Ermineskin Cree Nation also known as the Ermineskin Tribe (, ), is a

Cree The Cree, or nehinaw (, ), are a Indigenous peoples of the Americas, North American Indigenous people, numbering more than 350,000 in Canada, where they form one of the country's largest First Nations in Canada, First Nations. They live prim ...

First Nations First nations are indigenous settlers or bands. First Nations, first nations, or first peoples may also refer to: Indigenous groups *List of Indigenous peoples *First Nations in Canada, Indigenous peoples of Canada who are neither Inuit nor Mé ...

band government In Canada, an Indian band (), First Nation band () or simply band, is the basic unit of government for those peoples subject to the ''Indian Act'' (i.e. status Indians or First Nations). Bands are typically small groups of people: the largest in ...

Alberta Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...

, Canada. A signatory 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. Specifi ...

, Ermineskin is one of the Four Nations of Maskwacis, Alberta's largest Indigenous community. As of 2019, there are 4,879 registered Ermineskin Cree, of which 3,290 were living on reserve. The Ermineskin Cree Nation's two reserves (around Maskwacis, Alberta) total about 22,512

hectares The hectare (; SI symbol: ha) is a non-SI metric unit of area equal to a square with 100-metre sides (1 hm2), that is, square metres (), and is primarily used in the measurement of land. There are 100 hectares in one square kilometre. A ...

and lived in an area around Pigeon Lake and the Bear Hills (known in

as ). Therefore, they were called or , meaning Bear Hills Cree. While the Ermineskin traditional territory includes the reserve lands, the reserve was formally established in 1885. The land houses substantial oil and gas deposits, agricultural land, and waterfront access to Pigeon Lake. The

Canadian Pacific Railway The Canadian Pacific Railway () , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadian Pacific Kansas City, Canadian Pacific Ka ...

line runs through the reserve. The First Nation took its name from Ermineskin Kosikosowayano also known as ''Baptiste Piche''), Chief of the Bear Hills Cree. He was the son of Peechee ( - "Mountain Lion", also known as ''Louis Piche''), Chief of the Asini Wachi Nehiyawak (Cree groups of the Rocky/Mountain Cree) and later head chief of the Rocky Mountain Cree ( or ) and also brother-in-law of Poundmaker, Chief of the River Cree ( or ). Ermineskin was the younger brother of the well-known - Bobtail, also known as ''Alexis Piche''), who became Chief of the Bear Hills Cree after the death of their father Louie Piche also known as Pisu) who was the chief of the Rocky Cree ( or ) and became later head chief of the Western Cree (‘Pakisimotan Wi Iniwak’) and soon after head chief of all the groups of the Upstream People ( or ).

Indian reserves

There are two Indian reserves under the governance of the band: *Ermineskin Indian Reserve No. 138, 10295.8 ha. * Pigeon Lake Indian Reserve No. 138A, 1921 ha. Pigeon Lake IR No. 138A is shared with three other governments, the Samson First Nation, the Louis Bull First Nation and the Montana First Nation.

Notable members

* Willie Littlechild

References

External links

* {{Authority control First Nations governments in Alberta Cree governments Maskwacis Cree Tribal Council