The Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation (NCN; cr, ᓂᓯᒐᐚᔭᓯᕽ, nisicawâyasihk; formerly the Nelson House First Nation) is a

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 ...

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 ...

community centered in

Nelson House, Manitoba Nelson House ( cr, ᓂᓯᒐᐚᔭᓯᕽ, nisicawâyasihk) is a designated place in northern Manitoba, Canada adjacent to the Nelson House 170 Indian Reserve, which is part of the Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation. It is located approximately northwest o ...

, Canada. Its main reserve is Nelson House 170. Nelson House is located about west of

Thompson Thompson may refer to: People * Thompson (surname) * Thompson M. Scoon (1888–1953), New York politician Places Australia *Thompson Beach, South Australia, a locality Bulgaria * Thompson, Bulgaria, a village in Sofia Province Canada * ...

and is accessible via the mixed paved and gravel Provincial Road 391. ''Nisichawayasihk'' means 'where three rivers meet' in

and describes Nelson House, which is located at the convergence of the

Burntwood Burntwood is a former mining town and civil parish in the Lichfield District in Staffordshire, England, approximately west of Lichfield and north east of Brownhills. The town had a population of 26,049 and forms part of Lichfield district. ...

, Footprint, and Rat Rivers.

History

The people of Nisichawayasihk are largely ancestral descendants of indigenous

peoples who have populated the

Canadian Shield The Canadian Shield (french: Bouclier canadien ), also called the Laurentian Plateau, is a geologic shield, a large area of exposed Precambrian igneous and high-grade metamorphic rocks. It forms the North American Craton (or Laurentia), the anc ...

region of northern and central Canada since the retreat of the glaciers about 10,000 years ago. Largely left alone by the

Government of Canada The government of Canada (french: gouvernement du Canada) is the body responsible for the federal administration of Canada. A constitutional monarchy, the Crown is the corporation sole, assuming distinct roles: the executive, as the ''Crown ...

during initial colonization and settlement of

Western Canada Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces, Canadian West or the Western provinces of Canada, and commonly known within Canada as the West, is a Canadian region that includes the four western provinces just north of the Canada� ...

. In the mid-1870s, the Indigenous peoples of the Lake Winnipeg area were interested in making a treaty with the Government of Canada. They had heard about the concessions offered to the Indigenous nations of Treaties 1 to 4 (see Numbered Treaties), and subsequently demanded the government provide similar economic assistance, provisions of tools and protection against the encroachment of outsiders (such as surveyors and settlers) on their territories. Treaty 5 was the response from the government that ensure the homelands of the Cree were protected for their use.

Treaty 5 ''Treaty Five'' is a treaty that was first established in September, 1875, between Queen Victoria and Saulteaux and Swampy Cree non-treaty band governments and peoples around Lake Winnipeg in the District of Keewatin. A written text is include ...

, a document which established that Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation members and their descendants were guaranteed certain rights and benefits.

Governance and population

Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation is governed by an elected chief and council. Elections are held pursuant to NCN's own democratic election code. The last election in Nelson House was in August 2018. The Chief is currently Marcel Moody, a former Councillor. About 3,000 members of the NCN live in Nelson House and the remaining 2,100 off the reserve lands. Until 2005, the community of South Indian Lake on the shores of Southern Indian Lake was also part of the NCN. In December 2005, this community of about 1,100 persons separated from the Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation to form the

O-Pipon-Na-Piwin Cree Nation The O-Pipon-Na-Piwin Cree Nation ( cr, ᐅᐱᐴᓇᐱᐏᐣ, opiponipîwin) is a First Nations band government with over 1,500 Cree registered members centred in the settlement of South Indian Lake in Manitoba, Canada. South Indian Lake is located ...

. With a population of approximately 5,200, the NCN is a large and widespread community. Nelson House consists of eleven areas, which are known to the residents as Westwood, School Road, Hillside, Dogpoint, R.C. Point, Little R.C. Point, New Area, Hart's Point, Michelle Point, Bay Road and Moore's Bay. Like most of rural Canada where the population is sparse, there is no local infrastructure for water and sewage treatment. Rural residents in Canada must use private wells or take water from a lake or river and have their own septic tank.

Hydroelectric development and impacts

During the 1960s and 1970s, the

Government of Manitoba The powers and structure of the provincial Government of Manitoba (french: Gouvernement du Manitoba) are set out in the Constitution Act, 1867. In modern Canadian use, the term "government" referred broadly to the cabinet of the day (formally ...

and

Manitoba Hydro The Manitoba Hydro-Electric Board, operating as Manitoba Hydro, is the electric power and natural gas utility in the province of Manitoba, Canada. Founded in 1961, it is a provincial Crown Corporation, governed by the Manitoba Hydro-Electric Boa ...

began the

Nelson River Hydroelectric Project The Nelson River Hydroelectric Project refers to the construction of a series of dams and hydroelectric power plants on the Nelson River in Northern Manitoba, Canada. The project began to take shape in the late 1950s, with the planning and construc ...

, centered on the

Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from 1 ...

and

Nelson Nelson may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey * ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers * ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...

rivers. The project included the Churchill River Diversion, which directly affected Nisichawayasihk members living at Nelson House and at

South Indian Lake South Indian Lake is an Indian settlement located on the southeast shore of Southern Indian Lake in northern Manitoba, Canada, about north of the city of Thompson by air. It had a population of 981 in 2016, and is the main settlement of the O-Pi ...

. Consequently, large areas of traditional hunting, fishing and

trapping Animal trapping, or simply trapping or gin, is the use of a device to remotely catch an animal. Animals may be trapped for a variety of purposes, including food, the fur trade, hunting, pest control, and wildlife management. History Neolithic ...

lands were flooded. The people of South Indian Lake were forcibly relocated to their current location. The Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation (NCN) is a signatory to the Northern Flood Agreement (NFA) between Canada (the federal government), Manitoba Hydro, the Province of Manitoba and several First Nations Communities. In 1996, NCN signed an NFA Implementation Agreement. Using settlement proceeds paid pursuant to this implementation agreement, NCN purchased the Mystery Lake Motor Hotel in the nearby city of Thompson. In 2006, the NCN signed a Project Development Agreement with Manitoba Hydro regarding the Wuskwatim hydroelectric project on the Burntwood River, about 30 km from Nelson House. Wuskwatim generates about 200 MW of electricity. The NCN was involved in the construction of the project and, as a partner in the project, will receive a share of the future revenues. This arrangement is the first of its kind in Manitoba. In 2006, the Atoskiwin Training and Employment Centre (ATEC) opened its doors in Nelson House. ATEC is also a Manitoba first. It trains NCN members and other aboriginals for northern hydro projects and other job opportunities.

Reserve lands

Nelson House consists of four NCN reserves, totalling in size: * Nelson House 170 — located on the north shore of Footprint Lake; totalling in size * Nelson House 170A — located south of the west end of Footprint Lake; totalling in size * Nelson House 170B — located south of the central part of Footprint Lake; totalling in size * Nelson House 170C — located on the north-east shore of Footprint Lake; totalling in size

Urban reserve

In early February 2004, the nearby city of

Thompson, Manitoba Thompson (population 13,678) is the largest city in the Northern Region of Manitoba and is situated along the Burntwood River, north of Winnipeg. Originally founded in 1956 as a mining town, it now primarily serves as the "Hub of the North", p ...

, announced its approval to the NCN to convert a parcel of property to Treaty Land. This was possible due to shortages in land area controlled by NCN under the

Treaty Land Entitlement A treaty is a formal, legally binding written agreement between actors in international law. It is usually made by and between sovereign states, but can include international organizations, individuals, business entities, and other legal perso ...

agreement in the mid-1990s. This event marked one of the few transitions from privately-owned land, purchased by a First Nations community, to an

urban reserve An urban Indian reserve (french: réserve indienne urbaine) is land that the Government of Canada has designated as a First Nations reserve that is situated within an urban area. Such lands allow for aboriginal commercial ventures which enjo ...

. This plan was quietly discussed between city and band administration since the narrowly-lost

plebiscite A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a representative. This may result in the adoption of a ...

held in Thompson on 18 September 2001. With a 45% voter turnout for the plebiscite, and amid allegations of inappropriate voter disqualifications, the "no" side won by a margin of 250 votes. During the three years following the plebiscite, the majority of Thompson City Councillors publicly stated that the results of the vote were not binding upon city council, as the council was elected to act in the best interests of the citizens of Thompson. Thompson City Council approved NCN’s plan for the urban reserve on 7 February 2005. In April 2016, the reserve received an additional of land.

References

External links

Nisachawayasihk Cree Nation – History: Respecting Our Past…Creating A Bright Future
(2016)
Manitoba Hydro hosted Wuskwatim Agreement (PDF)Map of Nelson House 170 at Statcan
{{Authority control Cree Cree governments Algonquian ethnonyms Hudson's Bay Company trading posts First Nations governments in Manitoba First Nations in Northern Region, Manitoba