history of the cree tribe, a North American Indigenous people.

 

The Cree, also known as the Nehinaw (Cree: néhinaw, néhiyaw, nihithaw, etc.; French: Cri), are an Indigenous group in North America. They are mostly found in Canada, where they make up one of the biggest First Nations groups in the nation. Over 350,000 people in Canada are Cree or descended from Cree people. In Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and the Northwest Territories, the majority of Cree people reside north and west of Lake Superior. Quebec is home to around 27,000 people. Cree people traditionally inhabited the area west of Lake Superior in the United States. They now reside mostly in Montana, where they coexist alongside Ojibwe (Chippewa) people on the Rocky Boy Indian Reservation. Their responsibilities as hunters and dealers in the North American fur trade have been closely linked to their reported westward movement throughout time. Generally speaking, the Cree are separated into eight divisions according to dialect and geography. Ethnic sub-divisions within the broader ethnic group are not always represented by these divisions: The Cree people lack a contemporary collective autonym because of the wide variety of Cree dialects. Both the Plains Cree and the Attikamekw use nêhiyaw and nêhirawisiw, which are contemporary variations of the historical nêhiraw, to refer to themselves. Moose Cree, East Cree, Naskapi, and Montagnais all use contemporary dialects of the ancient word iriniw, which means "man," to identify themselves. Ililiw is the form used by Moose Cree, iyiyiw (also written iiyiyiu, iiyiyuu, and eeyou) by coastal East Cree and Naskapi, iyiniw (often spelled iinuu and eenou) by inland East Cree, and ilnu and innu by Montagnais, depending on dialect. The Cree use "Cree", "cri", "Naskapi, or "montagnais" to refer to their people only when speaking French or English. The lodge was a group of eight or twelve people, usually the families of two different but related married couples, who lived together in the same wigwam (domed tent) or tipi (conical tent). The band was a group of lodges that moved and hunted together. The Cree peoples were hunter-gatherers. Lodges might quit bands in the event of dispute, and bands could be created and disbanded rather easily. Banishment was seen as a very severe penalty, however, and all families would desire to be a member of any band since there is protection in numbers. Due to intermarriage, bands often had close relationships with their neighbors and would meet together at various times of the year to hunt and mingle. In addition to these regional meetings, there was no official higher-level organization, and allied bands met in council to decide on war and peace. Clans, which are groups of people who claim to be descended from a common ancestor, might be used to identify individuals. Each clan would have a representation and a vote in all significant band councils (see the Anishinaabe clan system). Every band continued to operate independently of the others. Nonetheless, while facing external adversaries, Cree-speaking tribes preferred to cooperate with their neighbors. A significant player in the North American fur trade from the 1730s to the 1870s, the "Iron Confederacy" was made up of the Plains Cree, Cree who migrated to the Great Plains and embraced bison hunting, the Assiniboine, and the Metis Nation. In the Indian commercial networks in the northern plains, the Cree and the Assiniboine played a significant role as middlemen. When a tribe went to battle, they would choose a temporary military leader, known as a "war chief" or okimahkan. A leader with a job more akin to that of a diplomat, the "peace chief" had a separate position. Big Bear led his troop in the lead-up to the North-West Rebellion in 1885, but Wandering Spirit took over as war chief after hostilities broke out. Since at least a 1994 meeting in the Opaskwayak Cree First Nation reserve, there have been many efforts to establish a national political organization that would represent all Cree peoples. The Algonkian-language exonym Kirištino˙, which the Ojibwa used for tribes in the Hudson Bay area, is where the term "Cree" originates. French colonists and explorers used the terms Kilistinon, Kiristinon, Knisteneaux, Cristenaux, and Cristinaux to refer to a variety of tribes they came across in Manitoba and west of Lake Superior. Several Canadian people groups, some of whom are today better identified as Severn Anishinaabe (Ojibwa) and speak languages distinct from the Algonquin, were referred to by the French using these designations. The Cree may refer to themselves as the nēhiyawak, nīhithaw, nēhilaw, and nēhinaw; or as ininiw, ililiw, iynu (innu), or iyyu, depending on the community. These names are derived from either the historical autonym iriniw (meaning "person") or nēhiraw (meaning unclear). The latter autonym is often used by Cree people who reside in Quebec and Labrador. Cree is the name of a group of closely related Algonquian languages, the mother tongue (i.e., language first learned and still understood) of about 96,000 people, and the language most frequently spoken at home by about 65,000 people across Canada, from the Northwest Territories to Labrador. The Cree language is also known in the broadest classification as Cree-Montagnais, Cree-Montagnais-Naskapi, to show the groups included within it. In Canada, it is the most commonly spoken Aboriginal language. The Northwest Territories are the only place where Cree, together with eight other native languages, English, and French, have official status. The Cree dialect continuum, which may be separated based on a variety of factors, is spoken by the two main Nehiyaw and Innu populations. According to a dialect continuum, "It is not so much a language, as a chain of dialects, where speakers from one community can very easily understand their neighbours, but a Plains Cree speaker from Alberta would find a Quebec Cree speaker difficult to speak to without practice." Golla lists Cree dialects as eight of the 55 North American languages that are actively being learned by children and have over 1,000 speakers. With 135 recognized bands and 220,000 members, the Cree are the biggest First Nations tribe in Canada. Of all the First Nations groups in the nation, their combined reserve lands are the biggest. The Lac La Ronge Band in northern Saskatchewan is the biggest Cree band and the second largest First Nations band in Canada, behind the Six Nations Iroquois. Scholars recognize that all bands are ultimately of mixed lineage, and diversity and multilingualism were the norm due to the traditional Cree acceptance of mixed marriages. Mixed Cree, Saulteaux, Métis, and Assiniboine bands—all being participants in the Iron Confederacy—are common in the West. There may currently just be one language spoken on a specific reserve, however, since indigenous languages have decreased in western Canada in recent years. Identity has been simplified as a result, and bands in various sections of Saskatchewan have made it "fashionable" to identify as "Plains Cree" at the cost of having a mixed Cree-Salteaux heritage. Additionally, bands have a propensity to reclassify as "Plains Cree" rather than Woods Cree or Swampy Cree. Neal McLeod contends that this is partially because Plains Cree is more prestigious than other Cree languages and has a higher level of written uniformity, as well as because the dominant culture is fascinated by Plains Indian culture. People of mixed ancestry, such as Cree and French, English, or Scottish origin, are known as Métis (from the French, Métis - of mixed ancestry). The Métis were traditionally the offspring of French fur merchants and Cree women, or of unions between English or Scottish traders and Cree, northern Dene women (Anglo-Métis), or Northwestern Ojibwe, according to Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada. "A person who self-identifies as Métis, is distinct from other Aboriginal peoples, is of historic Métis Nation Ancestry, and who is accepted by the Métis Nation" is how the Métis National Council defines a Métis. The Cree once inhabited Montana, North Dakota, and northern Minnesota. In Montana, American Cree are now enrolled in the federally recognized Chippewa Cree tribe, which is situated on the Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation. They are also a minority known as "Landless Cree" on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation and as "Landless Cree" and "Rocky Boy Cree" on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation. The Pembina Band of Chippewa Indians, who make up the "Chippewa" (Ojibwa) half of the Chippewa Cree tribe, share the reserve with the Chippewa Cree. On the other reservations, the Assiniboine, Gros Ventre, and Sioux tribes coexist with the Cree minority. The Missouri River and the Milk River have historically served as the southern boundaries of Cree territory in Montana. In 1682, a Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) team going around 100 miles (160 km) inland made contact with the Cree in Manitoba near the mouth of the Nelson and Hayes rivers. Around 1732, Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, sieur de La Vérendrye, met with the Monsoni (a branch of the Ojibwe) and a gathered party of 200 Cree warriors in the south in what is now northwest Ontario. Before attacking the Dakota and another Ojibwe tribe, both parties had painted themselves in war paint. The Cree entered the plains as merchants after purchasing weapons from the HBC and serving as intermediaries. The Naskapi are Innu First Nations people who live in a part of Canada's northern Quebec and Labrador. Unlike the territorial Montagnais, the other Innu group, the Naskapi are historically migratory. The Montagnais and Naskapi have quite diverse languages and cultures; for example, the dialect of "Iiyuu" differs from "Innu" by changing from y to n. The Naskapi speak an Innu dialect known as Iyuw Iyimuun. The Naskapi are now divided into two communities: Natuashish, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Kawawachikamach, Quebec. Situated in the Naskapi settlement of Kawawachikamach, 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) northeast of Schefferville, Quebec, is the Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach. The settlement is located inside the same-named reserve. The Natuashish 2 reserve on the Labrador coast is home to the Mushuau Innu First Nation, which is part of the Natuashish community in Newfoundland and Labrador. On their reserve at Mingan, Quebec, near the mouth of the Mingan River on the Saint Lawrence River in the Côte-Nord (north coast) area, reside the Innus of Ekuanitshit. Based in Sept-Îles, Quebec, in the Côte-Nord area on the Saint Lawrence River, is Innu Takuaikan Uashat Mak Mani-Utenam. They own two reserves: Uashat 27, which is located within Sept-Îles, and Maliotenam 27A, which is located 16 kilometers (9.9 miles) east of Sept-Îles. Schefferville, Quebec, is home to the Innu Nation of Matimekush-Lac John headquarters. Matimekosh, one reserve, is a Schefferville enclave. The other is Lac-John, which lies 1.2 miles (two kilometers) from the town. The Natuashish 2 reserve on the Labrador coast is home to the Mushuau Innu First Nation, which is part of the Natuashish community in Newfoundland and Labrador. On their reserve at Mingan, Quebec, near the mouth of the Mingan River on the Saint Lawrence River in the Côte-Nord (north coast) area, reside the Innus of Ekuanitshit. Based in Sept-Îles, Quebec, in the Côte-Nord area on the Saint Lawrence River, is Innu Takuaikan Uashat Mak Mani-Utenam. They own two reserves: Uashat 27, which is located within Sept-Îles, and Maliotenam 27A, which is located 16 kilometers (9.9 miles) east of Sept-Îles. Schefferville, Quebec, is home to the Innu Nation of Matimekush-Lac John headquarters. Matimekosh, one reserve, is a Schefferville enclave. The other is Lac-John, which lies 1.2 miles (two kilometers) from the town. Pekuakamiulnuatsh First Nation is situated on the Mashteuiatsh reserve in the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean area, on the western coast of Lac Saint-Jean, 8 km (5.0 mi) north of Roberval, Quebec. Based in Pessamit, Quebec, Bande des Innus de Pessamit is situated near the mouth of the Betsiamites River, about 58 kilometers (36 miles) southwest of Baie-Comeau along the Saint Lawrence River's north coast. It is situated just north of Rimouski, Quebec, on the other side of the river. Northeast of Quebec City lies Pessamit, which is 358 kilometers (222 miles). The base of the Innue Essipit is located in their reserve, Essipit, which is close to the Les Escoumins hamlet in Quebec. The village is located in the Côte-Nord area, 40 km (25 mi) northeast of Tadoussac and 250 km (160 mi) northeast of Québec, near the mouth of the Escoumins River on the north side of the Saint Lawrence River. In Quebec, Canada, the Conseil de la Nation Atikamekw, also known as Atikamekw Sipi – Conseil de la Nation Atikamekw, is a tribal council. Three Atikamekw First Nations make up this group. La Tuque, Quebec, is home to the council. The region in the upper Saint-Maurice River valley that the Atikamekw call Nitaskinan ("Our Land") is home to them. The Grand Council of the Crees is the representative of Eeyou Istchee, a territory in Nord-du-Québec that is comparable to a regional county municipality (TE). The new Eeyou Istchee James Bay Regional Government was established on July 24, 2012, after the Quebec government and the Cree Nation signed an agreement that abolished the nearby municipality of Baie-James and allowed the people of the surrounding Jamésie TE and Eeyou Istchee to jointly govern the area that had previously been under the jurisdiction of the municipality of Baie-James. Eight enclaves in Jamésie and one enclave (Whapmagoostui) in Kativik TE make up the region known as Eeyou Istchee. Each enclave combines the names of a Cree village municipality (VC) and a Cree reserved land (TC). Northeastern Ontario is home to the Moose Cree, sometimes referred to as Moosonee (Cree: Mōsonī or Ililiw). The only Cree member of Matawa First Nations is Constance Lake First Nation. They may be found in Ontario's Cochrane District on their reserves, English River 66 and Constance Lake 92. Chiefs from seven First Nations in Ontario are represented by the Mushkegowuk Council, which has its headquarters at Moose Factory. The following nations are members of the Moose Cree: Taykwa Tagamou Nation, Missanabie Cree First Nation, Chapleau Cree First Nation, and Kashechewan First Nation. The Sudbury District, west of Chapleau, Ontario, is home to the Chapleau Cree First Nation and its two reserves, Chapleau Cree Fox Lake and Chapleau 75. On James Bay, on the northern bank of the Albany River, is the Kashechewan First Nation settlement. Between 1675 and 1679, the Hudson's Bay Company built a station here called Fort Albany. Fort Albany First Nation and Kashechewan First Nation are the two settlements that were formed from Old Fort Albany. The Fort Albany 67 reserve is shared by both nations. Despite signing Treaty 9 in 1906, the Missanabie Cree First Nation did not get any designated territories until 2018. The region around Missanabie, Ontario, is home to the Missanabie reserve. The Cochrane District's Moose Factory is home to the Moose Cree First Nation. Charles Bayly, the Hudson's Bay Company's first overseas governor, established Moose Factory as the company's second station in 1672–1673. In what is now Ontario, it was the first English colony. There are two reserves in the country: Moose Factory 68, a piece of property located around 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) upstream on the Moose River, and Factory Island 1, located on Moose Factory Island, an island in the Moose River, approximately 16 kilometers (9.9 miles) from its mouth in James Bay. New Post 69 and New Post 69A, the Taykwa Tagamou Nation's primary reserve, are located along the Abitibi River west of Cochrane, Ontario. Ojibway and Cree First Nations in northern Ontario are represented by the Wabun Tribal Council, a regional chief's council with its headquarters in Timmins, Ontario. Members of Matachewan First Nation and Brunswick House First Nation are Moose Cree. Mountbatten 76A and Duck Lake 76B, which are situated in the Sudbury District close to Chapleau, Ontario, are the reserves for Brunswick House. The Matachewan First Nation is located in the Timiskaming District on the Matachewan 72 reserve, which is close to Matachewan Township. The northernmost settlement in Ontario is Fort Severn First Nation and its reserve, Fort Severn 89, which is situated on Hudson Bay at the mouth of the Severn River. The Keewaytinook Okimakanak Council counts it as one of its members. Chiefs from seven First Nations in Ontario are represented by the Mushkegowuk Council, which has its headquarters at Moose Factory. Members of Attawapiskat First Nation and Fort Albany First Nation are Swampy Cree. Located in James Bay in Fort Albany, Ontario, on the southern bank of the Albany River, lies Fort Albany First Nation. The Kashechewan First Nation shares Fort Albany 67, the reservation. The Attawapiskat First Nation is situated on James Bay at the mouth of the Attawapiskat River. The Attawapiskat 91A reserve is where the community is located. Situated 165 kilometers (103 miles) upstream from the mouth of James Bay, the Attawapiskat 91 reserve spans 27,000 hectares (67,000 acres) on both banks of the Ekwan River. The Weenusk First Nation, situated in the Kenora District near Peawanuck, operates independently of a Tribal Council. Located on their Winisk 90 reserve near the mouth of the Winisk River on James Bay, the community was forced to evacuate to Peawanuck after being decimated in the 1986 Winisk flood. Eleven First Nations, including five Swampy Cree, are represented by the Thompson, Manitoba-based Keewatin Tribal Council, a tribal council in northern Manitoba. Fox Lake Cree Nation includes many reserves along the Nelson River and is headquartered at Gillam, 248 kilometers (154 miles) northeast of Thompson via Provincial Road 280 (PR 280). On their reservation, Shamattawa 1, on the banks of the Gods River where the Echoing River empties into it, sits Shamattawa First Nation. The only ways to go to other First Nation villages are via plane or winter ice roads, which make the hamlet very isolated. The Tataskweyak Cree Nation is situated on the lake of the same name in the Nelson River system, 144 kilometers (89 miles) northeast of Thompson on PR 280, near the village of Split Lake, Manitoba, inside the Split Lake 171 reserve. Although War Lake First Nation has many reservations, they are situated 35 kilometers (22 miles) east of York Landing on the Mooseocoot reserve near the town of Ilford, Manitoba. The York Factory First Nation is situated on the York Landing reserve, which is accessible by boat from Split Lake thirty kilometers (19 miles) to the south. York Factory, a town and trade station of the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC), was founded in 1684 near the mouth of the Hayes River on the Hudson Bay coast. The village was relocated inland to its present location in 1956 when the trading post was shut down. Based in The Pas, the