Red Pheasant Cree Nation

Red Pheasant Cree Nation
Band No. 346

ᒥᑭᓯᐘᒌᕽ (Cree)

*mikisiwacîhk* (Cree)
People	Cree
Treaty	Treaty 6
Headquarters	Cando
Province	Saskatchewan
Land
Main reserve	Red Pheasant 108
Land area	253.084 km2
Population (2021)
On reserve	820
On other land	1
Off reserve	1,715
Total population	2,536
Government
Chief	Vacant
Council	Lux Benson; Jason Chakita; Mandy Cuthand; Dana Falcon; Henry Garidpy; Samuel Wuttunee; Shawn Wuttunee;
Tribal Council
	Battlefords Agency Tribal Chiefs
Website
	facebook.com/redpheasantcreenation

The Red Pheasant Cree Nation^[5] (Cree: ᒥᑭᓯᐘᒌᕽ, mikisiwacîhk) is a Plains Cree First Nations band government in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The band's sole reserve, Red Pheasant 108, is 33 km (21 mi) south of North Battleford.^[1]

History

Chief Wuttunee's people were living along the Battle River when the Numbered Treaties were being negotiated. Wuttunee did not want to sign Treaty 6 but appointed his brother Red Pheasant to sign in his place, and the Department of Indian Affairs henceforth referred to them as the Red Pheasant Band.

In 1878, they settled on a reserve in the Eagle Hills. A day school and an Anglican church were opened there within a decade.

In 2019, Chief Wuttunee secured the return of the original treaty medal which had been stolen in 1890 off the body of a deceased Chief.^[6]

In 2020, Chief Clinton Wuttunee was re-elected to the position of Chief. However, his election and that of one other band councilor were annulled amid substantiated allegations of electoral fraud, including vote buying.^[7] This decision was appealed to the Federal Court of Appeal by Chief Wuttunee and the other band councilor on the basis that any vote buying conducted by them had not been decisive in the election. The appellate court affirmed the annulment of the election, noting the lower court's finding that "Chief Wuttunee and Councillor Nicotine had occupied leadership positions within the RPFN, and that, as such, they were supposed to lead by example. Instead of acting as “bulwarks of First Nation democracy”, however, they endeavoured to corrupt the democratic process." [1]

Demographics

The band has 2,536 registered members, 821 of whom live on the reserve or other band lands and 1,715 live off reserve.^[2]

Notable people

Alex Decoteau, Olympian; first Aboriginal police officer in Canada
Don Francks (Iron Buffalo), actor, vocalist and jazz musician
Gerald McMaster, artist, author, and curator
Robert-Falcon Ouellette, university professor, soldier, federal politician and first Chair of the All Party Indigenous Parliamentarian Caucus in Ottawa.
Poundmaker (Pîhtokahanapiwiyin), Plains Cree chief known for his role in the North-West Rebellion
Cree Summer, American actress raised on the Red Pheasant reserve
Michelle Good, author, winner of the Governor General's Award for English-language fiction in 2020 for Five Little Indians
Allen Sapp, Plains Cree Artist, OC, SOM, Grand Nephew of Chief Poundmaker, Grandson of Flying Eagle
Colten Boushie, Youth killed by local farmer, Gerald Stanley. Not guilty verdict sparked outrage and changes to justice system.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Reserves, settlements or villages of the Red Pheasant Cree First Nations at Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
^ ^a ^b Registered population of the Red Pheasant Cree First Nations at Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
^ Governance of the Red Pheasant Cree First Nations at Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
^ Tribal Council detail of the Battlefords Agency Tribal Chiefs Tribal Council at Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
^ First Nation details for the Red Pheasant Cree First Nations at Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
^ "Historic moment for Red Pheasant Cree Nation as medal returned 134 years later | Globalnews.ca".
^ "Red Pheasant Cree Nation leadership considering appeal after federal judge annuls 2020 band election | CBC.ca".

Thompson, Christian. Red Pheasant First Nation Archived 2012-02-12 at the Wayback Machine. Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan. 2006.

This article relating to the Indigenous peoples of North America is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[reserve-1] Reserves, settlements or villages of the Red Pheasant Cree First Nations at Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada. Retrieved 19 July 2021.

[population-2] Registered population of the Red Pheasant Cree First Nations at Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada. Retrieved 19 July 2021.

[3] Governance of the Red Pheasant Cree First Nations at Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada. Retrieved 2 February 2023.

[4] Tribal Council detail of the Battlefords Agency Tribal Chiefs Tribal Council at Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada. Retrieved 19 July 2021.

[5] First Nation details for the Red Pheasant Cree First Nations at Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada. Retrieved 19 July 2021.

[6] "Historic moment for Red Pheasant Cree Nation as medal returned 134 years later | Globalnews.ca".

[7] "Red Pheasant Cree Nation leadership considering appeal after federal judge annuls 2020 band election | CBC.ca".

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v t e The Numbered Treaties: Treaty Six
Numbered Treaties	Treaty 1 Treaty 2 Treaty 3 Treaty 4 Treaty 5 Treaty 6 Treaty 7 Treaty 8 Treaty 9 Treaty 10 Treaty 11
Manitoba	Marcel Colomb First Nation Mathias Colomb First Nation
Saskatchewan	Ahtahkakoop First Nation Beardy's and Okemasis' Cree Nation Big Island Lake Cree Nation Big River First Nation Flying Dust First Nation Island Lake First Nation James Smith First Nation Lac La Ronge First Nation Little Pine First Nation Lucky Man Cree Nation Makwa Sahgaiehcan First Nation Mistawasis First Nation Montreal Lake Cree Nation Moosomin First Nation Mosquito-Grizzly Bear's Head-Lean Man Muskeg Lake Cree Nation Muskoday First Nation One Arrow First Nation Onion Lake First Nation Pelican Lake First Nation Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation Poundmaker Cree Nation Red Pheasant First Nation Saulteaux First Nation Sweetgrass First Nation Sturgeon Lake First Nation Thunderchild First Nation Waterhen Lake First Nation Witchekan Lake First Nation
Alberta	Alexander First Nation Alexis First Nation Beaver Lake Cree Nation Cold Lake First Nation Enoch Cree Nation Ermineskin Cree Nation Frog Lake First Nation Heart Lake First Nation Kehewin Cree Nation Louis Bull Tribe Michel Band (terminated) Montana First Nation O'Chiese First Nation Papaschase Band (terminated) Paul First Nation Saddle Lake Cree Nation Samson First Nation Sunchild First Nation Whitefish Lake First Nation (Goodfish)

Authority control databases
International	VIAF
National	United States