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: 12,604 (2024)
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 Woodland Cree Nation is over 70,000 km2 from the Saskatchewan/Manitoba/Nunavut/NWT border areas from The Pas to Pukatawagan and east, from Cumberland House delta towards the Saskatchewan river to Montreal Lake and south, from west of Lac La Ronge to northwest of Wollaston, from Reindeer Lake to the Territories and all parts in between. This was and is the traditional hunting/gathering area of the Cree Nation. On February 11, 1889, Canada’s new 22 year old Government met with at Molanosa on the north end of Montreal Lake at the outflow of the Montreal River, concluding an adhesion to Treaty Six.
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.
In 1894, Peter Ballantyne, the first Chief of the Cree Nation, signed the Treaty, along with 41 other members of his extended family at Potato Lake, near La Ronge. Peter Ballantyne had trapping grounds in the area unwittingly ceded to the Crown. The 9 communities of the First Nation are Southend 200-200A, Sandy Bay Wapaskokimaw 202, Pelican Narrows 184b - 206, Deschambault Lake Kimosom Pwatinahk 203, Birch Portage 184A, Prince Albert Kiskaciwan 208, Amisk Lake 184-Amiskosakahikan 210, Sturgeon Weir 184F-205, Kinoosao 204 (these are the recognized inhabited communities there are dozens more Reserve throughout the territory with more be added over time).
Amisk Lake 184 (Cree: ᐊᒥᐢᑯ ᓵᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ, amisko-sâkahikan) – 2072.80 Hectares
Amiskosakahikan 210 (Cree: ᐊᒥᐢᑯ ᓵᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ, amisko-sâkahikan) – 442.60 Hectares
Birch Portage 184A (Cree: ᐘᐢᑿᐩ ᐅᓂᑳᐦᐱᕽ, waskway-onikâhpihk) – 1844.20 Hectares
Chief Joseph CusterReserve – 23 Hectares
Chief Philip Morin 232 – 0.20 Hectares
Denare Beach (settlement) (Cree: ᒨᓇᐦᐃᓲᓂᔮᐚᓂᕽ, mônahisôniyâwânihk) – 0 Hectares
Deschambault Lake (settlement) (Cree: ᑭᒧᓲᒼ ᑇᑎᓈᕽ, kimosôm pwâtinâhk) – 0 Hectares
Kimosom Pwatinahk 203 – 766.30 Hectares
Kinoosao-Thomas Clark 204 (Cree: ᑭᓄᓭᐤ, kinosêw) – 2380.50 Hectares
Kipahigan Sakahikan 222 (Cree: ᑭᐸᐦᐃᑲᐣ ᓵᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ, kipahikan-sâkahikan) – 2123.70 Hectares
Kiskaciwan 208 (Cree: ᑮᐢᑲᒋᐚᐣ, kîskaciwân) – 120.50 Hectares
Kistapinan 211 (Cree: ᑭᐢᑕᐱᓈᐣ, kistapinân) – 128.20 Hectares
Kistapinanihk 231 (Cree: ᑭᐢᑕᐱᓈᓂᕽ, kistapinânihk) (Urban Reserve in Prince Albert) – 0.90 Hectares
Manawanstawayak 230 (Cree: ᒪᓈᐚᐣᐢᑕᐚᔭᐠ, manâwânstawâyak – 116.10 Hectares
Maskikopawiscikosik 229 (Cree: ᒪᐢᑭᐦᑭᐩ ᐹᐏᐢᒋᑯᓯᕽ, maskihkiy-pâwiscikosihk – 180.50 Hectares
McKay 209 – 1361.30 Hectares
Mirond Lake 184E – 601.80 Hectares
Mistahi Wasahk 209 (Cree: ᒥᐢᑕᐦᐃ ᐚᓵᕽ, mistahi wâsâhk) – 6333.40 Hectares
Mistik (Cree: ᒥᐢᑎᐠ, mistik) – 1639.90 Hectares
Muskwaminiwatim 225 (Cree: ᒪᐢᑿᒥᓂᐊᐧᑎᒼ, maskwaminiwatim) – 2606.30 Hectares
Nakiskatowaneek 227 (Cree: ᓇᑭᐢᑳᑐᐏᓂᕽ, nakiskâtowinihk) – 257.50 Hectares
Nemekus Sakahikan 221 (Cree: ᓃᒣᑲᐢ ᓵᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ, nîmêkas-sâkahikan) – 92.90 Hectares
Northern Lights 220 (Urban Reserve in Prince Albert) – 2 Hectares
Pelican Narrows 184B (Cree: ᐅᐹᐘᐦᑯᓯᒋᑲᓂᕽ, opâwahkosicikanihk) – 529.70 Hectares
Pelican Narrows 206 (Cree: ᐅᐹᐘᐦᑯᓯᒋᑲᓂᕽ, opâwahkosicikanihk) – 1744.20 Hectares
Pisiwiminiwatim 207 (Cree: ᐲᓯᒥᓂᐊᐧᑎᒼ, pîsiminiwatim) – 2876 Hectares
Sandy Bay (settlement) (Cree: ᐚᐸᐢᑯᑭᒫᐤ, wâpaskokimâw) – 0 Hectares
Sandy Narrows 184C – 1077.70 Hectares
Sokatisewin Sakahikan 224 (Cree: ᓰᐦᑲᑎᓭᐏᐣ ᓵᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ, sîhkatisewin-sâkahikan) – 406.40 Hectares
Southend 200 (Cree: ᐘᐹᑎᑿᒋᐘᓄᕽ, wapâtikwaciwanohk) – 4219.10 Hectares
Southend 200A (Cree: ᐘᐹᑎᑿᒋᐘᓄᕽ, wapâtikwaciwanohk) – 278 Hectares
Sturgeon Landing (Settlement) (Cree: ᓇᒣᐤ ᓰᐱᐩ, namêw-sîpiy) -
Sturgeon Weir 184F (Cree: ᓇᒣᐤ ᓰᐱᐩ, namêw-sîpiy) – 2329.40 Hectares
Sturgeon Weir 205 (Cree: ᓇᒣᐤ ᓰᐱᐩ, namêw-sîpiy) – 26.30 Hectares
Thomas Morin Indian Reserve – Creighton – 0.20 Hectares
Wapaskokimaw 202 (Cree: ᐚᐸᐢᑯᑭᒫᐤ, wâpaskokimâw) – 64.50 Hectares
Waskwaynikapik 228 (Cree: ᐘᐢᑿᐩ ᐅᓂᑳᐦᐱᕽ, waskway-onikâhpihk) – 1381.80 Hectares
Waskwiatik Sakahikan 223 (Cree: ᐘᐢᑿᔮᐦᑎᐠ ᓵᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ, waskwayâhtik-sâkahikan) – 871.40 Hectares
Woody Lake 184D – 677.10 Hectares
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 - 2024 - Karen Bird
- 2024 - Present - Peter A. Beatty
