Sagkeeng First Nation facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sagkeeng Reserve
Reserve
Fort Alexander Indian Reserve
Sagkeeng Reserve Location in Manitoba
Country	Canada
Province	Manitoba
Census division	Division No. 1
Government
• Type	Band government (band #262)
Area
• Total	8,771 ha (21,674 acre)
Population  (2021)
• Total	8,208
• On reserve	3,644
• Off reserve	4,564

The Sagkeeng First Nation (also known as Sagkeeng Anicinabe) is a First Nation in Manitoba, Canada. It is made up of the Anishinaabe people. Their home is near the Winnipeg River and Traverse Bay. This area is also called the Fort Alexander Indian Reserve #3.

Sagkeeng is located in the southern part of Lake Winnipeg. It is about 120 kilometers (75 miles) north of the city of Winnipeg. The name Sagkeeng comes from the Ojibwe word Zaagiing. It means 'Mouth of the river', because the reserve is at the mouth of the Winnipeg River.

As of June 2021, the Sagkeeng reserve has 8,208 registered members. Over 3,600 members live on the reserve. More than 4,500 members live off the reserve. The reserve is next to the Rural Municipality of Alexander. It also borders the town of Pine Falls.

Sagkeeng's traditional lands include areas within Treaty 1. They also include lands north and east of the Winnipeg River. The original plan for the Sagkeeng territory was to start one mile upstream from the old Fort Alexander trading post. However, the Chief and Council asked for the boundaries to be moved to where they are today.

History of Sagkeeng First Nation

The Anishinaabe People of Sagkeeng

The area that became Fort Alexander was a place where people gathered and traded. Copper tools and items have been found here. These items show that the people were part of a "copper culture." The copper came from mines near Lake Superior, which are thousands of years old.

Some of the Sagkeeng Ojibway people are direct descendants of the Anishinaabe tribes. These tribes moved from a very old settlement near Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. Some of Sagkeeng's ancestors brought copper items to the Fort Alexander area. This area was used for fishing, hunting, trading, and meeting.

The Sagkeeng government says that Sagkeeng Anishinaabe people have lived "at or near the mouth of the Winnipeg river" for a very long time. This means some Sagkeeng ancestors were always from this area. They mixed, married, and traded with other Anishinaabe and Native tribes. The Anishinaabe people started trading with the first French settlers in this area a few hundred years ago.

Fort Alexander Trading Post

In 1734, La Vérendrye built a fur trading post called Fort Maurepas. It was on the north side of the Winnipeg River. This post was later abandoned.

Later, Toussaint Lesieur built a post on the south side of the mouth of Lake Winnipeg. It was called Fort Bas de la Rivière. This post became very important for trading. It was a place where both Native people and canoe groups could get supplies. Bags of pemmican and other goods were stored here.

The Hudson's Bay Company also operated a post here from 1795 to 1801. In 1807, Alexander MacKay rebuilt the post nearby. From 1808, the new post was known as Fort Alexander (50°36′32″N 96°17′44″W / 50.60889°N 96.29556°W / 50.60889; -96.29556).

Because large animals were overhunted in the late 1700s, fish, grains, and garden vegetables became the main foods. By 1812, the gardens at Bas de la Rivière were selling vegetables to new settlers. After the North West Company and Hudson's Bay Company joined in 1821, Fort Alexander continued as a trading post.

In 1871, Kakakepenaise (also known as William Mann I) signed Treaty 1. He signed on behalf of the Sagkeeng people's ancestors. The Fort Alexander Indian Reserve was surveyed in 1874. It was about 21,674 acres (87.71 sq km).

Understanding Treaties and Sagkeeng

Treaty 1 and Beyond

Treaty 1 was signed for the Sagkeeng people's ancestors in 1871. Sagkeeng is considered a Treaty 1 nation. However, it is also part of Treaty 3 and Treaty 5. This is because the boundaries of all three treaties meet at Sagkeeng. This also means Sagkeeng is a member of the Grand Council of Treaty 3.

The Sagkeeng Territory is where the boundaries of three large treaty areas meet. These areas are the Northern Territory of Turtle Island, the Southern Plains territory, and the Eastern Turtle Island. Together, these areas cover about 55,000 square miles (142,000 sq km).

Sagkeeng holds its annual Treaty Days in the last week of July. These events last five to six days and are open to everyone. They include a community parade, children's activities, a three-day pow wow, and fireworks.

Residential Schools and Their Impact

French nuns from the Oblates of Mary Immaculate ran the Fort Alexander Indian Residential School. This school was for Indigenous children. Like other Canadian residential schools, it tried to force students to speak English. They were also stopped from practicing their own culture. This caused lasting harm to the Sagkeeng and other Anishinabe peoples.

In 2005, the Government of Canada officially said sorry for the harms caused by residential schools. In 2007, they set up a $1.9-billion payment plan. This was to help children who were forced to attend these schools.

The Sagkeeng and other Indigenous peoples have also raised concerns about Child and Family Services (CFS). They believe CFS should focus on supporting families to stay together.

Life in Sagkeeng Today

The Sagkeeng Anicinabe Government has elected leaders. As of 2021, the leadership includes Chief Derrick Henderson. The councillors are Lin Dorie, John Courchene, Dylan Courchene, Erin Courchene, Henry Swampy, and Tania Twoheart.

The nation has a dance group called Sagkeeng's Finest. In 2012, they won the first season of Canada's Got Talent. They beat 244 other acts. The group included Vincent O’Laney, Dallas Courchene, and Brandon Courchene. They started with traditional jigging, a First Nations dance. Then, they added modern dance styles like tap dancing. They won $100,000, a Nissan GT-R sports car, and a chance to perform on TV. They also had the possibility of performing in Las Vegas.

Notable People from Sagkeeng

• Jerry Fontaine, a politician who served as Chief from 1989 to 1998.
• Phil Fontaine, a politician who served as Chief from 1973 to 1977.
• Jaimie Isaac, an artist and curator.
• Sagkeeng's Finest, the dance group that won Canada's Got Talent.