The Fort McKay First Nation (FMFN) is a
First Nations government
In Canada, an Indian band or band (french: bande indienne, link=no), sometimes referred to as a First Nation band (french: bande de la Première Nation, link=no) or simply a First Nation, is the basic unit of government for those peoples subjec ...
in
northeast
The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each se ...
Alberta
Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...
comprising five
Indian reserve
In Canada, an Indian reserve (french: réserve indienne) is specified by the '' Indian Act'' as a "tract of land, the legal title to which is vested in Her Majesty,
that has been set apart by Her Majesty for the use and benefit of a band."
Ind ...
s – Fort McKay 174, Fort McKay 174C, Fort McKay 174D, Namur Lake 174B and Namur River 174A. The FMFN, signed to
Treaty 8
Treaty 8, which concluded with the June 21, 1899 signing by representatives of the Crown and various First Nations of the Lesser Slave Lake area, is the most comprehensive of the one of eleven Numbered Treaties. The agreement encompassed a la ...
, is affiliated with the
Athabasca Tribal Council The Athabasca Tribal Council is a tribal council representing five First Nation band governments in the province of Alberta. The organization is based in Fort McMurray, Alberta.
Demographics
As of August 2016, there were 6,807 registered members ...
and its members are of
Cree
The Cree ( cr, néhinaw, script=Latn, , etc.; french: link=no, Cri) are a Indigenous peoples of the Americas, North American Indigenous people. They live primarily in Canada, where they form one of the country's largest First Nations in Canada ...
, Metis and
Dene
The Dene people () are an indigenous group of First Nations who inhabit the northern boreal and Arctic regions of Canada. The Dene speak Northern Athabaskan languages. ''Dene'' is the common Athabaskan word for "people". The term "Dene" ha ...
heritage. The FMFN's traditional lands include portions of the
Athabasca oil sands.
History
The Cree expanded steadily westward from the Hudson-James Bay country. Although the arrival of the Cree in the Lac la Biche region, is unknown, archaeological evidence in the form of pre-contact pottery indicates that the Cree were in this region in the 1500s.
The Historic Voyageur Highway
The traditional land of the Fort McKay First Nation was on the historical voyageur route that linked the rich Athabaskan region to Hudson Bay.
David Thompson and
George Simpson used the fur-trade route via the
Beaver River from the main
Methye Portage
The Methye Portage or Portage La Loche in northwestern Saskatchewan was one of the most important portages in the old fur trade route across Canada. The portage connected the Mackenzie River basin to rivers that ran east to the Atlantic. It wa ...
route that reached the
Athabasca River
The Athabasca River (French: ''Rivière Athabasca'') is a river in Alberta, Canada, which originates at the Columbia Icefield in Jasper National Park and flows more than before emptying into Lake Athabasca. Much of the land along its banks is ...
.
The
Cree
The Cree ( cr, néhinaw, script=Latn, , etc.; french: link=no, Cri) are a Indigenous peoples of the Americas, North American Indigenous people. They live primarily in Canada, where they form one of the country's largest First Nations in Canada ...
, one of the "largest tribes in Canada" were referred to by the early explorers and fur traders as ''Kristineaux'', ''Kinisteneaux'', ''Kiliston'', ''Kree'', ''Cris'' and various other names such as ''Nahathaway''.
[This is the full-text diary of David Thompson which includes numerous references to the Nahathaway in general and to the First Nations of the Lac la Biche region in particular. He describes their belief in life after death and consequences on the human soul for crimes and misdeeds.] Cree territory extended west from the Hudson-James Bay region to the foot of the Rocky Mountains, and in Alberta, between the north banks of the north Saskatchewan River to Fort Chipewyan. This includes the Beaver, Athabaska and Peace River basins. It is noted in the department of Indian Affairs Annual Reports that Pee-ay-sis of the Lac La Biche band as far north as Great Slave Lake."
Alexander Mackenzie who travelled from Montreal to the Arctic Ocean via the Methy Portage (see map) provided a detailed account of the ''Kinisteneaux'' (Cree) in 1789.
Tribal Council
The
Athabasca Tribal Council The Athabasca Tribal Council is a tribal council representing five First Nation band governments in the province of Alberta. The organization is based in Fort McMurray, Alberta.
Demographics
As of August 2016, there were 6,807 registered members ...
, represents the interests of Fort McKay First Nation,
Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation
The Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation (ACFN, chp, K'ai Taile Dené) is a band government. It represents local people of the Denesuline (Chipewyan) ethnic group. It controls eight Indian reserves: Chipewyan 201 and Chipewyan 201A through Chipe ...
