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28-589: The Peerless Trout First Nation is a First Nations band government in northern Alberta , Canada, that is based out of Peerless Lake . It is part of the Treaty 8 Confederacy and was formed as Alberta 's forty-fifth First Nation in 2010. The Peerless Lake First Nation had a registered population of 966 as of July 2019. It has one reserve, Peerless Trout 238 , in proximity to Peerless Lake and Trout Lake . Other reserves will be established in proximity to Calling Lake , Chipewyan Lake , and Wabasca . The First Nation

56-594: A band-owned concrete plant, and the PT Camp, an 88-suite remote camp. In addition to housing transient primary sector workers, PT Camp's remote location on Peerless Trout territory has been promoted as a destination for cultural and wilderness tourism. Official website Band government Bands can be united into larger regional groupings called tribal councils . A treaty council, or treaty association, has additional meaning and historically in most provinces represents signatory bands of treaty areas. British Columbia

84-571: A chief councillor: this individual is not necessarily a hereditary chief or leader, though some are. Although the current policy of the Crown–Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC) is to treat band governments as largely autonomous, under the Indian Act band council resolutions have no effect unless endorsed by the Minister of Crown–Indigenous Relations . In addition to

112-569: A chiefs council may include bands that belong to one or more tribal councils and also individual bands that belong to none. For instance, the St'át'timc Chiefs Council serves as a common voice for all Stʼatʼimc and formally does not acknowledge Crown sovereignty. In other provinces, where treaties already exist, a treaty group or treaty association is composed of bands already signatory to existing treaties, such as Treaty 6 and Treaty 8 . There are also organized groups of Indian descent whose Indian status

140-624: A dozen bands. CSFS was originally a part of the Carrier Sekani Tribal Council but is now a separate organization. Its members include bands that are not members of CSTC. During treaty negotiations, such as those attempted by the BC provincial government in the form of the British Columbia Treaty Process , bands claims are coordinated and negotiated, if negotiated, by treaty councils. The composition of these may correspond to

168-694: A politically active group with no legally recognized band government in Canada. Some of their members have federally recognized Indian tribal status (in the US) and ongoing land claims in British Columbia . In addition to tribal councils and special-purpose service organizations, bands may form larger organizations. The largest is the Assembly of First Nations , which represents the chiefs of over 600 bands throughout Canada. There are also some regional organizations. The Chief of

196-595: Is Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami . The self-governing territory of Nunavut is inhabited primarily by Inuit. The status of the Métis remains unresolved but has been the subject of negotiations in the early 21st century, which has resulted in the Métis Nation Framework Agreement between various Métis organizations and Canada. These have been negotiated as recently as 2019, for instance, by the Métis Nation of Ontario ,

224-512: Is an exception as treaties in most of the province have not been completed. There the treaty councils have been formed in order to negotiate future treaty claims. Another emerging type of organization in British Columbia is the chiefs' council, such as the St'át'timc Chiefs Council . These councils unite bands that are not included in tribal councils with those that are in tribal councils. Bands also typically belong to one or more kinds of provincial council or similar organization. They also belong to

252-502: Is governed by a council led by Chief Gilbert Okemow. Its first chief, originally elected in 2010, was James Alook. Its first female chief, was Chief Gladys Okemow, who was in office from 2018–2022. Before 2010, all Peerless Trout First Nation members were enrolled in the Bigstone Cree Nation , which took Treaty 8 in 1899. Entitled under Treaty to a guaranteed minimum land base, the band's first reserves were surveyed in 1913, with

280-612: Is not recognized by Canada. These are often the descendants of bands considered by Canada to have become extinct. Such groups have no official existence but may nonetheless have some degree of political organization. The Sinixt , who are now based mostly in Washington state as part of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation , but have a small group of representatives based at Vallican , BC, are an example. They are

308-428: The 2019 Alberta wildfire season , with one out-of-control wildfire burning 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) southeast of Trout Lake. The First Nation wholly owns and manages Peerless Trout Enterprises Inc. (PTEI), its business development subsidiary. PTEI services include concrete, forestry, civil earthworks, oilfield services, traditional knowledge consultation , and firefighting. Major PTEI ventures include PT Concrete,

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336-719: The Chiefs of Ontario serve as the provincial-level organization; in Saskatchewan, the provincial-level grouping is the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations . From a constitutional point of view, not all indigenous people are First Nations people. In addition to Indians, the Constitution (section 35.2) recognizes two other indigenous groups: the Inuit and the Métis . The national Inuit organization

364-744: The Métis Nation—Saskatchewan , and the Métis Nation of Alberta . St%27%C3%A1t%27timc Chiefs Council The St'át'timc Chiefs Council is an organization comprising the chiefs of all bands of the St'at'imc people, aka the Lillooet people. It is not a tribal council and includes chiefs from bands not part of the Lillooet Tribal Council . The council's mandates include issues of aboriginal title and rights and control over land and resources in St'at'imc territory. The St'at'imc chiefs meet on

392-656: The AFN is referred to as the National Chief . The AFN also has a Vice-Chief for each region. In British Columbia, the First Nations Summit represents 203 bands in the province that are engaged in treaty negotiations with Canada and British Columbia. An older organization, the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs , represents the bands that reject the current British Columbia Treaty Process . Some bands belong to both. In Ontario,

