Duncan's First Nation is a First Nation in northwestern Alberta, Canada. It operates as an Indian band under the ''

Indian Act The ''Indian Act'' () is a Canadian Act of Parliament that concerns registered Indians, their bands, and the system of Indian reserves. First passed in 1876 and still in force with amendments, it is the primary document that defines how t ...

'' representing a community of

Aboriginal Canadians Indigenous peoples in Canada (also known as Aboriginals) are the Indigenous peoples within the boundaries of Canada. They comprise the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis, representing roughly 5.0% of the total Canadian population. There are over ...

, in this case from the Woods Cree ethnic group. The band became a party 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 eleven Numbered Treaties. The agreement encompassed a land m ...

with the Canadian Crown on July 1, 1899.

Indian reserves In Canada, an Indian reserve () or First Nations reserve () is defined 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." R ...

were surveyed for the band in 1905, but the reserves were not confirmed by

Order-in-Council An Order in Council is a type of legislation in many countries, especially the Commonwealth realms. In the United Kingdom, this legislation is formally made in the name of the monarch by and with the advice and consent of the Privy Council ('' ...

until 1907 (eight parcels) and 1925 (two parcels). All but one reserves ( #151A) were later surrendered to the Canadian government in 1928. One of them, #151K, was later returned to the band in 1965. The two remaining reserves are #151A, located west of

Peace River, Alberta Peace River (originally named Peace River Crossing and known as in French) is a town in northwest Alberta, Canada. It is along the banks of the Peace River at its confluence with the Smoky River, the Heart River and Pat's Creek. It is approxim ...

and #151K, located in the McLennon/

Reno Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada–California border. It is the county seat and most populous city of Washoe County, Nevada, Washoe County. Sitting in the High Eastern Sierra foothills, ...

area, southeast of Peace River. The two reserves comprise a total area of , and the majority of the population lives on #151A. In 2012, the band had a registered population of 269, of whom 142 members living the band's reserves. In the 1970s, Duncan's First Nation joined a regional council with several other bands, the Lesser Slave Lake Indian Regional Council. In 1998, however, the band withdrew from the Lesser Slave Lake council and formed the Western Cree Tribal Council along with Horse Lake First Nation and Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation, and remains a member. Duncan's is also a member of a treaty council, the

First Nations of Alberta.

References

First Nations governments in Alberta Cree governments {{FirstNations-stub