Muskowekwan First Nation ( oj, Mashkawigwaning) is a
Saulteaux
The Saulteaux (pronounced , or in imitation of the French pronunciation , also written Salteaux, Saulteau and other variants), otherwise known as the Plains Ojibwe, are a First Nations band government in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, A ...
(
Ojibway
The Ojibwe, Ojibwa, Chippewa, or Saulteaux are an Anishinaabe people in what is currently southern Canada, the northern Midwestern United States, and Northern Plains.
According to the U.S. census, in the United States Ojibwe people are one of ...
)
First Nation
Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...
who inhabit approximately 100 km northwest of
Melville, Saskatchewan
Melville is a small city in the east-central portion of Saskatchewan, Canada. The city is northeast of the provincial capital of Regina and southwest of Yorkton. Melville is bordered by the rural municipalities of Cana No. 214 and Stanley No ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
. As of May, 2008, the First Nation has 1,517 registered people, of which their on-
reserve
Reserve or reserves may refer to:
Places
* Reserve, Kansas, a US city
* Reserve, Louisiana, a census-designated place in St. John the Baptist Parish
* Reserve, Montana, a census-designated place in Sheridan County
* Reserve, New Mexico, a US vi ...
population was 400.
INAC Registered Population for Muskowekwan First Nation
/ref>
History
Chief Ka-nee-na-wup (Anishinaabe language
Ojibwe , also known as Ojibwa , Ojibway, Otchipwe,R. R. Bishop Baraga, 1878''A Theoretical and Practical Grammar of the Otchipwe Language''/ref> Ojibwemowin, or Anishinaabemowin, is an indigenous language of North America of the Algonquian lan ...
: ''Geniinewab'', "One Who Sits Like an Eagle") and his Saulteaux band lived along the Upper Qu'Appelle Lakes prior to signing Treaty 4
Treaty 4 is a treaty established between Queen Victoria and the Cree and Saulteaux First Nation band governments. The area covered by Treaty 4 represents most of current day southern Saskatchewan, plus small portions of what are today western M ...
on September 15, 1874. When Ka-nee-na-wup died, his son Muscowequan or Muskowekwan (Anishinaabe language
Ojibwe , also known as Ojibwa , Ojibway, Otchipwe,R. R. Bishop Baraga, 1878''A Theoretical and Practical Grammar of the Otchipwe Language''/ref> Ojibwemowin, or Anishinaabemowin, is an indigenous language of North America of the Algonquian lan ...
: ''Maskawigwan'', "Hard Quill") became chief. A reserve was surveyed in 1883, incorporating the settlement where they had already started farming.
On September 15, 1874, the Crown signed Treaty 4
Treaty 4 is a treaty established between Queen Victoria and the Cree and Saulteaux First Nation band governments. The area covered by Treaty 4 represents most of current day southern Saskatchewan, plus small portions of what are today western M ...
with “the Cree, Saulteaux and other Indians,” including Chief Ka-kee-na-wup on behalf of Muskowekwan First Nation. Treaty 4 has also been known as the Qu'Appelle Treaty, as its first signings were conducted at Fort Qu'Appelle
Fort Qu'Appelle is a town in Canadian province of Saskatchewan located in the Qu'Appelle River valley north-east of Regina, between Echo and Mission Lakes of the Fishing Lakes. It is not to be confused with the once-significant nearby t ...
, North-West Territories. Additional signings or adhesions continued until September 1877. Muskowekwan First Nation occupies the Muskowekwan Reserve, which borders on the town of Lestock, Saskatchewan, and covers . At the signing of Treaty 4, there were 66 members present, 1 councillor, and a chief. The Muskowekwan First Nation occupies Indian Reserve No. 85 in southern Saskatchewan. The language of these people is Western Ojibwa.
Treaty 4 was negotiated by the Crown's Canadian commissioners to gain land for European settlement, agriculture, and industry, as well as for the transcontinental railway that would run through southern Saskatchewan. A key demand of the Cree and the Saulteaux First Nations was for education. Since the buffalo had nearly vanished from the prairies, they wanted to acquire new tools that would ensure a strong and prosperous future. Under Treaty 4, the Cree and Salteaux First Nations relinquished most of current-day southern Saskatchewan. In return, they received small parcels of land, as well as long-term government commitments in a number of areas, including education.
