James Smith First Nation
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The James Smith First Nation ( cr, ᓂᐦᑖᐏᑭᐦᒋᑲᓂᕽ ''nihtâwikihcikanihk'', meaning: ''at the place of good growth'') is a Plains Cree
Indigenous Indigenous may refer to: *Indigenous peoples *Indigenous (ecology), presence in a region as the result of only natural processes, with no human intervention *Indigenous (band), an American blues-rock band *Indigenous (horse), a Hong Kong racehorse ...
band government whose reserve is north of Melfort, Saskatchewan,
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 ...
. James Smith has two reserves, James Smith 100 and Cumberland 100A. James Smith has a current population of 2,412, with the on-reserve population estimated to be at 1,592 members. James Smith is part of the
Prince Albert Grand Council The Prince Albert Grand Council (PAGC) is a Tribal Council representing the band governments of twelve First Nations in the province of Saskatchewan. Its head offices are located in the city of Prince Albert. The Tribal Council was created in 197 ...
. Bordering the reserve are the rural municipalities of Kinistino No. 459 and Torch River No. 488.


History

The First Nation takes its name after Chief James Smith, a brother of Chief John Smith, who founded the Muskoday First Nation. James Smith signed
Treaty Six Treaty 6 is the sixth of the numbered treaties that were signed by the Canadian Crown and various First Nations between 1871 and 1877. It is one of a total of 11 numbered treaties signed between the Canadian Crown and First Nations. Specifica ...
at
Fort Carlton Fort Carlton was a Hudson's Bay Company fur trading post from 1795 until 1885. It was located along the North Saskatchewan River not far from Duck Lake. It is in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan and was rebuilt by the government of Sas ...
in 1876. The population at the time of the signing was 134 members or 32 families. The original language spoken was Cree. James Smith, alongside John Smith, migrated to the area from the Red River district of
Manitoba , 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 ...
, and his Cree name has been recorded as ''Notaw(k)eecheekanis'' (ᓂᐦᒑᐏᑭᐦᒋᑲᓂᐢ ''nihcâwikihcikanis''). However, the term ᓂᐦᑖᐏᑭᐦᒋᑲᓂᕽ ''nihtâwikihcikanihk'' means "good growing area" and is better applied to the community rather than the chief. The Chakastaypasin First Nation later joined the people of James Smith following the dissolution of their reserve near St. Louis, Saskatchewan, after the North-West Rebellion.Chakastapaysin First Nation
The Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan
As they are separate signatories to
Treaty 6 Treaty 6 is the sixth of the numbered treaties that were signed by the Canadian Crown and various First Nations between 1871 and 1877. It is one of a total of 11 numbered treaties signed between the Canadian Crown and First Nations. Specif ...
, the Chakastapaysin do have some legal status as a separate nation, but their status as a separate First Nation remains in limbo, while an inquiry announced in 1999 has yet to move forward. The people of the Peter Chapman First Nation were incorporated into the same band in 1902, but they are generally recognized as a separate band, with their legal status disputed both in court and by an ongoing commission of inquiry. Recently the three nations who had been forced under one government by the name of James Smith decided to separate into their founding bands. The Margaret Turner Health Clinic, named after Margaret Turner in memory of her health work in the 1980s–90s, is located in the Middle Village. The Bernard Constant Community School (BCCS), formerly known as James Smith School, was renamed after teacher Bernard Constant in the 1990s. The James Smith School was originally in the South Village but in 1991 it was torn down and the new school was built in the Middle Village which opened on May 2, 1992. Buildings from the 1980s–90s were demolished, due to the lack of funds, but the South Hockey Ring was left. The current chiefs are Wally Burns, Robert Head, and Calvin Sanderson.


2022 stabbings

On September 4, 2022, multiple people were stabbed at the James Smith Cree Nation. Eleven people were killed, and eighteen others were injured. The suspect, Myles Sanderson was arrested on September 7, 2022, but died shortly thereafter, possibly from self-inflicted injuries.


See also

* Muskoday First Nation *
Fort de la Corne Fort de la Corne was one of the two French forts established on the Saskatchewan River in the 20 years between the end of La Vérendrye's push west from Lake Superior in 1731–1743 and the fall of New France in 1763. (The other was Fort La Jo ...


References


External links


Prince Albert Grand Council site on James Smith

Government of Saskatchewan site on James Smith

Map of James Smith 100 at Statcan
{{Numbertreaty, treaty=6 Saulteaux Cree governments First Nations governments in Saskatchewan