,
Chipewyan Prairie First Nation
The Chipewyan Prairie First Nation ( chp, Tł'ógh tëlı́ dënesųłı̨ne) is a First Nations band government located in northeast Alberta south of Fort McMurray.
It is a member of the Athabasca Tribal Council and a Treaty 8 nation. The Atha ...
,
Fort McMurray No. 468 First Nation and
Mikisew Cree First Nation
Mikisew Cree First Nation ( cr, ᒥᑭᓯᐤ, mikisiw, ''meaning: "golden eagle"'') is an Indigenous First Nations government of Woodland Cree people in northeastern Alberta and in Northwest Territories, Canada.
Most Mikisew Cree First Nation ...
. These five First Nations of North Eastern Alberta include more than 5,000 Cree and Dene people.
Treaty 8
Treaty 8 was an agreement signed on June 21, 1899, between Queen
Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
and various
First Nations
First Nations or first peoples may refer to:
* Indigenous peoples, for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area.
Indigenous groups
*First Nations is commonly used to describe some Indigenous groups including:
**First Natio ...
of the
Lesser Slave Lake
Lesser Slave Lake (french: Petit lac des Esclaves)—known traditionally as "Beaver Lake" (ᐊᒥᐢᐠ ᓵᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ amisk sâkâhikan in the Plains Cree language, and T’saat’ine migeh in Dene Zhatıé) or "Beaver people were over the ...
area. The Treaty was signed just south of present-day
Grouard, Alberta
Grouard, also known as Grouard Mission, is a hamlet in northern Alberta within Big Lakes County. It was previously an incorporated municipality between 1909 and 1944.
Grouard is located north of Highway 2, approximately northeast of Grande ...
. The land covered by Treaty 8, is larger than France and includes northern
Alberta
Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...
, northeastern
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
, northwestern
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada, western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on t ...
and a southernmost portion of the
Northwest Territories.
Adhesions to this agreement were signed that same year on July 1 at
Peace River Landing, July 6 at
Dunvegan
Dunvegan ( gd, Dùn Bheagain) is a village on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. It is famous for Dunvegan Castle, seat of the chief of Clan MacLeod. Dunvegan is within the parish of Duirinish, and Duirinish Parish Church is at Dunvegan. In 2011 i ...
, July 8 at
Fort Vermilion
Fort Vermilion is a hamlet on the Peace River in northern Alberta, Canada, within Mackenzie County.
Established in 1788, Fort Vermilion shares the title of oldest European settlement in Alberta with Fort Chipewyan. Fort Vermilion contains many ...
, July 13 at
Fort Chipewyan
Fort Chipewyan , commonly referred to as Fort Chip, is a hamlet in northern Alberta, Canada, within the Regional Municipality (RM) of Wood Buffalo. It is located on the western tip of Lake Athabasca, adjacent to Wood Buffalo National Park, app ...
, July 17 at
Smith's Landing, July 25 and 27 at Fond du Lac, August 4 at
Fort McMurray
Fort McMurray ( ) is an urban service area in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo in Alberta, Canada. It is located in northeast Alberta, in the middle of the Athabasca oil sands, surrounded by boreal forest. It has played a significant ...
, and August 14 at
Wabasca Lake. Further Adhesions were in 1900 on May 13 at
Fort St. John, June 8 at
Lesser Slave Lake
Lesser Slave Lake (french: Petit lac des Esclaves)—known traditionally as "Beaver Lake" (ᐊᒥᐢᐠ ᓵᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ amisk sâkâhikan in the Plains Cree language, and T’saat’ine migeh in Dene Zhatıé) or "Beaver people were over the ...
, June 23 at
Fort Vermilion
Fort Vermilion is a hamlet on the Peace River in northern Alberta, Canada, within Mackenzie County.
Established in 1788, Fort Vermilion shares the title of oldest European settlement in Alberta with Fort Chipewyan. Fort Vermilion contains many ...
and July 25 at
Fort Resolution
Fort Resolution (''Denı́nu Kų́ę́'' (pronounced "deh-nih-noo-kwenh") "moose island place") is a hamlet in the South Slave Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. The community is situated at the mouth of the Slave River, on the shores ...
.
Traditional land use
"Hunting and trapping is an integral part of the traditional livelihoods for many Fort McKay residents. Therefore, natural ecosystems and wildlife populations preservation is an important component to help maintain a healthy community." The FMFN expressed concerns about
cumulative effects and requested that regulators implement the recommendations in the
Terrestrial Ecosystem Management Framework (TEMF) in order to maintain wildlife populations (Cumulative Environmental Management Association 2008). In a letter to the
Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development Regulatory Approvals Center regarding the Teck Resources Limited's (Teck) proposed Frontier Oil Sands Mine Project, on FMFN traditional lands, the FMFN stressed that beaver, moose and wood bison are three of the most important species of great importance to the FMFN. Other key resources indicators (KRI) to consider in assessing the effects on wildlife of oil sands development in their territory, include Black Bear, Fisher, Canada Lynx, Northern Goshawk, Yellow Rail, Short‐eared Owl, Common Nighthawk, Olive‐sided Flycatcher, Canada Warbler, Rusty Blackbird, Waterfowl and Western Toad.