420-666: The Bigstone claims. Under this agreement, members of the Bigstone communities around Peerless Lake and Trout Lake, who had never lived on Bigstone reserves, would become members of a new First Nation. The resulting settlement is the largest in Alberta and one of the largest in Canada. In addition to the official constitution of the Peerless Trout First Nation on May 19, 2010, $ 249,400,000 and 140,000 acres (57,000 ha) will ultimately change hands. 63,000 acres were used to establish

448-629: The Inuit ( Reference Re Eskimos 1939) as well as to Métis and non-status Indians ( Daniels v. Canada 2013), but the relations of these groups with the federal government are not governed by the terms of the Indian Act . In Canada, the elected government of a First Nations band consists of a chief and councillors. Many bands, especially in British Columbia , control multiple Indian reserves , that is, multiple parcels of land. Although bands have considerable control over their reserve land, legally neither

476-426: The administrative convenience of Canada, or by consensual alliances between such groups, some pre-dating the Indian Act . The functioning of a band is controlled by the Indian Act , the legislation that defines the position of status Indians . The band government is controlled by a chief councillor and council. The number of councillors is determined by the number of band members, with a minimum of two in addition to

504-478: The band itself nor its members hold aboriginal land title . Rather, the land is held in trust for the band by the Crown . The term band is historically related to the anthropological term band society , but as a legal and administrative unit the band need not correspond to a band in this sense. Some bands draw their members from two or more ethnic groups due to the disruption of traditional ways by colonization and/or

532-474: The band. Non-status Indians , Métis , and Inuit are not part of the system of band governments and reserves. This is one of the major differences between their legal and social situation in relation to the federal government and that of First Nations governed by band councils. The courts have ruled that constitutional reference to "Indians" ( section 91(24) of the Constitution Act, 1867 ) does apply to

560-656: The chief and council system mandated by the Indian Act , some bands have a traditional system of government that retains considerable influence. In some cases the two systems have come to an accommodation, such as the Office of the Hereditary Chiefs of the Wet'suwet'en . In other cases the two are in conflict. Two or more bands may unite to form a tribal council . Tribal councils have no independent status; they draw their powers entirely from their member bands. What powers are delegated to

588-402: The chief councillor. The Indian Act specifies procedures for the election of the chief councillor and council. Some bands make use of a policy provision (called 'custom election', which allows them to exempt themselves from these requirements in order to follow traditional procedures for the choice of leaders. This is a matter of controversy. Proponents argue that it allows First Nations to adapt

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616-418: The externally defined system to their traditions. Sometimes this means that 'hereditary' leaders become the chief councillor. Opponents argue that custom systems are frequently not traditional and that, traditional or not, they are unfair and undemocratic and have the effect of preserving the power of corrupt cliques. In many cases they exclude women and also exclude hereditary leaders. The term "Chief" refers to

644-614: The intention that 128 acres (52 ha) would be allotted per band member. During the enumeration of band membership, though the Canadian government overlooked and excluded significant populations of registered Bigstone Treaty Indians north of Wabasca. This error was soon discovered, and Peerless Lake Chief Colin Trindle first requested the local Indian agent pursue the fulfillment of these treaty promises in 1935, but no new reserve lands were created as compensation. Bigstone Cree's shortfall claim

672-716: The local tribal council, such as the Ktunaxa Kinbasket Tribal Council vs the Ktunaxa Kinbasket Treaty Council. But in that particular case American tribal governments belong to the former tribal council but not to the treaty council. Others, such as the Maa-nulth Treaty Association or the Temexw Treaty Group , span different tribal councils and individual bands, covering more than one ethnic group. Another organization called

700-517: The new Peerless Trout 238 reserve, while the remaining 77,000 acres will be used to create new Bigstone Cree reserves around Wabasca, Calling Lake, and Chipewyan Lake. A final signing ceremony was held in September 2011. The First Nation's first female leader was elected November 2018, when founding chief James Alook was defeated by addictions counselor Gladys Okemow. The Peerless Trout communities were evacuated south to Edmonton multiple times during

728-522: The pan-Canadian Assembly of First Nations (formerly called the Native Indian Brotherhood), chaired by a leader elected by the bands, each chief having one vote, rather than at-large by individual band members. Bands are, to an extent, the governing body for their Indian reserves . Many First Nations also have large off-reserve populations whom the band government also represents; it may also deal with non-members who live on reserve or work for

756-401: The tribal council and which services are provided centrally by the tribal council varies according to the wishes of the member bands. In addition to tribal councils, bands may create joint organizations for particular purposes, such as providing social services or health care. For example, in the central interior of British Columbia, Carrier Sekani Family Services provides social services for

784-480: Was acknowledged in 1998 under Canada's Historic Treaty Land Entitlement Policy and its Specific Claims Policy. In 2006 and 2007, the Nation's Ancillary Treaty Benefits claims were accepted for negotiation by Alberta and Canada. Between February 22 and March 5, 2010, ratification votes were held in the communities of Wabasca, Calling Lake, Chipewyan Lake, Peerless Lake, and Trout Lake, approving the governments' offer to settle

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