Clearwater River Dene Nation

Clearwater River Dene Nation
Location of CRDN on NASA image of Lac La Loche
Clearwater River Dene Nation Village of Clearwater River in Saskatchewan
Coordinates: 56°31′49″N 109°29′47″W / 56.53028°N 109.49639°W / 56.53028; -109.49639
Country	Canada
Province	Saskatchewan
Government
• Chief	Teddy Clark
• MLA Athabasca	Buckley Belanger
• MP Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River	Rob Clarke
Area
• Total	30.50 km2 (11.78 sq mi)
Population (2011)[1]
• Total	778
• Metro density	25.5/km2 (66/sq mi)
Time zone	Central Standard Time (UTC−6)
Postal code	S0M 3H0
Area code(s)	306
Highways	Hwy 955
[2][3]

The Clearwater River Dene Nation is a Dene First Nations band government in the boreal forest area of northern Saskatchewan, Canada. It maintains offices in the village of Clearwater River situated on the eastern shore of Lac La Loche. The Clearwater River Dene Nation reserve of Clearwater River shares its southern border with the village of La Loche.^[4]

History

Members receiving Treaty 8 payments at Portage La Loche (West La Loche). The HBC residence is in the background (1911)

Whitefish Lake, now called Garson Lake, was already an old established Dene village of 50 people in 1880. On August 4, 1899 the residents were gathered in Fort McMurray and selected Adam Boucher as headman to represent them in the signing of Treaty 8.^[5]

The descendants of this group from Garson Lake became known as the Portage La Loche Band. At the La Loche Mission in 1907 these families asked that treaty payments be made to them at La Loche or Buffalo River so they wouldn't have to travel all the way to Fort McMurray.^[5] On July 17, 1911 they received their treaty payments at Portage La Loche (West La Loche).^[5] In 1920 the Portage La Loche Band (now known as the Clearwater River Dene Nation) had 66 members.

Land transfers

In 1970 three parcels of land were transferred to the Portage La Loche Band (IR 221, IR 222, IR 223).^[5] For a time the "La Loche Landing" (IR 223) was being developed as a village and in 1974 it had 70 residents, however most of the band members chose to live in the village of La Loche. The band had about 280 members living in La Loche and the La Loche Landing in 1975.

In 1979 the parcel at Palmbere Lake/Linval Lake (IR 222) area was traded for land bordering La Loche to the north.^[6] This area also referred to as IR 222 is now home to the village of Clearwater River. The third parcel (IR 221) is on the south west shore of Lac La Loche. It had a few houses in the 1970s. In 1820 the trading posts of the Hudson's Bay Company and the North West Company were located on the lake in that area.

The village of Clearwater River has grown rapidly since 1979 when it was first officially created. The population increased from 301 in 1986 to 778 in 2011. Some of this increase was from members living in La Loche who relocated to Clearwater River as housing became available.^[7]

Membership

As of June, 2016 there were 2040 registered members with 844 members living on-reserve or on crown land and 1196 members living off-reserve.^[8] CRDN is a member of the Meadow Lake Tribal Council.^[9]and the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN)

In the 2006 Canada Census there were 590 registered members of the Clearwater River Dene Nation and other First Nations living in La Loche.^[10] In 2011 there were 680 registered members.^[11]

Territory

• Clearwater River is 2,900 hectares (7,200 acres) 56°32′12″N 109°26′38″W / 56.5368°N 109.4439°W / 56.5368; -109.4439 and contains the village of Clearwater River.^[12]
• Clearwater River Dene Band 221 is 5,741.4 hectares (14,187 acres) 56°20′31″N 109°32′42″W / 56.3419°N 109.5451°W / 56.3419; -109.5451 on the southwest shore of Lac La Loche and unoccupied.^[13]
• Clearwater River Dene Band 223 is 869.7 hectares (2,149 acres) 56°03′19″N 108°43′03″W / 56.0554°N 108.7176°W / 56.0554; -108.7176 known as The Landing. It located 24 km north of Buffalo Narrows on Highway 155. The Landing had a population of 19 in 2011. It extends northeast from the shore of Peter Pond Lake to Taylor Lake and continues to include a portion across Taylor Lake.^[14]

Village statistics

Education

Clearwater River Dene School offers a kindergarten to Grade 12 program. The students take part in the Dene immersion program offered at the school.

Clearwater River Dene School (Home of the Kodiaks)

Clearwater Beach on Lac La Loche within the Clearwater River Dene Nation Cultural Grounds. A pall of smoke from nearby forest fires obscures the sky.

See also

• Treaty 8
• Denesuline language
• Denesuline

References

External links

The Numbered Treaties: Treaty Eight
Numbered Treaties	Treaty 1 Treaty 2 Treaty 3 Treaty 4 Treaty 5 Treaty 6 Treaty 7 Treaty 8 Treaty 9 Treaty 10 Treaty 11
Saskatchewan	Black Lake Denesuline First Nation Clearwater River Dene Nation Fond Du Lac Denesuline First Nation
Alberta	Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation Beaver First Nation Bigstone Cree Nation Chipewyan Prairie First Nation Dene Tha' First Nation Driftpile First Nation Duncan's First Nation Fort McKay First Nation Fort McMurray First Nation Horse Lake First Nation Kapawe'no First Nation Little Red River Cree Nation Loon River First Nation Lubicon Lake Indian Nation Mikisew Cree First Nation Sawridge Band Smith's Landing First Nation Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation Sucker Creek Cree First Nation Swan River First Nation Tallcree First Nation Whitefish Lake First Nation Woodland Cree First Nation
British Columbia	Blueberry River First Nation Doig River First Nation Fort Nelson First Nation Halfway River First Nation McLeod Lake First Nation Prophet River First Nation Saulteau First Nation West Moberly First Nations
Northwest Territories	Deninu K'ue First Nation K'atlodeeche First Nation Lutsel K'e First Nation Salt River First Nation Yellowknives Dene First Nation