General Information:
Council of Elders: Each Community has an elder(s) in their respective community
Chief and Council: 1 Chief-elected, 14 Councilors-elected
Official Name: PETER BALLANTYNE CREE NATION
Executive Staff: to be decided by Chief and Council
Senior Management: to be decided by Chief and Council
Membership Authority: Indian Act
Election System: Band Custom
Term of Office: 3 years
Last Election for Chief and Council: April
Next Election: Pending on Election Act update
Council Quorum: 8 of 14
Funding Source: CFA from INAC
Treaty History & Language:
Territory: Treaty 6, adhesion to Treaty Six
Place of signing: see history
Date signed: see history
Dominant Language: Woodland Cree "th" dialect
Population:
PBCN Population: 11,189 (2019)
Reserve Communities & Lands:
The Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation consists of 8 communities.
Political Affiliations:
- Prince Albert Grand Council (regional)
- Federation of Saskatchewan Nations (provincial)
- Assembly of First Nations (national)
- Federal and Provincial Governments
Traditional Territory:
The area traditionally occupied by the Cree Nation encompasses about 20,000 square miles, from the Saskatchewan/Manitoba border west to the west end of Trade Lake, north to Reindeer Lake, and south to Sturgeon Landing. This was the traditional hunting/gathering area of the Cree Nation.
On February 11, 1889, Commissioner Irvine met with the Montreal Lake and Lac La Ronge First Nations at Molanosa at the north end of Montreal Lake at the outflow of the Montreal River, concluding an adhesion to Treaty Six. It had exactly the same terms as Treaty Six had 13 years prior.
In 1894, Peter Ballantyne, later to be the first Chief of the Cree Nation, was admitted to Treaty, along with 41 other members of his extended family at Potato Lake, near La Ronge. Peter Ballantyne had trapping grounds in the 11,000 square mile area ceded to the Crown.
In time, other future members of the Cree Nation centered at Pelican Narrows entered Treaty Six, paddling to La Rouge to state their case with the Indian Agent of the day. In 1898, Indian Agent Hilton Keith traveled to Pelican Narrows and admitted over 100 more individuals living there into the Lac La Range Indian Band. As Pelican Narrows continued pressing their claim to be recognized as a separate Band, the Department of Indian Affairs finally relented and recognized the Cree Nation as a separate entity apart from the Lac La Ronge Indian Band in August, 1900. Peter Ballantyne was appointed as the first Chief, serving in that capacity until 1917.
Past PBCN Chiefs:
- 1911 - 1922 - Peter Ballantyne
- 1922 - 1930 - Cornelius Ballantyne (Bear)
- 1930 - 1939 - Joe Highway
- 1939 - 1948 - Solomon Merasty
- 1948 - 1954 - Simon Linklater
- 1954 - 1956 - Vacant
- 1956 - 1957 - Simon Linklater
- 1958 - 1969 - Peter Linklater
- 1969 - 1971 - Simon Linklater
- 1971 - 1973 - Arthur Morin
- 1973 - 1975 - Albert Ratt
- 1975 - 1979 - Phillip Morin
- 1979 - 1985 - Joseph Custer
- 1985 - 1999 - Ronald Michel
- 1999 - 2001 - Susan (Linklater)/ Custer
- 2001- 2005 - Ronald Michel
- 2005 -2007 - Harold Linklater
- 2007 - 2009 - Darrell McCallum
- 2009 - 2013 - Darrell McCallum
- 2013 - 2021 - Peter A. Beatty
- 2021 - Present - Karen Bird
