Muscowpetung Saulteaux Nation

Land area88.49 km²Population (2019)^[1]On reserve330Off reserve1145Total population1475Government^[1]ChiefMelissa TavitaTribal Council^[1]File Hills Qu'Appelle Tribal CouncilWebsitemuscowpetung.com

The Muscowpetung Saulteaux Nation (Ojibwe: mashkawabiidoong, In Syllabics, written as ᒪᐢᑯᐘᐲᑕᐣᐠ) is a Saulteaux band government in southern Saskatchewan, Canada.^[2] Their reserves include:

• Last Mountain Lake 80A, shared with 6 other bands
• Muscowpetung 80
• Treaty Four Reserve Grounds 77, shared with 32 other bands.

History

1874–1909: The Queen's representatives set apart reserve land and entered into Treaty 4, also known as the Qu'Appelle Treaty on September 15, 1874 at Fort Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan, with the Muscowpetung Saulteaux band. In exchange for payments, provisions and rights to reserve lands, Treaty 4 ceded Indigenous territory to the federal government.^[3]

1909: On January 4, 1909, band members and elders were summoned at noon by an Indian Agent who claimed he was representing the Crown. At 11:00 pm those in attendance gave in to pressure and accepted cash payments offered by the agent in exchange for 17,600 acres of prime agricultural land amounting to almost 47% of the original reserve area. There were several documented cases of Indian Agents purchasing surrendered land despite the Indian Act prohibiting such purchases.

The power of Indian Agents and other Department officials over life on reserves was impressive, and was an important influencing factor in the context of surrenders. Under the pass system that was employed after 1885, band members were required to obtain passes from the Agents in order to leave their reserves. This system served to restrict movement between reserves and to prevent political and religious gatherings. Agents also supervised spending and distributed housing, clothing, and rations. In all these matters, Agents were given a good deal of discretion, loosely supervised by regional Inspectors.[4]

References