Prince Albert Daily Herald
Three Woodland Cree First Nations in northern Saskatchewan now led by women
Newly elected PBCN Chief Karen Bird. Photo courtesy of Karen Bird
“History has been made with three ladies governing the Woodland Cree,” said Karen Bird, newly elected chief of the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation (PBCN) after election results were confirmed on Wednesday.
“I’m happy, overjoyed and overwhelmed.”
Bird is with her home community of Southend celebrating the win. As the second woman elected to the role of chief in PBCN history Bird said she’s excited to work with Montreal Lake Cree Nation Chief Joyce Naytowhow-McLeod and Lac La Ronge Indian Band Chief Tammy Cook-Searson. She said those three Woodland Cree nations all being led by women at the same time is significant.
River Street in Prince Albert is now home to street signs displayed in local Indigenous languages.
According to a recent media release, River Street is the first location where names are displayed under the city’s Indigenous Naming initiative.
Along River Street, signs will be displayed on First Ave. W, First Ave. E. and Sixth Ave. E. These signs are written in six different Indigenous languages such as Plains Cree, Swampy Cree, Woodland Cree, Dakota, Dene and Michif.
“The purpose of the initiative is to acknowledge the history of the people who lived on these lands before settlers arrived, while also looking for opportunities to reflect and honour the contributions of the Indigenous community in Prince Albert,” said Judy MacLeod Campbell, Arts and Cultural Coordinator for the City of Prince Albert, in the release.
Joyce Naytowhow-McLeod was elected Chief of Montreal Lake Cree Nation last fall, and Tammy Cook-Searson was re-elected Chief of Lac La Ronge Indian Band in May 2020.
Susan Custer (Linklater), the first female Chief of PBCN, was elected in 1999 and served one term. Prince Albert Grand Council (PAGC) Grand Chief Brian Hardlotte released a statement about the election results.
“On behalf of the PAGC Executive, we look forward to working with the new and re-elected Chief and Council for Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation,” he said
Hardlotte explained he called Chief Karen Bird first thing this morning to sent his congratulations and welcomed her to PAGC’s circle of Chiefs.
Prince Albert Daily Herald
First Nation rejects proposal to mine peat on traditional muskeg land near La Ronge
Youth worker Shane Bird prepares a fire to make muskeg tea with a plant that grows in wetlands and is called maskêkopakwa in Cree. Photo by Michael Bramadat-Willcock
The Lac La Ronge Indian Band (LLRIB) Chief and Council announced its opposition to proposed peat moss harvesting on its traditional territory Tuesday after traditional land users in the area wrote in with concerns that the project would impact their way of life.
Quebec-based company Lambert Peat Moss Inc. raised the ire of some La Ronge area residents when it went public with a proposal to extract peat moss from four locations near the Lac La Ronge provincial park.
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Several bison from Elk Island National Park (EINP) have found new homes across the prairies. This winter 124 plains bison were transferred out of the park to various locations in Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Indigenous transfers made up 118 of the 124. The park sent 40 bison to the Kainai First Nation, 32 to Onion Lake Cree Nation, 25 to Frog Lake First Nation, and 21 to Poundmaker Cree Nation in Saskatchewan.
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Try refreshing your browser. Bison transferred outside of Elk Island National Park Back to video
The Waterton Lakes National Park also received some bison: “We were thrilled to send some bison back to Waterton Lakes. We did so following that devastating Kenow fire in 2017. So to support the display herd they have in Waterton, we sent six directly to the park,” said park superintendent Dale Kirkland.