Treaty 4 signatories from the chiefs as follows: Ka-kii-shi-way (Ochapowace), Pis-qua (Pasqua), Ka-wez-ance (Cowessess), Ka-kee-na-wup (Muskowekwan), Kus-kee-tew-mus-coo-musqua (Little Black Bear), Ka-ne-on-us-ka-tew (Gordon), Can-ah-ha-cha-pew (Peepeekisis), Kii-si-caw-chuck (Day Star), Ka-ra-ca-toose (Kawacatoose), Ka-kii-nis-ta-haw (Kahkewistehaw), Cha-ca-chas (Ochapowace), Wa-pii-moose-too-sus (Star Blanket), Meemay (Cote)
Treaty conditions
Reserves of per every 5 persons, Annuities of $25 for chief, plus coat and medal, Headman $15 annuity, Each individual $5 annuity, Chief's suit of clothing every three years, Blankets, calicoes, and British flag (once), Powder, shot, and twine annually $750, Per family: 2 hoes, spade, scythe, axe, seed, Per ten families: 1 plough, 2 harrows, For chief: oxen, bull, 4 cows, carpenter's tools, 5 hand saws, 5 augers, crosscut saw, pit saw, and grindstone, School on reserve, No liquor allowed, Hunting, fishing, and trapping
Muskowekwan First Nation Potash Mines
The Muskowekwan First Nation potash mine project has been accepted by the federal government under the ''First Nations Commercial and Industrial Development Act'' (''FNCIDA''). The act will enable the federal government to enact regulations that incorporate a provincial regulatory regime to govern commercial and industrial activities within a province. The acceptance of the Muskowekwan project under ''FNCIDA'' means that the Government of Canada can begin the process of developing regulations for the First Potash Ventures mine. ''FNCIDA'', which came into effect in 2006, reproduces the provincial rules and regulations that apply to similar large-scale commercial or industrial projects off reserve and applies them to a specific on-reserve project.
First Potash Ventures, a joint partnership between Encanto and Muskowekwan Resources Ltd., is working toward developing the mine on the Muskowekwan First Nation, located 100 km northeast of Regina. The mine is expected to produce up to 2.8 million tons of potash annually over a 50-year-plus span. The project will provide real economic opportunities for the Muskowekwan First Nation, as well as the surrounding area, by providing training and employment opportunities during the construction and operation of the mine.
Governance
The Muskowekwan First Nation elect their council on a two-year term under the authority of the act electoral system. , the chief is Jamie Wolfe.
The council is a member of Touchwood Tribal Agency Council
Touchwood is decayed wood used for tinder. The phrase "touch wood" is another way of describing knocking on wood. The terms may also refer to
Geography in Canada
* Touchwood Hills, a range of hills in Saskatchewan
* Rural Municipality of Touchwoo ...
, a regional chiefs' council.
Reserve
In 1993 Muskowekwan's Treaty Land Entitlement Claim was ratified, enabling the First Nation to increase its land holdings to a total of 12,517.3 ha. The First Nation have reserved for themselves the Muskowekwan 85 Indian Reserves, of which the 7,381.7 ha Muskowekwan 85 Indian Reserve, located 64 km northwest of Fort Qu'Appelle
Fort Qu'Appelle is a town in Canadian province of Saskatchewan located in the Qu'Appelle River valley north-east of Regina, between Echo and Mission Lakes of the Fishing Lakes. It is not to be confused with the once-significant nearby t ...
, serves as their main reserve. Other 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."
In ...
s of the Muskowekwan 85 Indian Reserve series range from 6.1 ha to 776.3 ha in size, totalling to 9,559.3 ha. The First Nation have also reserved for themselves the 508.2 ha Last Mountain Lake 80A Indian Reserve. Together with 32 other Treaty 4
Treaty 4 is a treaty established between Queen Victoria and the Cree and Saulteaux First Nation band governments. The area covered by Treaty 4 represents most of current day southern Saskatchewan, plus small portions of what are today western M ...
-signatory First Nations, Muskowekwan First Nation shares the 37.1 ha Treaty Four Reserve Grounds 77
The Treaty Four Reserve Grounds 77 are an Indian reserve in Saskatchewan, Canada, shared by 33 band governments from Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The Reserve Grounds are located adjacent to and west of Fort Qu'Appelle. In the 2016 Canadian Census, t ...
, located adjacent to Fort Qu'Appelle.
Services
First Nation's infrastructure includes a band office and medical clinic, band hall, workshop, maintenance office, water treatment plant and pump house, school and teacherage, and an outdoor rink.
References
External links
*
{{coord, 51, 19, 16, N, 104, 05, 46, W, type:city_region:CA-SK, display=title
Algonquian ethnonyms