Fishing Lake First Nation () is a First Nation of the

Saulteaux The Saulteaux (pronounced , or in imitation of the French pronunciation , also written Salteaux, Saulteau and Ojibwa ethnonyms, other variants), otherwise known as the Plains Ojibwe, are a First Nations in Canada, First Nations band governm ...

branch of the

Ojibwe The Ojibwe (; Ojibwe writing systems#Ojibwe syllabics, syll.: ᐅᒋᐺ; plural: ''Ojibweg'' ᐅᒋᐺᒃ) are an Anishinaabe people whose homeland (''Ojibwewaki'' ᐅᒋᐺᐘᑭ) covers much of the Great Lakes region and the Great Plains, n ...

nation. Fishing Lake First Nation are Anishinabek people (original people of North America). The band can trace their origins to central Canada, and were pushed westward to avoid encroachment by European settlers.Fishing Lake First Nation
website The First Nation was originally part of the Yellow-quill Saulteaux Band, a Treaty Band named after a Treaty 4 signatory Chief ''Ošāwaškokwanēpi'', whose name means "Green/Blue-quill." However, due to "š" merging with "s" in ''Nakawēmowin'' (Saulteaux language), this led to a mistranslation of his name as "Yellow-quill"—"yellow" being ''osāw-'', while "green/blue" being ''ošāwaško-'' (or ''osāwasko-'' in Saulteaux). The band was given three reserves, at Fishing and Nut Lakes (surveyed in September 1881) and Kinistino, Saskatchewan (surveyed in 1900).Fishing Lake First Nation
Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan The Fishing Lake Indian Reserve 89 was approximately . Soon after the death of Chief ''Ošāwaškokwanēpi'', the Band divided into three groups, the Fishing Lake First Nation, the Yellow Quill First Nation, and the Kinistin Saulteaux Nation In 1905 the

Canadian Northern Railway The Canadian Northern Railway (CNoR) was a historic Canada, Canadian transcontinental railway. At its 1923 merger into the Canadian National Railway , the CNoR owned a main line between Quebec City and Vancouver via Ottawa, Winnipeg, and Edmonto ...

Company requested that the northern end of the Fishing Lake Reserve be opened for settlement. The Yellow-quill Saulteaux Band initially refused to surrender the land. In response, the

Department of Indian Affairs Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military * Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

had the Yellow-quill Saulteaux Band sign an agreement recognizing the three separate reserves as distinct bands. In 1907 the Department was able to secure the surrender of from Fishing Lake Indian Reserve 89, dealing directly with the now distinct Fishing Lake First Nation.Indian Claims Commission
/ref> Negotiations for the return of the surrendered land began in April 1989 when the band submitted a claim to the Minister of Indian Affairs. During the subsequent inquiry by the

Indian Claims Commission The Indian Claims Commission (ICC) was a judicial relations arbiter between the United States federal government and Native American tribes. It was established under the Indian Claims Act of 1946 by the United States Congress to hear any longstandin ...

it was discovered that as many as three of the individuals who signed the surrender document in 1907 were less than 21 years of age. It was also discovered that the affidavit certifying the surrender was not properly sworn according to the statutory standards in place at the time. In 2001, a Settlement Agreement was ratified allowing the band to add to the reserve. In addition, band members received $2,000 each, and elders 55 years of age or older received $4,000 apiece. The agreement was worth $35,000,000, and was Saskatchewan's largest land claim. In 2001, the initial Fishing Lake 1907 Trustees were William (Bill) Anderson, Leona Desjarlais, Laverne Knight, Jackie Ottmann, Janelle Bird, Lorraine Lysyshen and Milton Paquachan. There are presently 1,475 people registered with the Fishing Lake First Nation, of which 405 live on reserve. Their reserves include:. *

Fishing Lake 89 Fishing Lake 89 is an Indian reserve of the Fishing Lake First Nation in Saskatchewan. It is north of Fort Qu'Appelle. In the 2016 Canadian Census, it recorded a population of 406 living in 128 of its 161 total private dwellings. In the same ...

* Fishing Lake 89A * Fishing Lake 89D1 * Sabitawasis Beach 89 C-1 *

Treaty Four Reserve Grounds 77 The Treaty Four Reserve Grounds 77 are an Indian reserve in Saskatchewan, Canada, shared by 33 band governments from Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The Reserve Grounds are surrounded by the town of Fort Qu'Appelle. In the 2016 Canadian Census, they ...

, shared with 32 other bands. The Fishing Lake First Nation people continue to be economically and self sufficient.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Key First Nation First Nations in Saskatchewan