Environment
The "Frontier Mine is a major surface mining project, with a total Project footprint of 24,140 ha and with a 50‐year operational life extending from approximately 2020 to 2070 including final closure and reclamation. Closure activities are proposed to be coordinated with the nearby Shell Pierre River Mine (PRM) project located immediately south."
Groundwater
FMFN expressed concern about the degradation of the
McMurray Basal Water Sands Aquifer (BWS), through high-volume use through the mining process.
Moose Lake 'last wilderness'
Moose Lake is a "sacred region" that serves as the community's "key cultural heartland".
The community originated in the Moose Lake area, which is located 64 km northwest of Fort McKay, and there are gravesites on their traditional lands there, according to a January 20, 2018 article in ''
The Narwhal''.
Moose Lake is actually two lakes—Gardiner Lake and Namur Lake.
Fort McKay is "surrounded on three sides by oilsands development" with mines coming as "close as four kilometres to the community."
Moose Lake is the only remaining place that still has clean air and water that is "good enough to drink right from the lake".
Grand Chief Mel Grandjamb of the Fort McKay First Nation said that, "We send hunting camps out there every year. We supply cabins to all our elders who want to go out there."
The local Métis community also uses Moose Lake for their "traditional activities".
The band began to negotiate with the province of Alberta in the late 1990s to protect the lake and in 2014, then premier
Jim Prentice
Peter Eric James Prentice (July 20, 1956 – October 13, 2016) was a Canadian politician who served as the 16th premier of Alberta from 2014 to 2015. In the 2004 federal election he was elected to the House of Commons of Canada as a candidat ...
had endorsed plan to protect the lake.
The band had almost come to an agreement with the previous Alberta government in 2018 to create a "10-kilometre buffer".
Brion Energy's Dover oil sands SAGD project (Moose Lake)
The Dover oil sands SAGD project (Moose Lake) project, operated by Brion Energy, is a joint venture between Calgary-based Athabasca Oil Corporation, with Dover holding 40 per cent, and Chinese oil giant
PetroChina, which owns 60 per cent."
The FMFN had delayed the Dover project by requiring "a 20-kilometre no-development buffer zone on part of Brion's oil sands leases that were near the FMFN Moose Lake traditional lands.
On 6 August 2013, Alberta Energy Regulator’s (AER) denied the FMFN appeal arguing that the Dover oilsands project using
steam-assisted gravity drainage technology (SAGD) development would have little impact on FMNN lands. On October 18, 2013 On Friday, Justice Frans Slatter of the Alberta Court of Appeal gave Fort MacKay First Nation leave to appeal the AER's August 6 approval of the Athabasca Oil Corporation's 250,000-barrel-per-day thermal oilsands project, Dover. The Fort MacKay First Nation's lawyer, Karen Buss, predicted that the new panel might "order the regulator to start its process over with direction to consider treaty rights issues identified by the band."
Prosper Petroleum Rigel oil sands SAGD project (Moose Lake)
Prosper Petroleum, which is a junior oil sands company established in 2007 by veterans oilsands operators—
BlackRock Ventures and
Koch Exploration Canada, had obtained leases from Koch Oil Sands Operating.
Prosper Petroleum's Rigel Oil Sands Project is a
steam-assisted gravity drainage technology (SAGD) development
that is located just three kilometres off the shore of Namur Lake.
Prosper Petroleum started drilling evaluation wells near Moose Lake in 2013.
In June 2018, Alberta's energy regulator approved a $440-million, 10,000-barrel-a-day Oil Sands Project.
The band launched an appeal of the approval with the Alberta Court of Appeal.
See also
*
The Canadian Crown and Aboriginal peoples
The association between the Canadian Crown and Indigenous peoples in Canada stretches back to the first decisions between North American Indigenous peoples and European colonialists and, over centuries of interface, treaties were established c ...
Notes
Citations
References
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Further reading
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External links
Confederacy of Treaty 8 First NationsTreaty 8 First Nations of AlbertaTreaty Texts - Treaty No. 8
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fort McKay First Nation, Alberta
Cree governments
Dene governments
First Nations governments in Alberta
History of Alberta
Hudson's Bay Company forts
Indigenous peoples of the Great Plains
Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo