Native American Nations in Central Canada (Part IV)

Although the regions of Canada that are most highly populated by native Americans are the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia, followed by Quebec, other Canadian provinces and territories are home to additional nations and bands.

Saskatchewan, Alberta, Manitoba provinces are the backdrop for numerous bands of Sioux, Cree and other nations among Native Americans. The youngest school children in the United States may be under the false impression that Native Americans are confined to the lower 48 states and Eskimos to Alaska, but of course, this is a misunderstanding. These same children are surprised to see "cowboys and Indians" in pictures of Alberta! In the several times I have visited in British Columbia recently, I have learned that BC college students I met were not all that aware of people living in Alberta - Canada is such a large country!

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Other Pages in the Series:

• Native Americans Part I

• Native Americans Part II

• Native Americans Part III

• Native Americans Part IV

• Native Americans Part V

• National Pow Wow of the United States

• Native Americans in Western Novels

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These groupings represent over 200,000 individuals that are registered with the Cree nation in Canada, largely Alberta, but also extending into Saskatchewan and Manitoba provinces. Additional resources are listed at the end of this group of Canadian Cree listings. They include pages related to the well known Cree folk singer/song writer, Buffy Stainte-Marie.

• Little Red River Cree Nation, Alberta

• Bigstone Cree Nation, Alberta

• Samson Cree Nation, Alberta

• Woodland Cree First Nation, Alberta

• Tataskweyak (Split Lake) First Nation, Manitoba

• York Factory First Nation, Manitoba

• Norway House Cree Nation, Manitoba

• Peguis First Nation, Manitoba

• Opaskwayak Cree Nation, Manitoba

• Muskeg Lake Cree Nation, Saskatchewan

• Lucky Man Cree Nation, Saskatchewan

• The Plains Cree is a subgrouping of the Cree Nation and are known as Paskwawininiwug in Alberta and Saskatchewan

Additional Resources:

• Cree Nation Magazine -- Published by the James Bay Cree.

• Hill 57 Indians -- History of the Chippewa Cree branch of Rocky Boy's Reservation Indians living on Hill 57 in Great Falls Montana

• Buffy Sainte-Marie -- Home page for Buffy; biography, art gallery, discography, etc.

• The Cradleboard Teaching Project -- Buffy Sainte-Marie's current full time project. Native American curriculum and cross cultural exchange raises self esteem.

Assiniboin and Stoney groups are located in both Alberta and Saskatchewan

The Blackfoot Confederacy includes the Blackfoot/Siksika in Alberta, the Blood/Kainah in Alberta and the Piegan, Piikani, and Pikuni in Alberta. ♣Note: Head-Smashed-In is a hillside bison killing site located in SW Alberta province. It has been used by the Blackfoot Confederacy nations for over 9,000 years, judging form the age of spearpoints found on site.

The Plains Ojibway are a subgrouping of the Ojibway or Ojibwe nation and include Plains Objibway, Plaines Chippewa, Bunji, and Saulteux in Manitoba and Saskatchewan provinces.

The Sarcee include Sarci and Tsuu T'ina in Alberta.

The Sioux Nation is widespread in Canada and the US and in Canada comprises 1) Santee Sioux, including the Dakota and the Eastern Sioux in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, 2) Teton Sioux, including the Lakota, the Titonwan, and the Western Sioux in Saskatchewan, and 3) Yanktonai Sioux, including the Nakota and the Middle Sioux in both Alberta and Saskatchewan.