations get the land they were promised in treaties.
In 1992, officials from the Office of the Treaty Commissioner confirmed that under Treaty No. Six, the Pelican Lake First Nation was legally supposed to have at least 36,714 acres.
In September 1995, the community voted to accept an agreement. This agreement gave them about 30,753 more acres of land to add to their reserve. This process helped the Pelican Lake First Nation increase its total reserve land to about 45,345 acres.
Their Reserve Lands
The Pelican Lake First Nation has several areas of land set aside for their community. These areas are called reserves. They include:
