The Sapotaweyak Cree Nation (SCN, cr, ᓵᐳᐦᑕᐍᔮᕽ, sâpohtawêyâhk, ''meaning: "golden eagle"'') is a

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 ...

band 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 ...

whose

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 ...

s are located in

northern Manitoba Northern Manitoba (also known as NorMan or Nor-Man) is a geographic and cultural List of regions of Manitoba, region of the Provinces and Territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. Originally encompassing a small square around the Red ...

, north-east of Swan River, approximately 400 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg. The community is mainly

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 ...

, but has a mixture of Plains Cree,

Swampy Cree The Swampy Cree people, also known by their autonyms ''Néhinaw'', ''Maskiki Wi Iniwak'', ''Mushkekowuk,'' ''Maškékowak'' or ''Maskekon'' (and therefore also ''Muskegon'' and ''Muskegoes'') or by exonyms including ''West Main Cree,'' ''Lowlan ...

, and

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, Al ...

languages, a unique dialect shared with

Wuskwi Sipihk First Nation Wuskwi Sipihk First Nation ( Cree ᐘᐢᑿᐩ ᓰᐲᕽ waskway-sîpîhk, ''meaning: at the Birch River'') is a Swampy Cree First Nations band government whose reserve community is located northeast Birch River, Manitoba, along the western shores ...

to the southwest. They have a number of dispersed reserves, most of which are along the shores of

Lake Winnipegosis Lake Winnipegosis is a large (5,370 km2) lake in central North America, in Manitoba, Canada, some 300 km northwest of Winnipeg. It is Canada's eleventh-largest lake. An alternate spelling, once common but now rare, is Lake Winipigoos or ...

. The main centre of the community is Shoal River Indian Reserve 65A, located adjacent to Pelican Rapids (known as the "Métis Side" to the locals). About half the community's population resides on the reserve while the other half live off reserve. SCN is signatory to Treaty 4 which was signed in 1874. SCN is part of the

Swampy Cree Tribal Council Swampy means "of or resembling a swamp". Swampy may also refer to: * Swampy Cree, native Americans (and their language) * Swampy, a character in the video game ''Where's My Water?'' People * Swampy (environmentalist), Daniel Hooper (born 1973), ...

, which also includes the Chemawawin Cree Nation,

Mathias Colomb First Nation The Mathias Colomb Cree Nation (MCCN) ( cr, ᐸᑲᑕᐚᑲᐣ, pukatawâkan) —also known as Mathias Colomb First Nation, Mathias Colomb (Cree) First Nation, and Pukatawagan/Mathias Colomb Cree Nation—is a remote First Nations community in ...

Misipawistik Cree Nation Misipawistik Cree Nation (MCN; formerly Grand Rapids First Nation, Cree: ᒥᓯ ᐹᐏᐢᑎᐠ misi-pâwistik, ''meaning: at the big rapids'') is a Cree community in northern Manitoba. ''Misipawistik'' in the local Cree language means 'Rushing R ...

Mosakahiken Cree Nation The Mosakahiken Cree Nation (Cree: ᒨᓵᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ môsâkahikan)Ogg, Arden (August 19 2015) Cree Names of Cree-speaking Communities across CanadLink/ref> is a First Nations located around the community of Moose Lake in northern Manitoba. ...

Opaskwayak Cree Nation The Opaskwayak Cree Nation (; OCN, Cree: ᐅᐸᐢᑿᔭᐠ , ''opâskwêyâhk'', meaning: at the wooded narrows) is a First Nations band government in Manitoba, Canada. Most of the on-reserve population lives near The Pas on the OCN 21E reserve ...

, Sapotaweyak Cree Nation, and the

. About 900 people had to evacuate because of wildfires on May 20, 2018, and were able to return on June 5. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Chief Nelson Genaille reported that of the 260 households in the community, there were 49 active cases and 313 others self-isolating in December 2020.

Infrastructure

In a March 24, 2016 CBC interview, Chief Genaille said that SCN would need "$29 million to address immediate housing, water treatment and education needs."

Housing

According to a 2011 report published as part of a collaborative project with SCN, the

Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC; preceded by the Manitoba Indian Brotherhood) is an Advocacy association, association that advocates on issues affecting First Nations in Manitoba. Representing 62 of the 63 First Nations in Manitoba, the prov ...

, and the

University of Manitoba The University of Manitoba (U of M, UManitoba, or UM) is a Canadian public research university in the province of Manitoba.to future development outside of the floodplain, preserving biodiversity, lake and river access, while maintaining traditional values, uses and settlement forms." Chief Genaille told CBC News in 2016 that SCN needed 50 homes immediately, and another 200 over the long term. He estimated a cost of $135,000 per house. A housing report had identified "severe mould and structure problems".

Water and waste treatment

INAC reported in 2004 that the water source for SCN was the

Shoal River Shoal River is a river located primarily in Okaloosa County, Florida, near the city of Crestview. It is a tributary of the Yellow River, emptying into Pensacola Bay Pensacola Bay is a bay located in the northwestern part of Florida, United S ...

Dawson Bay Dawson may refer to: People and fictional characters * Dawson (surname), including a list of people and fictional characters with the name *Dawson (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the name Places Antarctica ...

. In 2004, following water treatment and chlorination, water was either distributed by pipes or by water trucks to individual homes. Water samples from the new $14.2-million water treatment plant, which includes "intake, intake pumphouse with wet well, outfall, and 1,350 m3 capacity below grade concrete reservoir" met the required drinking water standards and resulted in the lifting of the long-term drinking water advisory on May 20, 2021.