Swampy Cree Tribal Council is a tribal council that represents seven Swampy Cree First Nations in northern Manitoba. The reserve Chemawawin 2, which is 200 kilometers (120 miles) southeast of The Pas and next to Easterville, Manitoba, is the home of the Chemawawin Cree Nation (also known as the Rocky Cree). The Pukatawagan 198 reserve is home to the Mathias Colomb First Nation, often known as the Rocky Cree. The Misipawistik Cree Nation, commonly known as the Rocky Cree, is situated close to Grand Rapids, Manitoba, at the mouth of the Saskatchewan River as it empties into Lake Winnipeg, 400 kilometers (250 miles) north of Winnipeg. Mosakahiken Cree Nation, commonly known as Rocky Cree, is situated on their main reserve, Moose Lake 31A, about 63 kilometers (39 miles) southeast of The Pas. The majority of people of the Opaskwayak Cree Nation (also known as Rocky Cree) reside on the Opaskwayak 21E reserve, which is located just north of and across the Saskatchewan River from The Pas. About 82 kilometers (51 miles) south of The Pas, on the Shoal River 65A reserve, next to the Pelican Rapids settlement, is the Sapotaweyak Cree Nation. The primary reserve of Wuskwi Sipihk First Nation is Swan Lake 65C, which is located around 150 kilometers (93 miles) south of The Pas and is home to the Indian Birch village. Norway House Cree Nation, Marcel Colomb First Nation, and Fisher River Cree Nation are not associated with any Tribal Council. The Fisher River 44 and 44A reserves are under the jurisdiction of Fisher River Cree Nation, which is situated at Koostatak on Lake Winnipeg, about 177 kilometers (110 miles) north of Winnipeg. Located on the Black Sturgeon reserve on Hughes Lake, outside of Lynn Lake, Marcel Colomb First Nation is 289 kilometers (180 miles) northwest of Thompson on Provincial Road 391. Norway House Cree Nation is situated on the north shore of Lake Winnipeg, on the Playgreen Lake portion of the Nelson River system. The Hudson's Bay Company became Norway House its main inland fur trading base in 1821. Treaty 5 was also signed in Norway House. Over 80 reserves are under their management, ranging in size from less than 2 hectares (4.9 acres) to Norway House 17, which is the biggest at over 7,600 hectares (19,000 acres). As of November 2021, the country has 8,599 residents, making it one of the most populated in Canada. Twelve First Nations, including three Swampy Cree, control the Prince Albert Grand Council, which has its headquarters in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. Located on the Cumberland House Cree Nation 20 reserve near Cumberland House, Saskatchewan, 97 kilometers (60 miles) southwest of Flin Flon, Manitoba, is the headquarters of Cumberland House Cree Nation. Samuel Hearne established the first inland fur-trading station of the HBC at Cumberland House in 1774. In the town of Red Earth, on the Carrot River's banks, on the Carrot River 29A reserve, sits the Red Earth First Nation. Nearby, around 75 kilometers (47 miles) east of Nipawin, lies the Red Earth 29 reserve. The Shoal Lake Cree Nation is situated 92 kilometers (57 miles) east of Nipawin in Pakwaw Lake, on the Shoal Lake 28A reserve. In Manitoba, Rocky Cree First Nations are represented by the Keewatin Tribal Council, which is referred to as Swampy Cree. Near the Saskatchewan border, on the north bank of Reindeer Lake, is the Barren Lands First Nation. Its one reserve, Brochet 197, is located next to the town of Brochet, 256 kilometers (159 miles) northwest of Thompson. The headwaters of the Hayes River, on Oxford Lake's eastern bank, are home to the Bunibonibee Cree Nation. The primary reserve under the Nation's jurisdiction is Oxford House 24, which is located 160 kilometers (99 miles) southeast of Thompson and next to the hamlet of Oxford House, Manitoba. On the coast of God's Lake, in the God's Lake Narrows region, sits God's Lake First Nation. God's Lake 23, located 240 kilometers (150 miles) southeast of Thompson, is the primary reserve. About 42 kilometers (26 miles) northeast of God's Lake Narrows, in the village of God's River on the God's River 86A reserve, reside the Manto Sipi Cree Nation. The only ways to link the isolated Rocky Cree settlements of Keewatin Tribal Council are via air and, in the winter, ice roads. Five of the Swampy Cree Tribal Council First Nations contain Rocky Cree populations: Chemawawin Cree Nation, Mathias Colomb First Nation, Misipawistik Cree Nation, Mosakahiken Cree Nation, Opaskwayak Cree Nation. Rocky Cree people are represented in the Prince Albert Grand Council in Saskatchewan, which is categorized under Swampy Cree. As of November 2021, the Lac La Ronge First Nation has 11,604 registered members, making it one of Canada's most populated First Nations. Although the Nation includes villages on various reservations, its headquarters