Saulteaux First Nation

This band of saskatchewan chippewa Indians, are endurring a cover-up initiated by the whites very long ago. Their leaders supposedly signed treaty 6 in 1876, which ceded their land to the whites, and established their first nation, but that could be very misleading. Chief Big Bear (the whites are doing their best to make him appear as non Anishinabe but he was Anishinabe) showed up one day after the 1876 treaty was signed. He probably did so to intimidate the whites. Ogima (chief) Big Bear organized the Chippewa's (the Saulteaux) of central Saskatchewan and central Alberta, and some of their Athabascan and Dakota allies, to demand that the whites set aside at least one large Reserve for the Anishinabek and their allies. Once the whites learned about ogima Big Bears movement, they commenced to start trouble with the Anishinabe ogima, which eventually climaxed in the 1885 Northwest Rebellion. Before the war actually occurred in 1885, ogima Big Bear was forced to sign treaty six but did so only to feed his people. The whites had nearlly killed off the food supply of the Indians (buffalo) and that led to ogima Big Bear agreeing to accept treaty six. However, he continued to lead the effort to have a large Reserve set aside and that ignited the 1885 war. Ogima Big Bears son imasees, took over leadership of the confederacy controlled by the Anishinabek and commenced to war upon the whites in 1885. What really occurred was the entire area known as Treaty 6 was set aside to be an Anishinabe Reserve.

The Indians did not have the superior weapons that their white enemy had and were easily defeated in the 1885 war. After the war ended, ogima imasees led his people (the Anishinabek) down into northern Montana (their original homeland) where they were eventually set aside the Rocky Boy Reservation. The whites set aside 36 small Reserves for the Anishinabek (who are also known as Algonquin, ASsiniboine, Chippewa, Cree, Nakawe, Nakoda, Ojibwa, Ojibway, Ojibwe, Saulteaux, Santee, and Sioux) of central Saskatchewan, in the area between North Battleford and Birsh Lake. Only about three of the Reserves are inhabited by the Anishinabek (the Saulteaux) today. Most fled into northern Saskatchewan and northern Alberta, and even into the Northwest Territories, after the 1885 war ended. They merged with the Athabascan Chippewan (Chipewyan) and other Athabascans. And many fled into northern Montana, as already mentioned. Indeed, very sad events in their history. The band at the present time has the 36 reserves that covers 14,386 hectares or 35,548 acres. However, through an agreement, they now have an additional 60,000 acres, or now have 95,000 acres. Their first nation has a population of 1,179 enrolled, but only 578 actually live on the reserves in west-central saskatchewan. They are surrounded by numerous white settlements.