Education

When the First Nations-operated Neil Dennis Kematch Memorial School opened in 2007, First Nations members could choose to attend the levels K4-8 at that school or off reserve. In 2016,

Indigenous Services Canada Indigenous Services Canada (ISC; french: Services aux Autochtones Canada; french: SAC, label=none)''Indigenous Services Canada'' is the applied title under the Federal Identity Program; the legal title is Department of Indigenous Services (). is ...

, then known as Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada, provided $4,500 in funding per student in the local school. Chief Genaille compared this to the $13,000 for the "same student to go off-reserve to go to a public school." With such limited funds, SCN "can't afford specialized programs and often has a shortage of supplies such as books. "We also can't accommodate special needs care … and most of our high school students aren't ready for university, because I can't afford specialized teachers for ubjectslike sciences, math and computer programming...Thee community also needs more funds to pay teachers a competitive wage...When you only have in the budget to afford a teacher at $26,000 a year, we can't meet education standards that say we are obligated to pay them up to $40,000. You know, we can't afford them."

Health care

The Shoal River Health Office First Nations and Inuit Health Branch in Pelican Rapids provides health care to the SCN community members. A community health representative is onsite and the nearest hospital is in

The Pas, Manitoba The Pas ( ; french: Le Pas) is a town in Manitoba, Canada, located at the confluence of the Pasquia River and the Saskatchewan River and surrounded by the unorganized Northern Region of the province. It is approximately northwest of the provinc ...

Economic base

In 2004, SCN's economic base included "fishing, trapping, cattle ranching and logging operations."

Media coverage

Treaty and aboriginal hunting rights

In 2021, the SCN and the

The

includes the Sapotaweyak Cree Nation, Chemawawin Cree Nation,

, and

are challenging the 2011

Manitoba Moose Conservation Closure Regulation , image_map = Manitoba in Canada 2.svg , map_alt = Map showing Manitoba's location in the centre of Southern Canada , Label_map = yes , coordinates = , capital = Winn ...

. As the moose population declined significantly by 2011, the conservation closures were implemented by the province of Manitoba to allow their moose numbers to recover. A decade later the moose population has not recovered and the Treaty hunting rights have not been reinstated. In a joint press October 2021 release, the SCN and the Tribal Council said that Manitoba had "done more since 2011 to cause harm to this province's moose population than those hunting moose on First Nation land." According to the ''

Winnipeg Sun The ''Winnipeg Sun'' is a daily tabloid newspaper in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It is owned by Postmedia following its acquisition of Sun Media, and shares many characteristics typical of Sun tabloids, including an emphasis on local news sto ...

'', "Since the regulation came into effect, Manitoba permitted Louisiana Pacific to clear-cut woods and build logging roads, supported transmission lines, licensed exploration, established snowmobile trails and authorized other development, destroying moose habitat and undermining conservation efforts. As a result, the Moose populations have not recovered and only a limited harvest has been allowed." The challenge is in response to the arrest of Kirk Kematch by Natural Resource Officers in October 2020, when Kematch killed a moose in a ceremonial hunt to honour his recently deceased uncle. Kematch was exercising "his Treaty and Aboriginal Rights, and following the customs and traditions of Sapotaweyak Cree Nation."

Manitoba Hydro's Bipole III transmission line on Sapotaweyak ancestral land

In 2015, the SCN attempted to prevent

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 ...

from clearing a "66-metre wide right-of-way along approximately 200 kilometres" on Sapotaweyak ancestral land which includes burial grounds and spiritual sites, stretching from The Pas to Swan River for the Bipole III transmission line. The area, known as N4, is covered under a 1997 agreement on treaty land entitlement which calls for proper consultation between the province and the community. Judge Donald P. Bryk dismissed the claim. The Bipole III transmission line project was undertaken to respond to the anticipated increase in amount of electricity needed with two pipelines under consideration, including TransCanada's since cancelled Energy East crude oil pipeline, according to Manitoba Hydro's Ed Wojczynski.

Indian Reserves

Indian Reserves assigned to the band are:Indian and Northern Affairs Canada "Reserves/Settlements/Villages Detail"
/ref> *Channel Island Sapotaweyak Cree Nation Indian Reserve — . *Overflowing River Sapotaweyak Cree Nation Indian Reserve — *Pelican Rapids Access Road Phase 1 Indian Reserve — *PTH 10 Sapotaweyak Cree Nation Indian Reserve — *Sapotaweyak Cree Nation Indian Reserve — *Sapotaweyak Cree Nation - Spruce Island Indian Reserve — *Shoal River Indian Reserve No. 65A — ; 83 km south of

The Pas The Pas ( ; french: Le Pas) is a town in Manitoba, Canada, located at the confluence of the Pasquia River and the Saskatchewan River and surrounded by the unorganized Northern Region of the province. It is approximately northwest of the provinc ...

. *Shoal River Indian Reserve No. 65B — ; at Steep Rock Point,

. *Shoal River Indian Reserve No. 65F — ; at Dawson Bay, Lake Winnipegosis. The following reserve is shared with 32 other bands, all signatories to

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 Ma ...

. * Treaty Four Reserve Grounds Indian Reserve No. 77 — ; adjacent to and west 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 ...

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 ...

Notes

External links

Map of Shoal River 65A at Statcan

References

{{MBDivision19 Swampy Cree Tribal Council First Nations governments in Manitoba Cree governments