are in La Ronge, on the Lac la Ronge 156 reserve. La Ronge is located at the north end of Saskatchewan Highway 2, 250 kilometers (160 miles) north of Prince Albert. The southern bank of Montreal Lake, 93 kilometers (58 miles) north of Prince Albert, is home to the Montreal Lake First Nation's reserves of Montreal Lake 106. Ballantyne, Peter As of November 2021, Cree Nation has 11,563 members, making it another populated First Nation. The administrative hub is Pelican Narrows, Saskatchewan, which is 80 kilometers (50 miles) northeast of Flin Flon, Manitoba, and is home to eight settlements and several reserves. About 29 kilometers (18 miles) northwest of Prince Albert, on the eastern coast of Sturgeon Lake, on the Sturgeon Lake 101 reserve, is the Sturgeon Lake First Nation. Cross Lake First Nation, Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation, and O-Pipon-Na-Piwin Cree Nation are not members of any Tribal Council. As of November 2021, the Cross Lake First Nation has 9,138 registered residents, making it a populous nation. The Nation is located 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of Lake Winnipeg in Cross Lake, Manitoba, on the Cross Lake 19 reserve. Situated on the Nelson House 170 reserve, 19 kilometers (12 miles) south of Thompson, the Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation is headquartered in Nelson House, Manitoba. The South Indian Lake community, 130 kilometers (81 miles) northwest of Thompson, is home to the O-Pipon-Na-Piwin Cree Nation. There are also Rocky Cree living in Marcel Colomb First Nation, which is classified as Swampy Cree. The Canoe Lake 165 reserve in Canoe Narrows, Saskatchewan, is home to the Canoe Lake Cree First Nation. The Meadow Lake Tribal Council counts the Nation among its members. Located on the Wabasca 166A reserve in Wabasca, Alberta, about 100 kilometers (62 miles) northeast of Slave Lake, is the home base of the Bigstone Cree Nation. There is no Tribal Council connected to the Nation. In 2010, the Bigstone Cree Nation split into two bands, one of which became the Peerless Trout First Nation while the other continued to use the previous name. The Fort McMurray First Nation is situated on the Gregoire Lake 176 and 176A reserves, which are around 35 kilometers (22 miles) southeast of Fort McMurray, close to Anzac, Alberta. On the Athabasca Tribal Council, they are the only Cree representative. Atikameg, Alberta is home to the Kee Tas Kee Now Tribal Council, which has five members: Red Earth Creek serves as the headquarters of the Loon River First Nation, while reserves are located close to Loon Lake to the immediate west. The town of Little Buffalo, which is about 80 kilometers (50 miles) east of Peace River, is home to the Lubicon Lake Band. About 45 kilometers (28 miles) west of Red Earth Creek, in Peerless Lake, on the Peerless Trout 238 reserve, is the Peerless Trout First Nation. Located 61 kilometers (38 miles) north of High Prairie in Atikameg, on the western bank of Utikuma Lake on the Utikoomak Lake 155 reserve, is the headquarters of Whitefish Lake First Nation. 48 kilometers (30 miles) northeast of Peace River, near the village of Cadotte Lake on the Woodland Cree 226 reserve, is the Woodland Cree First Nation. Lesser Slave Lake Indian Regional Council, based out of the town of Slave Lake, Alberta is, as the name suggests, a Tribal Council of First Nations surrounding Lesser Slave Lake. Member Nations include: The Driftpile First Nation, based in Driftpile, on the Drift Pile River 150 reserve, 70 kilometres (43 mi) west of Slave Lake. The Kapawe'no First Nation is headquartered at Grouard, which is near High Prairie. They have six reserves, predominately located west of Lesser Slave Lake. The two reserves, Sawridge 150G and 150H, are close to the town of Slave Lake, which is home to the Sawridge First Nation. Located on the Sucker Creek 150A reserve near Enilda, 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) east of High Prairie, is the headquarters of the Sucker Creek First Nation. Lastly, the Swan River 150E and Assineau River 150F reserves are under the jurisdiction of the Swan River First Nation, which is located close to Kinuso, 40 kilometers (25 miles) west of Slave Lake. The John D'Or Prairie community in Alberta, which is located on the John D'Or Prairie 215 reserve 48 kilometers (30 miles) east of Fort Vermilion, is the home of the Little Red River Cree Nation. They belong to the High Level, Alberta-based North Peace Tribal Council. The town of Fort Chipewyan, on the western shore of Lake Athabasca, some 225 kilometers (140 miles) north of Fort McMurray, is home to the Mikisew Cree First Nation. They don't belong to any Tribal Councils. The North West Company founded Fort Chipewyan, one of Alberta's first European settlements, as a fur trading station in 1788.